Personnel Functions of a School Leader

Personnel Functions of a School leader

Comparison

In the article on Noddings' work, titled Nel Nodding, the Ethics of Care and Education. ( Smith M.) the author discusses some of the most salient and essential aspects of her theory and view of education. Central to all her work is the concept of care, and particularly the concept of caring-for.

Noddings was influenced by her experiences as a child of being educated by caring teachers. This resulted in her interest in teacher - student relationships. She also developed an interest in the ethical and wider moral and sociological implications of education and sees it as a "moral quest." Her work is therefore associated with the ethics of care. She sees the inculcation of ethical and responsible decision making as a vital part of the educational process. Her educational philosophy is based on the essential fact that all living beings want to be cared for.

Noddings approach is also largely feminist and experiential in that she feels that caring is a natural process and part of a life experience. She sees caring as a vital aspect of experience which influences the growth and maturation of the child and individual in a positive way. From these convictions she has developed her views of ethical caring as "a state of being ... characterized by receptivity, relatedness and engrossment." (ibid p 8)

The issue of receptivity and receptive attention is the central aspect of a caring attitude. A second factor that she emphasizes as part of the caring relationship is motivational displacement. The energy or motivational force flows from the carer to the cared. This also implies a third aspect which is the awareness or recognition on the part of the person being cared for. In essence caring is a relationship and an interconnection between the carer and the cared -for.

The article points out that Noddings makes an important distinction between caring-for and caring-about. Caring-about is not as intimate and is more general and public; for example the care and concern for those suffering in poorer countries. However, caring-about is also the foundation of a sense of justice and has an important function within society.

These views lead to an understanding of care-centered education which is central to an ethical and mature attitude in society. The home is also viewed as an important site for educational growth and development. This is not meant to reduce the importance of the school but emphasizes that the example of education in the home is invaluable as a model for the development of a caring attitude in education in general. Noddings therefore suggests that schools should include education for home life in their curriculum. This is an important aspect which also resonates in the second article.

Noddings strongly emphasizes that education should develop within a holistic framework which emphasizes the principles of relationship and reciprocity. This is in contrast to the contemporary education system which is directed towards skills and business acumen. This means that schools should, in her view, move beyond a narrow emphasis on just meeting curriculum requirements. Noddings emphasis on holistic education leads to the four main components of a care-based system of education. These are modeling, dialogue, practice and confirmation. Modeling for example means going beyond the narrow approach to schools curriculum and emphasizes a more experiential, integrated and relational way of teaching. In the same vein, the dialogue component is also seen as an aspect that encourages and develops interaction between student and teacher through feedback and fosters an holistic approach.

The article entitled What does it mean to educate the whole child by Nel Noddings tends to build on the points that have been made above and presents some interesting and, I think, essential points for the contemporary educationist and administrator.

In this article the author essentially criticizes the view that education is only about imparting skills and practical knowledge. This is too narrow a view of the meaning and function of education and leaves out moral, ethical, social and interactive foundations of education. Most importantly of all, as the previous article stressed, education is a holistic enterprise and should not be reduced to mere skills or categories of achievement. . The strictly utilitarian approach to education and teaching leave out the important aspect of caring-for and caring-about Noddings emphasizes in this article that it is important to go beyond the teaching of fundamental skills is we are to talk of true education.

In this light she criticizes the NCLB program for, among others, overemphasizing standardization as a well as the corrupting effect it may have on teachers and administrators due to the demands and pressures that it brings. However, this approach is seen as having a much deeper flaw in that is does not address the most important and fundamental issues at stake in education; namely questions such what it means educate the whole child.

She points out that the view that only stresses proficiency in skills excludes the vast and essential area of moral and ethical competence. For instance it does not deal with aspects such as educating children about the impact of their actions on others. Furthermore, she states, the emphasis on skills alone leave out the entire history and meaning of modern education. It is inadequate when it comes to addressing the education of the entire child as a unique and complex individual. As in the previous article she emphasizes that teaching is essentially about interaction and responding to needs and care.

The article also emphasizes that a democratic society requires much more than just competency as the sole criterion in its educational system. The education system needs graduates who have sound moral character as well as a social conscience and who are also aware of social and global problems

Above al, both articles emphasize the issue of teaching holistically and the importance of the relationship between teacher and student. This alludes to a central fact that children prefer to be dealt with as complete and integrated individuals. The reduction of education practice to parts or constituents tends to dehumanize and reduce human identity.

2. There are a number of aspects that are important in the two articles for the education administrator. Noddings' views alert the administrator to the essential nature of education by asking fundamental questions about the meaning of teaching. Therefore, by taking these views into account the administrator is able to create a more caring and promising environment. This is particularly the case with regard to the idea of holistic education and the way in which schools and educational institutions can be shaped by the administrator to create a more integrated and interactive environment, where the curriculum is not the sole and only component of the system..