In the book Teacher Leadership That Strengthens Professional Practice, Charlotte Danielson defines teacher leadership as a “set of skills demonstrated by teachers who continue to teach students but also have an influence that extends beyond their own classrooms to others within their own school and elsewhere.”
The Role of Teacher Leaders
Teacher leaders inform, inspire, and impact students and staff as they strive toward collaboration to carry out their school’s goals and mission of improving student achievement.
Danielson explains that although some teacher leaders have a formal role, “teacher leadership is spontaneously exercised by teachers in response to a need or an opportunity through work with colleagues.”
Teacher leaders are great problem solvers who take the initiative to assess needs, develop ideas, and create plans. They energize others to enhance teaching and learning.
Ways Teacher Leaders Make an Impact
Some of the ways they do this are by:
- Improving Student Outcomes: Effective teacher leadership can enhance teaching practices and student outcomes. By extending their influence beyond their classrooms, teacher leaders can help create a positive learning environment school-wide.
- Professional Development: Teacher leadership provides opportunities for ongoing professional development. By taking on leadership roles, teachers can enhance their skills and knowledge while supporting their colleagues’ growth.
- Building a Collaborative Culture: Teacher leadership fosters collaboration and shared responsibility within schools. Teachers can leverage their expertise to address challenges and implement innovative solutions by working together towards common goals.
- Addressing School Needs: Teacher leaders are often well-positioned to identify and address specific needs within their schools. Responding spontaneously to these needs can help ensure they promptly and effectively address issues.
- Promoting Sustainability: Teacher leadership can help build school capacity by empowering educators to take on leadership roles and develop their skills. Such empowerment can lead to a more sustainable school improvement model over time.
Deep Dive into Teacher Leadership
Are you curious and passionate about something you want to bring back to your classroom or school? Are there leadership skills you want to develop? Do you want to extend your sphere of influence?
This fall, Kent ISD will offer professional learning opportunities designed for teacher leaders who want to engage in focused study and develop leadership skills. These sessions are inspired by feedback from teacher leaders throughout Kent County. While still dedicated classroom teachers, they are also committed to continuing to strengthen and enhance opportunities for all students.
Our Deep Dive courses are blended sessions that provide online study and in-person application. Participants will leave these sessions with a deep understanding of the content and the skills necessary to put learning into practice. Choose from two options:
Mentoring Leadership
According to one federal study, 92 percent of first-year teachers with mentors returned to the classroom for a second year. (Gray, L., and Taie, S., 2015). High-quality mentoring accelerates teacher development and increases confidence, self-efficacy, and resiliency. It also empowers decision-making, reflection, and goal-setting. Kent ISD is a leader in providing mentoring support and opportunities. Join us and learn how you can lead impactful mentoring in your building or district!
In this course, participants will:
- Study teacher development and the research on mentoring
- Develop communication skills
- Practice mentoring activities
- Leave the course with an action plan and tools for facilitating in-house mentor training and support.
Professional Learning Leadership
Did you know that when teachers receive well-designed professional development, an average of 49 hours spread over six to 12 months, they can increase student achievement by as much as 21 percentile points (Yoon, Duncan, Lee, Scarloss, and Shapley, 2007)? Explore best practices for designing, planning, and facilitating meaningful professional learning.
In this course, participants will:
- Study best practices in professional learning
- Explore a variety of professional learning formats
- Leave the course with an action plan and tools for facilitating in-house professional learning
Take Your Leadership to the Next Level
Do you love teaching but are also passionate about mentoring new teachers or facilitating professional learning? Do you wish you had the opportunity to immerse yourself in an area of study you feel passionate about? Sign up for one of our Deep Dive cohorts beginning October 1, 2024!
Sign up for Deep Dive: Mentoring Leadership
Sign up for Deep Dive: Professional Learning Leadership
Citations
- Danielson, C. (Illustrated Edition). (Year). Teacher Leadership That Strengthens Professional Practice. Publisher.(If the publication year is known, replace “Year” with the publication year.)
- Edutopia. (n.d.). Annotated Bibliography: Teacher Development Research. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/teacher-development-research-annotated-bibliography#yoon
- Gray, L., & Taie, S. (2015). Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Study. National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2015/2015337.pdf
#TeacherLeadership #EduLeadership #EdLeaders #WeLeadLearning #KentISDpd
This blog post was written by Katie Momber, Educator Support Consultant for Kent ISD and edited by Amanda Walma, T/L Marketing & Communications Professional for Kent ISD.
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