The Continuum of Emerging Teacher Leadership provides a framework to help educators assess their own leadership skills and professional growth. It outlines indicators across four domains: adult development, dialogue, collaboration, and organizational change. Educators rate their skills from 1-5 in areas such as engaging colleagues, facilitating dialogue, promoting collaboration, and initiating innovative change. The continuum is designed to support conversations around coaching, mentoring, and professional development to help teachers advance in their leadership abilities.

1. Continuum of Emerging Teacher Leadership
From: Leadership Capacity for Lasting School Improvement, L. Lambert
The Continuum of Emerging Teacher Leadership can help educators assess their own leadership actions
by helping them identify the skills and understandings critical to teacher leadership, as well as by
serving as a supporting framework for conversations related to coaching, mentoring, and professional
development.
DIRECTIONS: Using a scale of 1-5 (5 indicating high level skills and understanding), rate your
personal growth for each of the indicators described below.
A. Adult Development
Defines self as interdependent with others in Engages colleagues in acting out of a
the school community, seeking feedback and sense of self and shared values, forming
counsel from others. interdependent learning communities.
Engages in personal reflection to improve Evokes reflection in others. Develops and
practice. Models improvements for others in supports a culture of self-reflection that
the school community. Shares views with may include collaborative planning, peer
others and develops an understanding of coaching, action research, and reflective
others’ assumptions. writing.
Engages in self-evaluation and is highly Enables others to engage in self-
introspective. Accepts shared responsibility evaluation and introspection, leading
as a natural part of the school community. toward greater individual and shared
Does not blame others when things go wrong. responsibility.
Encourages others to become respectful,
Consistently shows respect and concern for
caring, and trusted members of the school
all members of the school community.
community. Recognizes that the ideas and
Validates the qualities and opinions of
achievements of colleagues are part of an
others.
overall goal of collegial empowerment.
B. Dialogue
Communicates well with individuals and
Facilitates effective dialogue among
groups in the community as a means to
members of the school community in
create and sustain relationships and focus on
order to build relationships and focus the
teaching and learning. Actively participates
dialogue on teaching and learning.
in dialogue.
Asks questions and provides insights that
Facilitates communication among
reflect an understanding of the need to
colleagues by asking provocative questions
surface assumptions and address the goals of
that lead to productive dialogue.
the community.
Works with others to construct knowledge
Studies own practice. Knows the most
through multiple forms of inquiry, action
current information about teaching and
research, examination of disaggregated
learning, and uses it to alter teaching
school data, and insights from others and
practices.
from the outside research community.
Responds to situations with open-mindedness Promotes open-mindedness and flexibility
and flexibility; welcomes the perspective of in others; invites multiple perspectives
others. Alters own assumptions during and interpretations to challenge old
dialogue when evidence is persuasive. assumptions and frame new actions.

2. C. Collaboration
Actively participates in shared decision Promotes collaborative decision making
making. Volunteers to follow through on that meets the diverse needs of the school
group decisions. community.
Participates actively in team building; seeks
Engages colleagues in team-building
roles and opportunities to contribute to the
activities that develop mutual trust and
team. Sees teamwork as central to
promote collaborative decision making.
community.
Acknowledges that problems involve all Engages colleagues in identifying and
members of the community. Defines acknowledging problems. Acts with others
problems and proposes approaches to address to frame problems and seek resolutions.
the situation. Does not consider assigning Anticipates situations that may cause
blame to be relevant. recurrent problems.
Surfaces, addresses, and mediates conflict
Anticipates and seeks to resolve conflicts.
within the school and with parents and
Actively tries to channel conflicts into
community. Understands that negotiating
problem-solving endeavors. Is not
conflict is necessary for personal and
intimidated by conflict, but does not seek it.
school change.
D. Organizational Change
Develops forward-thinking skills for working
Provides for and creates opportunities to
with others and planning for school
engage others in visionary thinking and
improvements. Bases future goals on common
planning based on common core values.
values and vision.
Initiates innovative change; motivates and
Is enthusiastic and actively involved in school draws others into the action for school
change. Leads by example. Explores and district improvements. Encourages
possibilities and implements changes for both other to implement practices that support
personal and professional development. school-wide learning. Provides follow-up
planning and coaching support
Is committed to the value of cultural
Appreciates own cultural identity and the differences and builds on those values.
cultural differences of others. Applies this Actively seeks to involve others in
understanding in the classroom and school. designing programs and policies that
support a multicultural world.
Works with colleagues to develop
programs and policies that take a holistic
Is concerned for all children in the school
view of child development (e.g., multi-
(not just those in own classroom) and their
grade classrooms, multi-year teacher
future educational performances.
assignments, parent educations, follow-up
studies).
Takes responsibility for the support and
Collaborates with, supports, and gives development of systems for new and
feedback to new and student teachers. Often student teachers. Develops collaborative
serves as master teacher. programs between schools, districts, and
universities.
Advocates the development of hiring
practices that involve teachers, parents,
Is actively involved in setting the criteria for
and students to the schools, district, and
and selecting new teachers.
teachers’ associations; promotes the
hiring of diversity candidates.