teachers are great leaders. they need more support from the institution to deliver better and more effective services to our learners

1. THE TEACHER LEADER:
Supporting school and student success
FACILITATOR: LYNA H. BASRI, ED.D

2. OBJECTIVES
TEACHER
LEADERSHIP
TEACHER
21ST CENTURY
TEACHER
ACTIVITIES/
ROLES IN
SCHOOLS
TEACHER
SUPPORT

3. ACTIVITY – LEADERSHIP ROLES
ACHIEVEMENT
ADVENTURE
CHALLENGE
CONTROL
CREATIVITY
ECONOMIC BALANCE
FAIRNESS
FREEDOM
HAPPINESS
HARD WORK
HONESTY
HARMONY
INVOLVEMENT
ORDER
AFFECTION
COMFORT
CONFORMITY
COOPERATION
DIRECTNESS
EXPERTNESS
FLEXIBILITY
FRIENDSHIP
HELPFULNESS
INDEPENDENCE
INTEGRITY
LEADERSHIP
MORALITY/ETHICS
LOYALTY
PREDICTABILITY
RESPONSIBILITY
RESPONSIVENESS
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
POWER
RECOGNITION
RISK
SELF-RESPECT
VARIETY
SECURITY
TRADITION
TRUST
WISDOM
OTHER VALUES:
Activity directions: Reflect upon the values that define your role as a teacher leader. Encircle five values listed
below that best describes you and completes the following sentence:
" _________________________ is a ‘cornerstone’ in my approach to leadership."

4.  What are the 5 common roles of leadership in your
group? What about the unique roles?
 Was it difficult in identifying your roles? How?
 How can you prove that your leadership roles are
beneficial in your teaching?
 Suggest ways on how the school administrators support
your role to perform in school.
– LEADERSHIP ROLES

5. WHAT IS A TEACHER LEADER?
 Premise 1: Teachers typically define career satisfaction in terms of their ability to be
of service to others and make a difference in the lives of their students (McLaughlin
& Lee, 1988)
 Premise 2: Teachers usually do not subscribe to traditional definitions of leadership
as “higher” or “superior” positions within the organizational hierarchy (Devaney,
1987)
 Premise 3: Instead, teachers view leadership as a collaborative effort, a “banding
together” with other teachers to promote professional development and growth and
the improvement of educational services (Troen & Boles, 1992).
 Conclusion: Teacher Leadership are dispositions and skills demonstrated by
teachers who teach students but also have an influence beyond their own
classrooms. It also entails mobilizing and energizing others with the goal of
improving the school’s performance in terms of teaching and learning for the

6. WHAT IS TEACHER LEADERSHIP?
 “TEACHER LEADERSHIP IS THE PROCESS BY WHICH
TEACHERS, INDIVIDUALLY OR COLLECTIVELY, INFLUENCE
THEIR COLLEAGUES, PRINCIPAL, AND OTHER MEMBERS
OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITIES TO IMPROVE TEACHING
AND LEARNING PRACTICES WITH THE AIM OF INCREASED
STUDENT LEARNING AND ACHIEVEMENT.”
From meta-analysis of teacher leadership research by York-Barr and Duke (2004)

7. WHY TEACHER LEADERS?
 Assisting supervisors and administrators with curricular and
instructional support.
 Grass roots – change goes furthest when it comes from within and
offers the widest reach.
 Fosters professional growth through collaboration and continuous
learning.
 Promotes positive organizational culture and climate.

8. TEN ROLES OF TEACHER LEADERS
 Resource Provider
 Instructional Specialist
 Curriculum Specialist
 Classroom Supporter
 Learning Facilitator
 Mentor
 School Leader
 Data Coach
 Catalyst for Change
 Learner

9. MENTOR
 Serve as a role model and support
system for the beginner teacher
 Acclimate new teachers to a new
school staff
 Advise new teachers about effective
instruction, grade-level curriculum,
school procedures, and best
practices
 Provide support to teachers in need
of improvement

10. WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
 Identify a mentor that is best
suited to work with a new
teacher based on their
needs/growth.
 Tapping into different teachers’
strengths and personalities to
make a good match.
 Administrative follow-through
and goal setting.

11. EXAMPLES OF TEACHER LEADERS AS MENTORS
Informal Teacher Leaders:
 Formal mentor
 Building-based, daily
support
 Content or grade-specific
guidance and support
Formal Teacher Leaders:
 Formal mentor
 Work with novice or
teachers in need of
improvement
 Lead district-wide first year
teacher training

12. RESOURCE PROVIDER
 Guide teachers by providing
instructional materials, websites,
exemplary lesson plans
 Extend teacher learning by sharing
professional resources such as
articles, new approaches to learning,
and assessment tools
 Act as a sounding board for teacher
questions and concerns
 Assisting teachers in analyzing data
to improve instruction

13. WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
 Administrative review of resource
aligned with philosophy and
standards
 Knowing each staff member’s
strengths and tapping “experts”
in certain areas
 The wrong teacher leader can
undo positive strides made
earlier

14. EXAMPLES OF TEACHER LEADERS AS RESOURCE PROVIDERS
Informal Teacher Leaders:
 Content or grade-specific
specific resources
 Building-based,
presentations and
workshops
 Share exemplary lessons and
activities
Formal Teacher Leaders:
 Newsletters, blogs,
websites
 Share professional articles
and best practices in
education

15. CURRICULUM SPECIALIST
 Serve on curriculum committees or
lead curriculum efforts
 Lead teachers to understand content
standards, follow the adopted
curriculum, use common pacing
charts, and develop shared
assessments
 Answer questions regarding the
curriculum, provide resources to
support the curriculum, offer
professional development for those
implementing new curriculum

16. WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
 Administrators should make it
to a point to acknowledge
leaders as resources in such a
way that staff are are
encouraged and expected to
use them
 Provide teacher leaders with
the use of flex time, coverage,
and scheduled time during
staff meeting to share and

17. EXAMPLES OF TEACHER LEADERS AS CURRICULUM SPECIALIST
Informal Teacher Leaders:
 Serve on curriculum
committees
 Act as instructional support
when implementing new
curriculum
 Open classroom as lab class
for teachers to observe
Formal Teacher Leaders:
 Lead curriculum development
efforts and committees
 Act as the “first contact” to
support principal
 Become an expert in content
and curicullum
 Provide coaching experiences

18. CATALYST FOR CHANGE
 Facilitate the dissemination
of information
 Organize movement to
adopt a new policy
 Have a strong commitment
to continued improvement
and seek learning
opportunities for the latest
and greatest approaches and
practices

19. WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
 Provide experiences that foster
teachers’ interest to encourage
positive change
 Administrators must be committed to
implementing changes that are being
recommended
 Administrative follow-through to
support teacher leaders in gaining
buy-in from teachers and carrying
out change

20. EXAMPLES OF TEACHER LEADERS AS CATALYST FOR CHANGE
Informal Teacher Leaders:
 Sharing a new best practice
learned at a workshop with
staff.
 Serve as school leader of
Professional Learning
Community to explore change.
Formal Teacher Leaders:
 Learning about new
approaches and best practices
to provide professional
development to both
administrators and staff.
 Leading staff development and
direct district committees.

21. BUILDING TEACHER LEADERS
 Think - Group - Share
How can you create a structure that will allow
for teacher leadership?
What would teacher leaders look like in your
school?

22. LEADERSHIP SKILLS PLAN
Find a vision
Establish team values
Set norms
Identify expectations
Nurture collaboration
Build trust
Conduct effective meetings
Make meaningful decisions
Manage conflict
Problem solve efficiently
Set goals
Plan effectively
Share information
Communicate successfully
Coach others
Train for competency
Give productive feedback
Mange change
Assess performance
Objective (s): To build a leadership skills development plan.
Activity directions: Study the leadership skills below. The group has a chance to add skills to the
list. Once you have discussed the list, each person has to select three that he or she feels need
attention. Collect and plug those three into the chart below and fill in the necessary information –

23. LEADERSHIP GROWTH PLAN
Leadership
Skills to
Improve
Growth
Objective(s)
for each Skill
Activities
People
Who can
Help
Indicators of
Success
Timeline
Example:
Meeting
Facilitation
To conduct
team meetings
where more
people
participate
1. Ask selected
team members for
honest feedback.
2. Have the
principal critique a
meeting
Principal
& peers
15% increase of
team members
speaking at
meetings by the
end of the
quarter.
1. Obtain feedback
after the first three
meetings.
2. Try at least one
new strategy every
two meetings.
A.
B.
C.
Options: Participants may select a partner to check each other's progress. This helps teacher stay on task
once the meeting or workshop is over.

24. WHY TEACHER LEADERS?
--- Blogger Erin Kelly (Dep’t Chair, Fairfax, Virginia)
 I wanted more opportunities to "have my voice
heard.” ---- FUN
 I wanted to impact students outside my classroom.
---- COOL
 I wanted to grow and learn as a professional.
--- EXCITING

25. WATCH THIS

26. WHY TEACHER LEADERS?
“Never doubt that a small group
of thoughtful, committed citizens
can change the world: indeed, it’s
the only that ever has.”
- Margaret Mead
- Anthropologist

27. TEACHING EXCELLENCE
Delivery excellence
Content excellence
Coaching excellence
Network excellence
Innovative excellence
Personal excellence

28. TEACHER LEADER
Learning Task
(Academic Aptitude)
Personal Care Orientation (Attitude)
Low High
Low Deserter Class Manager
High Pace Setter Inspirer

29. LEARNING TASK ORIENTATION
 Enhancing Self-esteem of students
 Identifying potential and strengths of students
 Respecting and valuing students
 Giving positive feedback
 Giving time outside the classroom
 Mentoring and counselling
 Listening to problems and difficulties of students
 Caring for and empathy towards students
 Showing personal interest and paying attention to
individual students
 Relating to a student beyond course content
 No undermining or discounting of students
 Setting higher expectations from students
 Maintaining discipline in the classroom
 High standards of preparation and delivery
 Asking questions in the classroom
 Solving students’ academic problems and doubts
 Engaging students in the classroom
 Providing immediate feedback about assignments
and exams
 Demanding greater time of students for mastering
course content
 Giving self-learning exercises and tasks after the
class
 Insisting on pre-reads and other reading
requirements
PERSONAL CARE ORIENTATION

30. BEGIN WITH THE TEACHER
I have come to a frightening conclusion. I am the decisive
element in the classroom. It is my personal approach that
creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the
weather. As a teacher I possess tremendous power to make
a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture
or an instruction of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor,
hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides
whether a crisis will be escalated or descalated, and a child
humanized or dehumanized.

31. HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON LEARNING
No significant learning
occurs without a significant
relationship.
--- James Comer

32. MUST BE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR AUTHENTICITY
Caring is a moral imperative,
a social responsibility, and a
pedagogical necessity.
--- Geneva Gay

33. --- BARNETT BERRY
President and CEO
The Center for Teaching Quality
“The Teacher Models
Standards set the the stage
for the 21st century teaching
profession that students
deserve.”