Keynote4.mike carroll

Being a Teacher Leader Developing a Culture of Leadership Association of Headteachers and Deputes in Scotland National Conference, 14 September 2011 Mike Carroll

Objectives
The main themes to be explored include:
background to teacher leadership;
how the University of Glasgow is working with one Local Authority to help support emerging teacher leaders;
some views from these emerging teacher leaders.

Some key issues
the improvement of teaching quality
the development of forms of leadership which support the enhancement of pedagogic practice
providing opportunities for career-long professional learning
changing expectations and demands on teachers

The dominance of leadership
Ambitious Excellent Schools: A Curriculum for Excellence (SEED, 2004)
Ambitious Excellent Schools: Leadership, A Discussion Paper (SEED, 2005)
How Good is Our School: Journey to Excellence (HMIe, 2006)
Leadership for Learning (HMIe, 2007)
EIS and Leadership in Schools (EIS, 2010)
Teaching Scotland’s Future (Donaldson, 2010)
Advancing Professionalism in Teaching (McCormac, 2011)
Review of professional standards – leadership from ITE to Headship

The Policy Discourse
Donaldson (2010: 16) Teaching Scotland’s Future:
“ A culture of initiative and collegiality within which learning is always the prime focus embodies the kind of distributive leadership which is the hallmark of our most dynamic and effective schools. ... There is an urgent need to extend the pool of potential leaders in Scottish schools.”
McCormac (2011: 8) Advancing Professionalism in Teaching:
“ The qualities associated with leadership should be nurtured and developed from the start of a teacher’s career as part of a more collegiate culture which encourages initiative and teamwork.”

A Leadership Continuum? (Carroll, 2009) (GTCS, 2009) The ‘Gaps’

Leadership trajectory?

“ Travellers, there is no path, paths are made by walking”
(Antonio Machado)

Teacher leadership
Leadership discourse is normally linked to headship
Growing literature linked to dispersed leadership (Gronn, 2000; Harris, 2004; Spillane, 2006)
Teacher leadership is conceptualised as a set of behaviours and practices that are undertaken collectively. It is centrally concerned with the relationships and connections among individuals within a school (Muijs and Harris, 2007: 112)
Teacher leadership is the work that teachers do to positively influence other teachers’ instructional practice (Katzenmeyer and Moller, 2001)

Waves of teacher leadership
Teacher as manager ( e.g ., Principal Teacher):
♦ focused on effectiveness and efficiency of system
Teacher as specialist ( e.g ., Development Officer):
♦ focused on team leadership, curriculum developer and/or staff development
Teacher as an agent of reculturation:
♦ focused on developing collegial working to bring about improvements in teaching and learning
(Adapted from Silva et al ., 2000)

Dimensions of teacher leadership
Able to navigate the structures of schools
Nurture relationships through professional collaboration
Stimulate professional growth and a sense of professionalism
Encourage change in teaching and learning
Challenge the status quo of classroom practice by engagement in improvement- focused enquiry

What is teacher leadership?
I think teacher leadership is where a classroom teacher shows leadership qualities through being an expert at teaching and learning in the classroom, and then using this experience, knowledge and skills to help develop others ( Teacher 4 )
It’s about experienced, competent teachers becoming actively involved in their school’s improvement plan and being given the opportunity to take some responsibility for the outlined priorities. Teacher leaders don’t wait for things to happen to them but rather they are actively involved in the improvements happening in their school ( Teacher 14 )

Emergent leaders Teacher leaders Middle leaders Senior leaders Postgraduate Certificate Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma SQH or Masters (Leadership) Local Authority Quality Improvement Participants Headteachers School Improvement Plan

Professional values and personal commitments Professional knowledge and understanding Professional skills and abilities Managing Learning and Teaching Developing people Building community Using resources effectively Change and improvement CfE

Improvement focused
Teacher leaders I think will also be involved in developing the curriculum of a department, and will be committed to change/improvement. They should have pupil learning at the heart of what they do and strive to ensure that teaching across the whole school is the best it can be for the pupils ( Teacher 5 )
There are various forms of teacher leadership both formal and informal. Formal leadership roles could be in the form of teachers in a management position or being the named leader for a working party or other school activity. More informal leadership roles could be everyday classroom management and leadership-leading pupils in learning ( Teacher 3 )

(Carroll, 2011)

The 4 P’s: an ongoing trajectory
Leadership which is:
persuasive in that they seek to persuade others and encourage collaborative engagement;
purposeful and focused as they aim to change some aspect of pedagogic practice;
positional in that they are from the practitioners’ / school’s perspective; and
political in that they aim to change aspects of colleagues’ professional practice in the school.
(Adapted from Clough and Nutbrown, 2002)

Relational focus
Being able to influence a group of fellow teachers in order to achieve some predetermined goal or objective ( Teacher 1 )
They are seen to be leaders in their class, department and school. They inspire others to want to do more, to be better. They direct, lead, inspire their school – always focusing on the heart of the matter – children’s learning ( Teacher 10 )

Managing change?

Role of HT / SMT
My head teacher has been extremely supportive of me taking on additional responsibilities in my school ( Teacher 13 )
The opportunity for acting positions or shadowing PT allows us to widen our experience of leadership. My HT supports the development of leadership skills through trusting staff to lead new projects within the school ( Teacher 6 )
Management teams still hold a key role in supporting and monitoring teacher leadership opportunities ( Teacher 7 )

Collegially working and CPD
Teacher leadership is enhanced and supported in schools through growing the notion of shared leadership. It is supported through staff CPD, learning communities working together and opportunities for working parties ( Teacher 9 )
Cross-curricular work allows a collegiate approach which enhances leadership across the school and when staff are able to talk, discuss and make decisions they are enhancing their leadership qualities ( Teacher 12 )

Structural constraints
Feeling of being ‘dumped’ on, doing work of others ( Teacher 2 )
Many teachers find it difficult enough to perform their day-to-day duties never mind take on extra responsibility ( Teacher 7 )
Overload when teachers take on too much and become stressed ( Teacher 11 )

Barriers constructed by others
Poor management and leadership which seeks to control ( Teacher 10 )
Departments, faculties may be protective and not open to learning from the experiences, skills, best practice of teachers from other areas.
There may also be a question of authority, “Who does she think she is trying to tell me how to teach… she’s just a classroom teacher” ( Teacher 5 )

“ There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: One is roots, the other is wings.” (Hodding Carter Jr)

Mike Carroll
School of Education
Professional Learning and Leadership
University of Glasgow
St Andrew’s Building
11 Eldon Street
Glasgow, G3 6NH
Tel: 0141 330 1655
E-mail: mike.carroll@glasgow.ac.uk

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