1. HELPING
TEACHERS
DEMONSTRATE
LEADERSHIP
WITHIN THE
CLASSROOM AND
SCHOOL
For classroom teachers, specialists, teacher
assistants, office staff, and administration.
Presented by: Hilary A.
Green

2. Today’s Objectives:
 Understand the importance of leadership
within the school environment
 Examine the attributes of an effective mentor
 Gain knowledge of potential challenges with a
teacher leadership program
 Determine responsibilities of teacher leaders
 Reflect on today’s professional development to
determine changes/additions to personal
teaching and leadership practices

3. Rationale for implementing the Teacher
Leadership Program in our school
“Teacher leadership is a necessary component in
improving the quality of learning in schools”
-Ackerman, R., & Mackenzie, S. (2006)
One of the most common difficulties for teachers is
moving out of their comfort zones when they
advocate for what they believe. Yet, authors
Berry, Johnson, and Montgomery, from the article
titled The Many Faces of Leadership, support the
idea there is a link between the “teaching quality
and student achievement.”

4. The effect of teacher leadership
Increase in
Increase in Increase in
student
Teacher Teaching
academic
Leadership Quality
achievement

5. Why do we need teacher
leaders?
 Principals can’t do it all!
Itis the job of teachers to fill both
formal and informal roles as a
teacher leader. Danielson, C.
(2007).

6. Where can Teacher Leadership take
place?
Classroom
teacher Classroom
Grade
and level
mentor for chair
students School
School
Literacy or
District
Match
Leader (or Community)

7. Attributes of an effective mentor
Some Qualities of an effective leader are:
 taking ownership of one’s career
 being active in the school and/or district
 having confidence
 identifying a change that is needed for school
improvement (Kurtz, S. 14)
 having a positive attitude
 being able to pass along important information to
others in ways that are easier to remember (Godt
56)

8. Road blocks along the way
Uneven  “There needs to be a distribution of
distributio leadership to effectively promote
n of school improvement (Phelps 120).”
leadershi One person cannot possibly handle
p the workload of an entire school.
 Responsibilities
should be shared
amongst the staff.

9. Example:
 A Curriculum and Instruction Correlate
Team at an elementary school created
two goals that need to be accomplished
by the end of the first quarter.
 1. Create surveys for the staff
 2. Update Science kits to make them more
useful for classroom teachers
 What to do?
-Split correlate into 2 teams
-Each team tackles one goal

10. Road blocks along the way
 Other challenges may include:
 Creating unrealistic expectations for
the teacher leader
 Feelings of superiority and
dominance over others while being a
teacher leader
 Dishonesty among staff- slowly
causing an effective teacher
leadership program to fail. The social
atmosphere needs to be welcoming
of others.

11. Responsibilities of Teacher
Leaders
There are several responsibilities of an effective
Teacher Leader. Here are just a few…
-Makes decisions that benefit all students and staff
-Mentors both formally and informally
-Seeks effective ways to attain a goal or solve a
problem (Kurtz 12)
-Provides support and encouragement for others
-Good listener and communicator

12. Assessing an effective Teacher
Leadership program
-Success of the school improvement in both
student achievement and staff development
-Should benefit the students, staff, and local
community (Harris 202)
-Mentees should be able to take the
success of their teacher leader role models
and apply it to their own career.

13. Final Thoughts…
“SCHOOLS WILL
IMPROVE AND
TEACHER’S WILL
REALIZE THEIR FULL
POTENTIAL”
Danielson, C. (2007).

14. Questions &Feedback
Option 2: Online Survey
Option 1: Plus/Delta (NOW)
(LATER)
 Please attach a  You may also
sticky note for both choose to complete
plus (positive) and an online survey of
delta (needs this workshop on
improvement) for
this Teacher Blackboard.com
Leadership under our school’s
Workshop on the site at your
poster board paper. convenience.

15. References
 Ackerman, R., & Mackenzie, S. (2006). Uncovering Teacher Leadership.
Educational Leadership, 63(8), 66-70. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier
database.
 Berry, B., Johnson, D., & Montgomery, D. (2005). The Power of Teacher
Leadership. Educational Leadership, 62(5), 56-60. Retrieved from Academic
Search Premier database.
 Danielson, C. (2007). The Many Faces of Leadership. Educational
Leadership, 65(1), 14-19. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database
 Frost, D. (2008). 'Teacher leadership': values and voice. School Leadership &
Management, 28(4), 337-352. doi:10.1080/13632430802292258.
 Godt, P. (2010). Leadership in Reading: How Can Teacher Leaders Pass Along
Information to Teachers and Others in Ways that Will Be Remembered?. Illinois
Reading Council Journal, 38(2), 56-61. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier
database.
 Harris, A. (2005). Teacher Leadership: More than Just a Feel-Good Factor?.
Leadership & Policy in Schools, 4(3), 201-219. doi:10.1080/15700760500244777.
 Kurtz, S. (2009). Teacher LEADERSHIP. Leadership, 39(1), 12-38. Retrieved from
Academic Search Premier database.
 Phelps, P. (2008). Helping Teachers Become Leaders. Clearing House, 81(3), 119-
122. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.