Teacher Leadership

For many in an organizational setup, promotions into leadership positions are given as an appreciation for their top-notch performance in their role. Teachers, though, are unique. The demands and experience of teaching, and the skills and knowledge necessary to become a great teacher, make great teachers particularly great leaders. Today more than ever, a number of interconnected factors argue for the necessity of teacher leadership in schools. The current educational context is one of rapid and unrelenting change. The pressure on schools to improve and to raise standards of achievement is always on the rise. However, the real challenge that most schools are facing today is no longer ‘how to improve’ but ‘how to sustain improvement’? And the answer is a direct finger pointing towards teachers.

When we talk about schools and teachers, another important factor is parents. Today parents have a lot of expectations from teachers and schools. From inculcating values, teaching culture and traditions and academic excellence, teachers tend to play the most important role in child development. For this level of commitment, teachers need to possess and equip themselves with leadership skills. Modeling successful teaching strategies, serving on committees and participating in decision-making are hallmarks of teacher leaders.

What is Teacher Leadership?

Teacher leadership is predominantly concerned with evolving high quality education and coaching in schools. It has at its core a focus upon improving learning and is a mode of leadership premised upon the principles of professional collaboration, development and growth. Teacher leaders lead within and outside the classroom, they recognize and contribute to a community of teachers and inspire others on the way to better educational practice.

There are two key dimensions of teacher leadership. Firstly, a focus on enhanced learning results through progress and next, a stress upon collective professional activity.

Teacher leadership integrates three main areas of activity:

• ·         The leadership of other teachers through coaching, mentoring, leading working groups
• ·         The leadership of evolving tasks that are central to enhanced learning and teaching
• ·         The leadership of pedagogy through the development and modeling of effective forms of teaching.

Teacher leaders can be curriculum developers, leaders of a school improvement team, and mentors of new or less experienced staff with a strong link to the classroom. The important point is that teacher leaders are, in the first place, expert teachers, who spend at the majority of their time in the classroom but take on leadership roles at times when development and innovation is needed. Their role is primarily one of assisting colleagues to explore and try out new ideas, then offering critical but productive feedback to ensure developments in teaching and learning are achieved.

Why Teacher Leadership?

The collaboration nurtured through teacher leadership has shown immense capacity for change and improvement at the school and classroom level. Numerous researches provide evidence of the positive effect of teacher leadership on teachers’ potential and levels of morale. Research also shows that teachers who work together in a meaningful and purposeful way are more likely to remain in the teaching profession because they feel respected and prized in their work.

Collaboration is at the core of teacher leadership. For teacher leadership to be most effective it has to incorporate mutual trust and support. Another research study suggests that it is tough for teachers to produce and withstand the conditions for improved classroom learning if those conditions do not exist for their own learning.

To generate and sustain teacher leadership, one will require:

• ·         Empowerment and encouragement of teachers to become leaders and to provide opportunities for teachers develop their leadership skills
• ·         Time to be set aside for teachers leadership work
• ·         Opportunities for continuous professional development that focuses not just on the development of teachers’ skills and knowledge but on aspects specific to their leadership role.

What does it mean to you to be a teacher leader? What are the ways in which teachers can take leadership? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

      Written by Fathima Khaja