Vision-Guided+Leadership

//Updated 11/21 - scroll down to the middle; the reading list was moved to the bottom of the page for ease in viewing the new additions.//

**NOVEMBER 13: VISION-GUIDED LEADERSHIP**
The role of the leader in nurturing vision-guided programs

**FOCUSING QUESTIONS:**
What does it mean to be a vision-guided leader?

What are the benefits of being a vision-guided leader?

How does one nurture and expand one’s own vision of Jewish early childhood education? o What is the relationship between a vision for Jewish living (existential vision) and a vision for a given Jewish preschool (institutional vision)? o How can a vision of Jewish life (values, behaviors and beliefs) inform and shape a vision for Jewish early childhood education? o What is gained by thinking about and maximizing the relationship between existential and institutional visions?

What are the responsibilities of ECE directors in defining, nurturing and communicating visions for their own institution? o What is the relationship between a leader’s personal vision, a vision for a school, and a vision for a community? o How does my vision for Jewish early childhood education express itself in my leadership?

How may an early childhood center’s many stakeholders best share in and nurture a vision for Jewish early childhood education?

[Feel free to add yours, or send it to nmoskowitz@jecc.org for uploading] These were statements studied in class This is from the Jewish Early Childhood Education Initiative (JECEI): http://www.jecei.org/vision.htmlT This is from the Preschool of the Arts in NY: http://nycpreschool.org/about/mission.html

CULTIVATING A VISION STATEMENT USING BOOKS, RITUAL OBJECTS, AND OTHER CREATIVE IDEAS [Added after class]
Here is the work of the small groups. However, our quick work in the seminar needs further input and shaping to be useful to each other in an actual visioning situation. Click open the file and see what YOU want to change or add or revisel On a wikispace ANYONE can edit on top of ANYONE and the results are usually really great! As you look at the current work, consider: ---Which of these themes would you like to be part of the children's and families' lives in our program? ---How can we simulate some of these experiences within the confines of our safety regulations? Feel free to see the other kinds of questions the Visionary Director includes. Be sure to SAVE your edits when done!
 * How might you rephrase yes/no questions to better engender discussion?**
 * How can questions better help shape a vision? For instance, on page 27 of Visionary Director she has these questions:

Feel free to post other ideas, or send them to nmoskowitz@jecc.org for uploading. See also the discussion thread; click Discussion (above)

READINGS:
Add to your reading list the //Workyards of Sde Eliyahu// (give this time to download - it's 7MB) We'll be using the content directly as part of our morning.

[Book] Bloom//, Leadership in Action//: o Chapter 2, **“Leadership as a Way of Thinking,”** pages 19-31 Definitely read this, and focus on the relationship between values and vision

[Book] Carter & Curtis, //Visionary Director// o Chapter 1, **“Guiding Your Program with a Vision”** The authors have strategies for nurturing a vision within an early childhood setting; we’ll be using these as a jumping off point in the afternoon.

[Reader] Bloomberg, Flexner, Goodman (eds.), //What we NOW Know about Jewish Education// o Pekarsky, **“Vision Guided Jewish Education”** We’ll be starting our day with concepts from here, especially “existential vision” and “educational” or “institutional vision”

[Reader] Borowitz, //Studies in the Meaning of Judaism// o Chapter 13, **“Tzimtzum: A Mystic Model for Contemporary Leadership, (1974),” selected passages** We’ll be bringing you highlights from this, so if you don’t get to it, or can’t get into it, don’t worry.

[Reader] Reno, //Handbook for Early Childhood Administrators: Directing with a Vision// o Chapter 1, **“Organizational Vision and Mission”** This is a “how to” of creating vision and mission statements. We won’t be getting into this specifically at our session, but know that it’s a reference if/when you choose to go that route.

[Online] CAJE ECE Journal, //Creating Quality Jewish Environments for Children// Fall, 2007 o Vogelstein, A Universal Mission for Early Childhood Jewish Education Programs http://www.caje.org/earlychildhood/publication4/universal_mission.pdf