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It is essential to make the expectations, responsibilities and roles of teacher leaders (and all players) in a reform very clear. Following are some of the responsibilities that your teacher leaders may need to take on:
Lead by example in the classroom and allow others to watch Perhaps the most direct way a teacher can lead is by example. The classroom practices of teacher leaders involved in a reform often co-evolve with the development of their leadership skills and are a good starting point for working with colleagues. You may be fortunate enough to have creative teachers who already are comfortable with inquiry-based approaches to teaching and can provide your teachers with concrete examples of high-quality mathematics or science instruction. Even teachers who shy away from other leadership roles or responsibilities may be able to make valuable contributions by allowing others to watch them teach. Mentor other teachers As teacher leaders develop their skills and expertise in inquiry-based mathematics and science, they can begin to serve the important role of actively mentoring others. Mentoring can take many forms which include modeling instruction but also include more active strategies for developing the abilities of other teachers. For example, a teacher leader might go into a colleague’s classroom and teach his or her students once or twice in order to demonstrate how this type of instruction can happen with his/her actual class. Or, a teacher leader might observe a teacher teaching a class and offer feedback as a sort of "coach." The common, important characteristic is that the teachers are getting professional development from their own colleagues. Work strategically in the school Some teacher leaders prefer to limit their responsibilities to serving as coaches or mentors. A school-wide standards-based reform, however, requires more than these one-on-one efforts. Teacher leaders need to do more than provide guidance for their colleagues. They need to work with you and others in the school to develop a school-wide strategy that brings everyone in the school on board, garners support from others in the school community, and stimulates more widespread interest. To accomplish this, you might use a school-wide strategy. Or you may prefer a more customized approach which entails each teacher leader figuring out how to develop interest and commitment to the reform amongst a small group. Other teacher leaders might work as a team and divide their responsibilities between them with some focusing on in-school professional development and support, while others focus on communication with parents and the community. The appropriateness of these decisions is directly tied to the nature, history and culture of your school. The important point is that school-wide change must be just that—school-wide—and be conducted strategically with shared understanding and vision, not only on an individual basis. |
Connect to and communicate with other leaders Teacher leaders in the school need to maintain open communication with each other as well as with other teacher leaders in their district, state and across the country. Your teacher leaders should actively work to collaborate with others in order to benefit from their experiences and bring new strategies to your school. There are many experienced teacher leaders already working to facilitate school-wide change in mathematics and science with much to share. They are the best sources of firsthand advice for the teachers in your school. Go to conferences and join professional associations Attendance at conferences and meetings, and participation in professional associations provide an avenue for professional growth for your teacher leaders and at the same time are a resource for your school. At a most basic level, your teacher leaders can learn about what is happening in other schools with other teachers. They then can facilitate discussions at your school, during which time teachers can consider the strategies you may want to use. At conferences, teacher leaders also may have one-on-one conversations with others which can build connections to other human resources. And finally, when your teacher leaders attend conferences, they raise the visibility of your school in the eyes of others. this can help bring new ideas into your school, and help others know more about your mathematics or science reform effort. *From The Principals of Education Reform: Supporting Mathematics and Science Teaching in Your School prepared by Inverness Research, Inc. |