Teachers As Leaders

"Now in its second edition, The Power of Teacher Leaders, co-published by Routledge and Kappa Delta Pi, serves as a resource for understanding the varied ways that teacher leaders foster positive change in their schools, profession, and communities. By definition, teacher leaders are teachers who stay in the classroom, maintaining their commitment to teaching students while assuming informal and formal leadership positions beyond the classroom. It is that commitment to teaching and their desire to improve student learning that motivate them to become teacher leaders. Written by researchers and teacher leaders, each chapter describes a particular way that teachers are leading, connects to the relevant scholarly literature, and assesses the impact of the teacher leaders on students and communities. The second edition features new chapters on less common and unresearched teacher leadership roles, informal teacher leadership, and teacher leaders as social justice advocates. This edited collection shows how teacher leaders play an important role in the improvement of student learning, teacher professional development, and school and community climate"--

The phenomenon of teacher leadership in changing schools is explored in this book. Following a foreword by Robert McClure and an introduction by Carol Livingston, part 1 provides an indepth examination of teacher leadership as it exists in practice and of teachers' aspirations. The five chapters are based on a series of independent case studies conducted in the United States and Canada. All the case studies share a focus on the nature and contribution of teacher leadership in school change. They include: "Working Together: Teacher Leadership and Collaboration," by Patricia A Wasley; "Empowerment through Leadership: In the Teachers' Voice," by Carolyn Fay; "Becoming a Change Facilitator: The First-Year Experience of Five Teacher Leaders," by Ann Kilcher; "Teacher Leadership in a Renewing School," by Lynne Miller; and "Leading, Learning, and Leaving," by Susan Walters with Cynthia Guthro. In part 2, two advocates for teacher collaboration and leadership in learning-centered schools reflect on the previous chapters. Integrating theory and practice concerns, they outline current knowledge on teacher leadership and speculate on its future. Their contributions include "Teacher Leadership: What Are We Learning?" by Ann Lieberman; and "A Vision of Teacher Leadership," by Eliot Wigginton. References accompany each chapter. (LMI)

Does your organization make the most of its talented, dedicated leaders? If they aren't being used to inspire, mentor, coach, and train others, then it's time to help them--and your organization--reach their full potential. Leaders as Teachers serves as both a strategic and practical implementation guide, designed for use by learning and human resource professionals as well as business executives, executive coaches, and high-visibility leaders. You'll find a complete explanation of why the leaders-as-teachers approach works, with testimonials from individuals who have personally benefited from the program, and then you'll be provided with a thorough guide to creating your own program. No matter how large or small your organization may be, you can tailor the leaders-as-teachers approach to your situation. Use this book as a whole or in parts as you need them. It provides all the support materials--detailed plans, exercises, worksheets, sample training agendas--you'll need to establish your own leaders-as-teachers program. Preview Leaders as Teachers at Google Book Search! See leaders as teachers in action! To see firsthand how a leaders-as-teachers program works and feel the excitement it brings to organizational learning, watch "The People Factor: Leaders as Teachers at BD," a 23-minute film produced by the Corporate University Exchange that vividly describes the leaders-as-teachers process at BD.

Teacher Learning and Leadership asserts that teachers should be put at the center of creating, developing, organizing, implementing, and sharing their own ideas for school change rather than being passive recipients of knowledge from the outside. It argues that there is tremendous potential for the good of students and the professionalization of teaching, when teachers work collaboratively to develop their own and their colleagues’ professional knowledge and practices and are supported by school and system leaders, unions and government. The book draws on the groundbreaking work of the Teacher Learning and Leadership Program in Ontario and uses an in-depth case study to illustrate its points. It demonstrates how professional development built around collaboration, teacher leadership, curriculum development, technology and pedagogy can be organized in a way that redistributes control and responsibility to teachers, thereby instilling a genuine sense of pride and accomplishment in their work. This book is a sincere outreach from the authors who advocate for the professional development of, by and for teachers as individuals and, importantly, as a collective profession. The authors argue that projects like the TLLP (a joint initiative between the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Ontario Teachers’ Federation) can radically, and positively, transform teachers’ knowledge, skills and practices. The book provides an important model for school change led by teachers, rather than experts, in partnership with school and system leaders and is a fascinating read for all those concerned with teaching, teacher development and educational change.

This practical handbook shows you how to expand your leadership skills with strategies for improving student achievement, extending your learning, and collaborating for school improvement.

A road map for teachers who strive to be highly effective leaders in our nation's classrooms Teach For America has fought the daunting battle of educational equity for the last twenty years. Based on evidence from classrooms across the country, they've discovered much about effective teaching practice, and distilled these findings into the six principles presented in this book. The Teaching As Leadership framework inspires teachers to: Set Big Goals; Invest Students and Their Families; Plan Purposefully; Execute Effectively; Continuously Increase Effectiveness; Work Relentlessly. The results are better educational outcomes for our nation's children, particularly those who live in low-income communities. Inspires educators to be leaders in their classrooms and schools Demystifies what it means to be an effective teacher, describes key elements of practice and provides a clear vision of success Addresses the challenges every teacher, in every classroom, faces on a daily basis An accompanying website includes a wealth of tools, videos, sample lessons, discussion boards, and case studies.

Every school relies on teachers who informally and voluntarily lead various efforts in the school. These teachers may not be appointed leaders or paid leaders, but they are committed leaders: they see a need and they respond to it. What do these teacher leaders do that is different from the work of excellent teachers who are not teacher leaders? If we can articulate those skills, says Charlotte Danielson, then we can take steps to enable more teachers to develop those skills and be better equipped to tackle special projects. Teacher Leadership That Strengthens Professional Practice is designed to be a resource not only for prospective teacher leaders but also for administrators who want to better support the development of outstanding teacher leaders. Teachers seeking to expand their leadership capacity will learn how to * recognize an opportunity and take initiative, * mobilize colleagues around a common purpose, * marshal resources and take action, * monitor and adjust the initiative, * sustain the commitments of others, and * contribute to the learning organization. Administrators will find advice on how to cultivate, promote, honor, and empower teacher leaders--and how to work with them to successfully present innovations to the school community. In short, this book gives individuals and schools a practical framework for tapping teachers' leadership potential and marshaling their efforts to better educate students and create a stronger learning community. As Danielson convincingly shows, genuine teacher leadership is a powerful force for constructive change.

It is now widely accepted that improving schools invest in teacher leadership and build the capacity for improvement by distributing leadership responsibilities to teachers. In primary, secondary and special schools, teachers are uniquely placed to influence the quality of teaching and learning and they are important gatekeepers to development and change. This book explores how teacher leadership is an intrinsic and important part of school and classroom improvement. It investigates teacher leadership in action and considers the roles, responsibilities and influence of teachers who lead. It considers the implications of teacher leadership for teachers’ professional development and focuses on ways in which this important form of leadership can be fostered and enhanced. The central message in this book is that teachers play a critical role in leading improvement in the classroom and school level and that this form of leadership contributes directly to raising achievement among learners. This book is crucial reading for all those who are concerned with teacher and school development, school leadership and school improvement.