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Awakening the SleepingGiant:
Helping Teachers Develop as
Leaders
William Tyler Grove
Dr. Holly ThorntonCI- 5585 Teacher Leadership and School
Improvement
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What is Teacher Leadership:
Teachers who are leaders leadwithin and beyond the
classroom,identify with and contribute to acommunity of teacher
learners andleaders, and influence others towardimproved
educational practice(5)
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Why?
A positive culture within a schoolfosters teacher leadership
which inturn produces positive results in
student outcomes (Anderson 1992)
When Teachers recognize that theycan be leaders and accept
from
among the array of roles available tothem, the results in
schools willfollow.
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Lead managementTeacher involves students
Gets input on work/conditions
Teacher communicates expectations / modelstasks
Student input continuously solicited
Students inspect/evaluate work Teacher listens/accepts
Teacher acts as facilitator Provides students with tools
Atmosphere is non-coercive Environment is non-adversarial
Everyone feels a sense of power/influence Greater
ownership/investment/attachment
(fewer problems)
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Research Contextualized, systematic, localized,
and aimed at developing changes inpractice and student learning
(Mills,2003; Wallace, 2000).
Fundamental components include (1) developing a plan for
improvement
(2) implementing the plan
(3) observing and documenting itseffects
(4) reflecting on effects for furtherplanning and informed
action
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What are the Dimensions ofTeacher Leadership
Developmental Focus
Teachers are supported in learning new knowledge and Skills
Recognition
Teachers are Respected Autonomy
Teachers are encouraged to take initiative Collegiality
Collaborate on instructional and student-related materials
Participation
Teachers are involved in making decisions Open Communication
Communication is open in the school environment Positive
Environment
Teachers experience general satisfaction with the
workenvironment
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What do I need to do?
Teacher Leadership School Survey
In the schools where there is sharedleadership and there is no
expectation of
heroic leadership from one person,teaching and learning
improve.
Bust those egalitarian norms which do notencourage a teacher to
take leadership
roles.Teachers need to learn leadership skills in
addition to becoming competent inteaching and learning
skills.
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Survey: Teacher Leadership
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New Concepts in Education(1990s)
Leadership based on assumptions ofschools as professional
learningcommunities and of communities as
being defined by their center of sharedvalues, beliefs, and
commitments.
Principals who are engaged in realschool change recognize that
every
teacher can be a leader in partnershipwith the principal and
that roles ofteaching, learning, and leading.This perspective is
not widespread.
Teachers leadership depends on the
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Is Teacher LeadershipPossible?
YES!
It is amazing that teacher leadershipis possible as they are
currentlystructured.
Ideas
Arranging Common Planning
Systems for: Recognition
Communication
Participation must be explicit in its design
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Interesting Fact:
The United States spends less moneyon the schools primary
function-teaching- then any other
industrialized county in the worlddoes. (106)
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How do I influence?
Teacher leaders are able to influencesituations in their schools
throughactions they are willing to take: Firsthand knowledgeTeacher
leaders are engaged in to
implement a long-term, results-orientedapproach to professional
development intheir school.
Offer help and assistance to the largenumber of new teachersTook
action to influence the school
principal of behalf of all the team leaders inthe school.
Building trust with their peers and offering
l i f d
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Conclusion: Steps forwardWhat do we need?
Schools need teacher leaders to be able toinfluence their
colleagues
Teacher leaders can affect policy decisions,secure community
resource, and work oninterdisciplinary teams.
The teacher leaders personal power comes from
the strength of their influencing skills.
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