This is an alternative approach to the common practice of solely designating leadership to experienced, veteran teachers
This may require explicit, institutional change. Young teachers often have the perception that leadership is only for long-serving teachers and not volunteer.
There are also cases of opening invitations but teachers serving in those roles are superseded by older staff (DCs, assistant principals, etc) who do not recognize those leadership roles, formal or informal.
Converging findings from both qualitative and quantitative results provide robust evidence for the three types of teacher leadership presented in this chapter.
Diverse, recognized roles of leadership can help form stronger approaches to problem solving within districts.
the existing body of research currently does not delineate different types of teacher leadership into an organized framework to guide future research in this emerging area of professional practice
Non-defined "leadership" up until this point. Their model fits the observation and survey data.
teacher leaders often spoke of challenging the status quo to create channels of communication in a traditionally hierarchical system
Removing the top-down nature of decision making by levelling the discussions will build buy in from staff.
decision-making culture that include formal teacher leadership positions
Bridging the gap between instructional staff and district leadership. Using extra time to advocate for "on the ground needs" can build internal capacity for growth and buy in from the instructional staff.
. These roles enabled them to bring the experiences and voices of classroom teachers to systems-level decisions.
Seems more like an add-on leadership position rather than a standalone. It can certainly be either, but it can be rolled into either IL or PL leadership positions.
Furthermore, an incentive for PL teachers’ participation in a professional learning leadership role was the opportunities to learn from other teachers.
PL seems more transactional. The leader is coaching, but they are also aware of the benefits of forming relationships with other teachers.
Proximity to colleagues has been documented to be critical for de-privatizing teaching and improving student outcomes
Getting into each other's spaces helps break down walls. Be the strategic inviter, not waiting for invitations.
he importance of facilitating adult groups to promote ownership of new pedagogies and, in turn, transfer of their learning to practice.
Much more of a coaching model, facilitating reflection on instruction and guiding conversation and reflection to lead to new methods or solutions to problems.
exhibited leadership at the level of school sites (grade-level teams, staff department meetings), districts (district-wide science PD workshops), or beyond (workshops at national conferences)
Adult learning leadership
For the instructional innovators, leadership work that extended outside of the classroom still remained student- and/or instruction-centered, such as participating in the development of standards-aligned curricula.
Leadership does not require extensive professional development (re, conversation with Kasey!); a focus on a goal and putting resources into achieving those goals builds leaders.
"Who are you willing to disappoint?"
Instructional innovators challenged the common practice of teaching in isolation by making their teaching public for a wide range of stakeholders
To innovate in instruction, other people have to see you teach.
Open door policies are good, but actively searching for eyes is better and delineates the difference between a participant and a leader.
Instructional innovators’ expertise of student learning also supported their ability to efficiently retrieve and apply pedagogical heuristics and principles to meet the diverse learning needs of their students (Peterson & Clark, 1978; Shavelson & Stem, 1981)
You have to know more than the content - you have to understand how to apply that material in an instructional setting (beyond explaining an idea)
m ary of Three Types of Teacher
Leadership matrix.
Although findings showed that each teacher represented primarily one leadership type, in some cases, teachers exhibited characteristics, roles, targets, and/ or means of influence that were associated with another type of leadership.
See previous footnote about pigeonholing people into a single leadership construct.
Some of the skills cross contaminate, with teachers falling into multiple groups. One dominant trend was identified for most participants.
(1) instructional innovator, (2) professional learning (PL) leader, and (3) administrative teacher leader
Identified leadership groups based on emergent data.
Examples of emergent codes include “content expertise,” “novice teachers,” and “reform and policy interest” (component 1; characteristics of leaders); “curriculum work” and “facilitating learning of adult learners” (component 2; leadership work); “systems approach” and “classroom-based leadership” (component 3; means of influence); and “students,” “principals,” and “teacher colleagues” (component 4; targets of influence).
Emergent properties of leadership in various components to see holistic leadership characteristics.
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Graphic on this page
empirical evidence regarding the benefits of teacher leadership is mixed
What defines a "benefit?" Is it financial incentive? Job satisfaction? Perception with colleagues? All of the above?
A second way that teacher leadership is highlighted is through their role in professional learning contexts, in which they promote ongoing discourse, collaboration, and accountability among colleagues to improve educational practices (Curtis, 2013; Hart, 1995; Stoll, Bolam, McMahon, Wallace, & Thomas, 2006
It's amazing to me that we need leadership positions to recognize this behavior.
How can leadership in a building be leveraged to make this the normal behavior of teaching?
Whereas teacher leaders were once identified primarily in formal administrative roles (e.g., department chairs) or as instructional experts (e.g., mentors to new teachers), teacher leaders are now increasingly recognized as engaging in varied leadership roles across the school system, with the goal of improving instruction and shaping school culture (Curtis, 2013; Patterson & Marshall, 2014; Mangin & Stoelinga, 2008; Silva, Gimbert, & Nolan, 2000
Varied perspectives in varied leadership roles can help diversity instructional methods, models, and best practices. At the same time, leadership can be diluted into nothingness.
"Everyone is a leader" = "No one is a leader"
Further, engaging teachers as leaders in and out of the classroom is particularly important given the current context of education reform, including the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) (NRC, 2013)
How do these, in particular, increase the need - or opportunity - for teacher leaders?