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What does it mean to be a teacher leader? 

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What does it mean to be a teacher leader? 

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This article states that when you google the term teacher leader you find it defined as, "educators who teach, but who also take on additional roles outside the classroom with the goal of improving school’s performance. While this is an accurate description, Dr. Jacobs says teacher leaders are characterized by their ability to lead others in every role they hold at their school" (para. 4).

The article also discusses the ideas that teacher leaders can be influencers because other teachers are watching what they are doing and they can model good practices. The article also brings up that sometimes when teacher peers discuss what is going on in the school or information coming from a principal it resonates more rather than when directly coming from the principle.

Becoming a teacher leader is not only about learning how to lead students but leading colleagues and adults. Learning how to communicate effectively is a big skill that is needed as a teacher leader to work alongside other teachers and colleagues.

The biggest point in this article is that teachers do not need to be administrators in order to be leaders in their school or make a difference.

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Meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse student population is a challenge that requires the collaboration of not only school administrators and educational experts, but also teachers.

As professionals serving on the front lines of student learning, educators are encouraged to take on teacher leadership as a practice to create meaningful change on their school campuses.

We sat down with USF faculty member Jennifer Jacobs, PhD, associate professor and coordinator of USF's Teacher Leadership for Student Learning Graduate Certificate, to learn more about what it means to be a teacher leader and the difference these leaders can make in today's schools.

Teacher leaders lead both within and beyond their classrooms

When you google "teacher leadership," you'll find the term defined as educators who teach, but who also take on additional roles outside the classroom with the goal of improving school's performance. While this is an accurate description, Dr. Jacobs says teacher leaders are characterized by their ability to lead others in every role they hold at their school.

"Teacher leadership is leading within and beyond the classroom. Teachers can be leaders as they model best practices. Other teachers are watching what they're doing, so really, it's this idea that they're influencers."

"Teacher leadership is leading within and beyond the classroom," Dr. Jacobs said. "Teachers can be leaders as they model best practices. Other teachers are watching what they're doing, so really, it's this idea that they're influencers."

Though school principals take on much of a school's administrative responsibilities, this doesn't mean that teachers can't participate in shared leadership. Oftentimes, Dr. Jacobs shared, information from a principal resonates more when it's communicated from one educator to another.

Teacher leaders know how to work effectively with adults

Dr. Jacobs says one of the biggest misconceptions educators have about teacher leadership is that many believe their colleagues should be led in the same way that they lead their students. The skills educators acquire during their years of practice in the classroom are valuable, but they aren't always transferable.

"Part of developing as a teacher leader is learning, 'how do I work with adults?' and that's a different skill set," Dr. Jacobs said.

Learning how to communicate effectively, take initiative and share your expertise are among a few skills that distinguish teacher leaders. In USF's Teacher Leadership Program, Dr. Jacobs says there's an emphasis placed on how educators can build these qualities and put them into practice.

"We talk a lot about coaching other teachers, leading professional development and learning how to research their own practices because a lot of teacher leadership is about empowering teachers," Dr. Jacobs said. "Part of (the program) is also helping them understand different processes and practices they can utilize to influence that change in their school."

Teacher leaders are change agents in their schools

There's no doubt that the role of a school principal is essential, but you don't have to be an administrator to make an impact at your school. As Dr. Jacobs explained, it's important for educators to understand what it means to be a leader and how they can use their talents and expertise to lead others.

To help prepare teachers for this work, USF's graduate certificate program gives participants opportunities to complete identity development exercises that help them to build confidence in facilitating projects in their school campuses.

The Teachers helping Teachers initiative at Wesley Chapel High School, Dr. Jacobs shared, is one example of how a few educators in the program were able to bring forth meaningful impact.

"The purpose of this group was to create a context where teachers felt comfortable expressing their questions and concerns," Dr. Jacobs said. "Over the years, teacher leaders have found that the group provides procedural, emotional and conceptual mentoring. Within exit surveys they found that teacher empowerment increased, as well as support from teacher to teacher."
Are you passionate about creating change in your school as a teacher leader? Learn more about USF's Teacher Leadership for Student Learning graduate certificate by visiting our website or by contacting Dr. Jennifer Jacobs at JJacobs8@usf.edu.

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What does it mean to be a teacher leader?

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Meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse student population is a challenge that requires the collaboration of not only school administrators and educational experts, but also teachers. As professionals serving on the front lines of student learning, educators are encouraged to take on teacher leadership as a practice to create meaningful change on their school campuses.

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Education Leadership: Organizations, Associations, and Ways to Get Involved 

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Education Leadership: Organizations, Associations, and Ways to Get Involved 

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This article states that teachers shape the future in the classroom through, "the development of leadership skills and knowledge to ultimately create innovative policies and forge improvements in established strategies" (para. 1).

This article talks about how each year there are new sets of difficulties and obstacles for teachers to face. This is why it is important for teachers to get involved in leadership organizations. This article provides teachers with how to get involved in these leadership organizations as well as engage with those apart of these groups.

This article states that those who get involved in educational leadership, "can stand out as trusted voices among their peers and guide their colleagues in specialized aspects of education, such as curriculum design and instruction. They can also serve as mentors for new teachers or as learning facilitators who provide strategies to identify and address insufficiencies in student learning. They may also be able to use their leadership knowledge to inspire changes in policies and operational motifs to improve the teacher and student experience" (para. 6).

Educational leadership organizations and associations for teachers include, the national education association, the association of American educators, the American federation of teachers, the Association of leadership educators and the Association of international education administrators.

Educational leadership organizations and associations for students include, the American council on education, the career education colleges and universities, the council for advancement and support of education, the council for exceptional children and the American association for school administrators.

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Educators do more than merely teach. They mold and shape the future, from the minds of students to the administrative policies that govern the concept of education. They achieve this through the development of leadership skills and knowledge to ultimately create innovative policies and forge improvements in established strategies. This level of leadership applies to all levels of education, and it often transcends the classroom, extending to administrative and departmental levels.

Properly refining this skill set is challenging, especially since each academic year brings a unique set of difficulties. This is why getting involved in one of the country's national education leadership organizations can be critical for education professionals. These groups allow educators to immerse themselves in new ideas in education, both inside and outside the classroom. Additionally, several education leadership organizations for students are designed to cultivate leadership qualities in those who aspire to be agents of education change on an advanced level.

This guide aims to provide a comprehensive view of how those in the education field-from today's teachers to the students poised to be tomorrow's leaders-can get involved in education leadership. It also provides information on how to engage within these important groups.

Why Students and Teachers Should Get Involved in Education Leadership

The concept of education leadership is based on key strategies to promote student advocacy, communication, and an understanding of community and its associative cultural competencies. Education leaders create and enforce policies that aim to facilitate the delivery of a quality education to every student in equal measure.

Education leadership has historically been influenced by systematic changes that have had a profound impact on teachers, principals, administrators, and students. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1965, No Child Left Behind in 2002, the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015, and other federal actions resulted in changes that required educators to lead others in interpreting and understanding new and revised information and concepts.

Those who pursue a path of education leadership can stand out as trusted voices among their peers and guide their colleagues in specialized aspects of education, such as curriculum design and instruction. They can also serve as mentors for new teachers or as learning facilitators who provide strategies to identify and address insufficiencies in student learning. They may also be able to use their leadership knowledge to inspire changes in policies and operational motifs to improve the teacher and student experience.

Students can also reap the benefits of teachers' involvement in education leadership associations. Studies indicate that effective leadership from the teacher, principal, and school administration enables students, families, and communities to feel a greater sense of empowerment. Ultimately, this is why education leadership is important. Being informed of policy platforms and changes can inspire educators to strive toward improved results, since they know that doing so can translate to success.

There are several sites and documents that offer a comprehensive look at the benefits of how education leadership can bring about effective change inside and outside the classroom. For example, the US Department of Education provides a detailed history of the federal programs shaped by education leadership. Tennessee's State Collaborative on Reforming Education cites several key research studies that demonstrate the impact that education leadership has on a principal and on the administrative level.

Education Leadership Organizations and Associations for Teachers

For teachers looking to refine their leadership skills, taking the first step may initially be intimidating; however, there are several education leadership associations and education policy organizations that can assist teachers in honing the skills needed to make a visceral impact in their field. Here is a look at some of the national and international organizations for education leaders that are able to provide that help.

National Education Association. Founded in 1857, this is one of the oldest education leadership organizations for teachers. NEA has 3 million national members, as well as affiliate organizations in all 50 states, and it can be found in more than 14,000 communities nationwide. Its primary purpose is to provide educators with essential tools and concepts to ensure all children have an equal chance at receiving a quality education.

Association of American Educators. This association states it is the largest non-union group among national education leadership organizations. AAE strives to move the education field forward by deploying modern strategies for teacher and education-driven advocacy without slipping into partisanship.

American Federation of Teachers. This professional organization, which was founded in 1916, has earned a reputation of being a strong agent of change in the education field. The AFT promotes civil and human rights in schools, and it also advocates for educators from a professional and collective bargaining standpoint.

Association of Leadership Educators. This grassroots organization's mission is to increase the acumen of education leaders. It aims to provide educators with the tools they need to put theories associated with education change into practice to transform students' lives.

Association of International Education Administrators. Like other international education leadership organizations, AIEA focuses on education from a global perspective by providing tools and resources for advanced-level educators. This strategy allows the organization to assist education professionals from around the world. It provides higher education leaders with the opportunity to collaborate with similar leaders on institution-based strategies and gain insight into public policy matters.

Education Leadership Organizations and Associations for Students

There are several leadership organizations for students that can help future educators lay a strong foundation of leadership qualities. This acumen can allow them to flourish as shapers of policy once they reach the professional level.

American Council on Education. ACE nurtures leadership qualities through regional summits and online peer-to-peer discussions. The ACE Fellows Program uses real-world scenarios and data to prepare students to strategically meet and resolve the challenges and obstacles they may face in a leadership position.

Career Education Colleges and Universities. This voluntary membership organization uses training, best practices, professional development, and advocacy-based strategies to prepare postsecondary students to excel in education leadership roles. CECU also offers an international membership program to help students shape education leadership with a global perspective.

Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Since 1974, this membership association has offered tools and resources that help create synergy between institutions and their surrounding communities. CASE members can learn about how to work with alumni, donors, community leaders, parents, and foundation officers to foster education support and to encourage institutional growth.

Council for Exceptional Children. The goals of this organization revolve around providing education leadership for college students interested in advocating for special education services and opportunities. CEC provides professional educators and students alike with research findings and policy updates pertaining to running various programs for special-needs students.

American Association for School Administrators. This organization offers resources and support for students aspiring to land an advanced role in education, such as superintendent. It also offers certification programs and specialized collaborative networks designed to cultivate effective teaching strategies that lead to improved student outcomes.

Sources: American Association for School Administrators American Council on Education American Federation of Teachers ASCD, "Involvement or Engagement?" ASCD, "Ten Roles for Teacher Leaders" Association of American Educators Association of International Education Administrators Association of Leadership Educators Career Education Colleges and Universities Council for Advancement and Support of Education Council for Exceptional Children The Hechinger Report, "Why School Leadership Matters" Learn.org, What Is Educational Leadership? Masters in Education, Professional Teacher Organizations National Education Association, About Us State Collaborative on Reforming Education, "The Importance of Education Leadership: What Experience and Evidence Say" US Department of Education, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

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Education Leadership: Organizations, Associations, and Ways to Get Involved

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Educators do more than merely teach. They mold and shape the future, from the minds of students to the administrative policies that govern the concept of education. They achieve this through the development of leadership skills and knowledge to ultimately create innovative policies and forge improvements in established strategies.

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This association's mission is to "champion justice and excellence in public education" (para. 1). The association's primary focus is to "provide educators with essential tools and concepts to ensure all children have an equal chance at receiving a quality education (para. 1.) This association was founded in 1857 and is one of the oldest teacher leadership associations.

This association is huge and offers a lot of resources for teacher leadership. This association does not only focus on teacher leadership but has many other resources available for teachers and how to help students and succeed in the classroom.

This association has conferences, trainings and opportunities to advocate for justice. This website has so many ways teachers can participate to create excellence in public education. In addition to leadership in the classroom this page offers teachers other ways to be leaders outside of the classroom. For example, the association has a "take action" section on the website where you can participate in different ways of advocating. One way of advocating on the website is emailing congress to continue flexibility for free school meals.

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The National Education Association (NEA) is more than 3 million people-educators, students, activists, workers, parents, neighbors, friends-who believe in opportunity for all students and in the power of public education to transform lives and create a more just and inclusive society.

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The Teacher Leadership Institute is "a comprehensive effort to recruit, prepare, activate, and support the next generation of teachers to lead a transformed teaching profession. Increasingly, teachers are seeking new opportunities to advance their careers and the profession by taking on new leadership roles. Teachers will play more consequential roles in shaping the policies and practices that govern teaching and learning" (para. 1).

This institute is a year long cohort that includes, rigorous competency-based curriculum, applied experience through a self-selected capstone project, deep local and national community collaboration, extensive coaching and support and evidence0based portfolio and micro-credentials documenting growth in leadership competencies.

The first term focuses on all eight of these competencies. The second term focuses on one of the three pathways which are instructional, policy or association. Then the teacher will choose one of the competencies to study and one additional competency to study that primarily focuses on diversity, equity and cultural competence.

This entire program is carefully crafter to help teachers become leaders and focus on specific competencies they need to in order to become a solid leader in their classroom.

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This past year, I took part in a project called the Teacher Leadership Institute (TLI). TLI's goal is for participating teachers to become leaders in the profession, developing the knowledge, skills, and core values to meet the demands of...

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This past year, I took part in a project called the Teacher Leadership Institute (TLI). TLI's goal is for participating teachers to become leaders in the profession, developing the knowledge, skills, and core values to meet the demands of...

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This article defines teacher leaders as, "professionals who carry through with this process to lead change in their schools for the benefit of all students" (para. 1). This article discusses the importance of taking on the challenges that come with colleagues, students and parents to improve their skills and become an effective leader.

There are six leader traits which include, experts, exceptional communicators, change agents, inspirational leaders, trustworthy colleagues and explorers. Teacher leaders exhibit all of these traits through their everyday interactions with students, colleagues and parents.

Teacher leaders get excited about change and want to cultivate change. According to this article, teacher leaders do not only care about their students, but the students their colleagues work with and in all schools.

This author defines teacher leadership toward the end of the article as, "a set of roles bundled with the motivation to inspire educational change and move beyond the status quo in collaborative ways. Teacher leaders lead alongside others, not from the front. They have their feet firmly planted in the classroom and their eyes on what is possible for all" (para. 25).

This article reiterates the importance that every teacher needs to understand that there is a pathway to teacher leadership and they need to be willing to work on becoming a teacher leader in order to help ensure change is always "meaningful and relevant" (para. 28).

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Across the United States as well as internationally, the term "teacher leadership" is used to label a variety of different teacher roles and teaching assignments.

Teacher leadership is a process. Teacher leaders are the professionals who carry through with this process to lead change in their schools for the benefit of all students. Teacher leaders step outside their classroom doors and accept the challenges to improve their practice through working with colleagues, school administration and professional staff-as well as students and their families.

One of the confusions in defining teacher leadership and identifying teacher leaders is that "leadership" is not found in a position or title. In most schools there are teachers who are the designated leaders of their grade level teams or departments, but being named a "team leader" is not the same as being a teacher leader.

Teacher leaders exemplify certain defining characteristics. While all teachers possess several of these traits, only teacher leaders consistently and simultaneously integrate them into teacher leadership.

Six Teacher Leader Traits

Experts

Teacher leaders share their expertise. Expertise may come in the form of knowledge and skills about specific content (e.g., mathematics, social-emotional learning) or teaching skills (e.g., teaching with technology, questioning strategies). Their expertise may also come in the form of leadership skills (e.g., helping teams build consensus, making data-driven decisions).

At the same time they are sharing their expertise, teacher leaders are acquiring expertise as they pursue professional development to help them solve problems their teams have identified. They seek to learn from their colleagues-believing that the collective knowledge of the group is essential to successful teaching and student learning-further building on their knowledge and skills.

Expert teachers are not always teacher leaders. However, building expertise is essential to becoming a teacher leader. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards supports teachers working to improve their instructional prowess. For many teachers, National Board certification is an important step in becoming a teacher leader.

eXceptional Communicators

Teacher leaders are excellent communicators. A key teacher leadership skill is the ability to prioritize listening over speaking and seeking to understand different perspectives. Teacher leaders clarify, probe and synthesize ideas and questions to understand the concerns and leverage the expertise of others. They also strive to establish open communication, where all ideas are heard and all possibilities explored. Teacher leaders want to solve problems by getting a group to think outside of the box.

One of the essential qualities of their communication is honesty. Teacher leaders communicate in ways that are professional and truthful, reflecting what is working and what isn't. They acknowledge where mistakes have occurred and where changes are needed rather than avoid difficult conversations. The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) is a professional resource for leadership. ASCD dedicated an entire recent issue of its flagship magazine, Educational Leadership, to communications skills for leaders, which I recommend exploring. (Note: Some of the articles can only be read with a subscription.)

Change Agents

While most teachers are experts and have effective communication skills, teacher leaders differentiate themselves by being change agents. They take up initiatives and work to make them successful. Education is a professional field that is constantly being "reformed" and reacting to social, economic and political changes. This continuous change makes being a teacher exciting and exhausting, and it is why teacher leadership is so important-every school needs teachers who will "lean in" when change happens.

Changes may stem from a school district's administration (the principal, the superintendent, the school board), or from a state mandate, such as new state or federal law. Change also may be needed within a grade-level team or a department and be focused on helping a particular group of students. Teacher leaders themselves might initiate change based on evidence that things need to be done in a different way. When teachers are change agents, they are leading a transformation in their schools or their local and professional communities by supporting (and inspiring-up next) others to make changes that will have a meaningful and positive impact for students.

The Collaborative for Teaching Quality (CTQ) is an online collaborative that supports teacher leadership. One of the recent blog posts on this site-by Tiffany Osborne, a National Board-certified teacher and Middle School assistant principal-delves into " harnessing your change agent superpower."

Inspirational Leaders

People in educational leadership are familiar with the concept of the transformational leader. Transformational leaders work with others to problem-solve and implement and monitor strategic initiatives. They inspire everyone to be their very best because a transformational leader believes that everyone has important contributions to make and that everyone needs to be involved.

Inspiration is at the core of transformational leadership-and it is not easy to master.

One of the resources I like to use to explore leadership models is MindTools. Although this website is for business leaders, many of the models apply to education. Read this brief overview of transformational leadership to see an example.

A word of caution: the phrases transformational teaching and transformational teacher leadership are not the same. Transformational teachers inspire within their classrooms and transformational teacher leaders inspire outside their classroom doors. Inspirational teacher leaders get their colleagues to step up, not because they feel they have to but because they want to. They take risks, solve complex problems, and position change as possible and worthwhile.

This inspirational role of teacher leaders is critical and often overlooked. Because teacher leaders are colleagues-not supervisors-successful leadership depends on other teachers wanting to follow their lead.

Trustworthy Colleagues

To be a teacher leader, others must trust you enough to follow your lead. Teacher leaders build trust through what they do and say-as well as what they don't. Megan Tschannen-Moran and Anita Woolfolk Hoy explained that trust between teachers involves five core qualities:

Benevolence. They share their confidence that others will act with goodwill.

Competence. They share their belief that the group has the ability to be successful.

Honesty. They communicate and act in authentic and equitable ways.

Openness. They share information, even if it shows their personal vulnerabilities.

Reliability. They always do what they say they will do.

Trustworthiness is important across all aspects of teacher leadership, and engendering confidence in others is key to being a transformational leader. Competence is part of shared expertise. Honesty is essential in effective communication. Openness is seen in the willingness and ability to explore new possibilities. Reliability is essential to all these parts of the teacher leadership process because no one follows an unreliable leader.

Learningforward is a professional learning association that offers many freely accessible resources on teacher leadership. On this website, high school instructional coach Jill Kind shared how she builds trust with other teachers.

Explorers

Teacher leaders are trailblazers. They are first adopters, willing to try out new ideas and discover the unseen "potholes" in new initiatives. They volunteer for pilot projects and pursue professional development opportunities to learn more so they can improve their practice, share their experiences, and collaborate with others to solve problems and reach team goals.

An important part of this explorer quality is that teacher leaders-because they are willing to go first-share their vulnerabilities by being open about their successes and failures.

They demonstrate honesty, an important part of building trust, by sharing their mistakes and "hard lessons" with their colleagues as they encourage them to take the trail they have begun to blaze.

All teachers need to explore more, and this can begin with new teachers. As Christopher Bronke, a principal, wrote in a recent post on the TeachingChannel, he tells new teachers:

"You were hired for a reason; because you are a rock star. When you're in PLCs and department meetings, your voice matters just as much as everyone else's. Go be you!"

Teacher Leadership is a Professional Process

Teacher leaders reflect all of these qualities (and many more) in their teacher leadership through everyday interactions with students, colleagues and the school community. Teacher leadership is a "package" of attitudes, knowledge and skills that are continually developed.

Teacher leaders are cautiously excited about change. They are ready to pursue new ideas that will result in more meaningful learning experiences and more positive and inclusive spaces for all students. They care not only about the students who share their classrooms but also about the students in their colleagues' classrooms and throughout the school.

Teacher leaders believe that meaningful and sustained change happens when teachers work with administrators, staff, families, students, and the community to do what is best based on evidence about what students need.

What is teacher leadership? It is a set of roles bundled with the motivation to inspire educational change and move beyond the status quo in collaborative ways. Teacher leaders lead alongside others, not from the front. They have their feet firmly planted in the classroom and their eyes on what is possible for all.

Every school needs a cadre of teacher leaders. When administrative leadership changes in a school, there should be a network of teacher leadership that will sustain that change in a productive way. And every teacher needs to understand the pathways to teacher leadership. Teacher leaders are critical in establishing school cultures that ensure change is always meaningful and relevant.

About the Author

Deb Meyer is a professor of education at Elmhurst University and a former classroom teacher in Mesa, Arizona. She teaches undergraduate courses to prospective teachers in educational psychology and upper elementary/middle school literacy methods and graduate courses in teacher leadership.

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What Is Teacher Leadership? | Chalking the Line Blog | Elmhurst University

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Across the United States as well as internationally, the term "teacher leadership" is used to label a variety of different teacher roles and teaching assignments. Teacher leadership is a process. Teacher leaders are the professionals who carry through with this process to lead change in their schools for the benefit of all students.