Role As A Teacher-Leader Or Teacher

Informal surveys of my teacher candidates reveal that most intend to become leaders in their schools. Yet, achieving this goal involves more than a targeted outcome and willing participants. Helping teachers become leaders requires not only a desire to meet the challenge but also a definite plan. In this article, I present a model for shaping teacher leaders. Teacher educators, school administrators, and cur- rent teacher leaders can apply this tool to different work settings as they help more teachers to become leaders.

Defining a Vision Before teachers can adopt leadership as a possibility, they must understand its meaning. Definitions of leadership abound; however, sometimes the simplest is best. In this case, Barth’s (2001) view of leadership as “making happen what you believe in” is ideal (85).

By removing job position from the picture, this definition suggests that anyone can be a leader. As Daniel- son (2006) indicates, teacher leaders are not typically appointed to a designated position, yet they complement administrative leaders. Implicit also in this leadership viewpoint is knowing what one believes or espousing a vision and understanding how to achieve that vision.

Having a vision is an essential building block for teacher leadership (Barth 2001). At the preservice level teacher candidates should articulate their beliefs as part of professional education coursework and field experiences through journal entries and other reflective activities. Administrators and mentor teachers can assist beginning and veteran teachers with the refinement of their belief systems, going beyond the oft-touted “all students can learn” mantra. Time at faculty meetings can be devoted to sharing diverse beliefs about teaching and learning and discussing how teachers’ beliefs influence classroom practices. Administrators can encourage teachers to post vision statements on their Web sites and their classroom walls as well as include such statements on course materials provided to students and parents. Here is a teacher’s sample vision:

This school and my classroom should be a community of students and teachers who feel safe enough to make mistakes, to share insights, and to take risks. The primary goal of the learning environment should be to engage teachers and learners in the process of thinking. In creating this environment, careful planning and positive relationships are essential elements. Because modeling makes a difference in learning, I will strive to uphold high standards and expectations and to develop better problem-solving skills.