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"Teacher Leader" in Special Education: Berenice Stickle 

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"Teacher Leader" in Special Education: Berenice Stickle 

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The role of a special education teacher in regards to leadership is encompassed by the word supporting. Supporting in different aspects that are unique to us in our school setting and to our profession. We advocate, innovate, facilitate and serve within different aspects of administrating. I feel that I currently engage within every role listed above.

In my current position, I serve as the only resource teacher in my building and I am the “gatekeeper” of our program. In this unique role I serve as the “point person” for both general education teachers, administrators and other specialists that work with my students. I also lead the organization and structuring of our team meetings within the department. These aspects all reflect the administration role.

I engage in the role of innovation by both researching to develop new methods to help my students with research based practices and by problem solving on a daily basis. I am constantly reflecting on both data collection to see how I can improve my practice and researching curriculum that could better meet the needs of my students.

I engage in the role of advocating both for my students and their parents. I do this by making sure that I promote collaborative relationships with other professionals within my building and at the district level so that all of my students’ needs can be met. I work in educating general education teachers and bringing district services to my students. I also work to advocate for my students by presenting myself as an approachable individual to make others come to me for questions and concerns they might have about my students and their services. These relationships are so important for the promotions of my students’ needs being met across all settings.

Finally, I engage in the role of facilitating through the aspect of mediating. Special education can be an overwhelming entity for anyone looking in, this including general education teachers, parents and sometimes even administrators that have not had a lot of exposure to the world of special education previously. I am responsible for clarifying concerns and making sure that adults coming into our world have clarity and are comfortable interacting with different aspects of our world that they are required to interact with.

I strive to be an approachable teacher leader because a lot of what we do in our profession does involve “people skills”. I feel that if I can build on being an approachable leader all of the aspects of being a good leader including advocating, facilitating, innovating, and administrating fall under this.

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Special Education Teacher Leadership - Kelsey Chase 

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Special Education Teacher Leadership - Kelsey Chase 

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I truly think that being a special education teacher by default puts you in a role to act as a leader for others. As special educators we are already trained and prepared to foster those connections and relationships needed to be an effective leader. The world of special education requires so much from educators to meet the academic needs of students. But many that stand out as leaders will also meet the needs of the general education community on top of it. "According to our participants, teacher leadership encompasses a broader commitment to improving one’s school (Bagley & Tang, 2018)." Special education leaders are also still students themselves. They are constantly required to be learning new standards, techniques, laws, and strategies. This allows them to lead others around them in being up to date on best practices for our students. We are also naturally thrust into a leadership role as special educators in our task and abilities to guide and teach general educators how to best support our students.
As a support staff working in a school, I know I have found that the special education teachers are much more willing to take the time to help and explain how something works or where to find the information I am looking for, for a specific student.

Reference

Bagley, S., & Tang, K. (2018). Teacher leadership in special education: Exploring skills, roles, and perceptions. Journal of Interdisciplinary Teacher Leadership, 2(1), 44-63.
https://doi.org/10.46767/kfp.2016-0023

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Teacher Leader in Special Education -Melissa Shabi

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Teacher Leader in Special Education -Melissa Shabi

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When I think about what a leader is I think about someone who is able to help people become better version of themselves while always striving this for themselves. When I think about a teacher leader in special education, I think about someone who is willing to advocate for the students they are working with while still bettering themselves as a special education teacher. This means always using best practices, following IEP's and understanding when they are working. This means being able to understand both the children and the staff that you work with on a personal level and understanding they may all need something different form you.

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Teacher Leadership in Special Education- Savanna Buster

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Teacher Leadership in Special Education- Savanna Buster

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From reading the assigned article, it seemed the most common theme when it comes to teacher leadership in special education is being an advocate, especially for our students. We need to be willing to stand up and speak out when supporting our students in the school, through inclusion in the classroom, or any other goal to help them. Not only is advocating pushing for support for students, but it is helping other people who work in the school see the importance of special education and how amazing those students are, so in other words, being an educator to all when it comes to special education.

Before reading this article, my initial thought for teacher leadership was being a good leader for your PLC teams. I didn't even think of how it could also involve our students. I think that is very essential to teacher leadership though. One point that I dis really like is that as leaders, we have a commitment to improve our school. The reason I liked this so much is because i felt like this has been a huge part of my role as an interventionist this year. I may not be part of the leadership team, but I have been able to help bring in ideas to revamp our RTI system, which will help our entire school. We are all teacher leaders in some way. We don't necessarily need the title to be one.

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What is a Teacher Leader in Special Education? -  Courtney Weir

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What is a Teacher Leader in Special Education? -  Courtney Weir

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A “teacher leader” in special education is a complex role. You need to be the teacher who is a go-getter, someone who is self directed. He/she is the teacher everyone goes to when they have a problem or they need advice. They go above and beyond the regular teacher job. They get involved in their school community. They are the teacher that everyone says “Holy cow! How do they do it all? I wish I had that kind of energy!”

Teacher leaders put students first. They do this by advocating, facilitating, administering, and being innovative:

Advocating for their students by staying up to date on current laws and strategies that could help students and standing up for their students’ rights.

Facilitating their school environment by having the skills to collaborate with their colleagues. They can lead meetings, mentor or coach other teachers, and they continually work towards improving themselves and the teachers and staff around them.

Being an “administrator” in the school. Not being the principal or the special ed director, but taking a role to supervise some part of the school. Whether it is leading meetings, helping other teachers, or joining committees, teacher leaders find a way to lead.

Teacher leaders are innovating. They do everything they can to make sure student needs are met. They learn new information, go to trainings, bring back information to their colleagues, get creative, and problem solve.

I am not much of a teacher leader. But I am surrounded by some very awesome ones at school. I have seen some really great real life examples of teacher leaders in action. My previous co-teacher was one of the best teacher leaders I have met. Now that she is no longer in my district I am trying to fill her shoes. My new co-teacher is new to teaching and I have tried very hard to share my knowledge of special education preschool with her. I fill her in on any interventions that I know of and give advice to her when she needs it.  We have attended trainings together. We have meetings to problem solve issues that arise in our classroom. I am now in charge of planning lessons and activities for our classrooms. I make sure I include the other migrant preschool in any plans we make or any new information we get at trainings. I have big shoes to fill and I will keep working to develop the teacher leader inside me.

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Teacher Leader in Special Education-Melissa Champion

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Teacher Leader in Special Education-Melissa Champion

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A teacher leader in Special Education is one that advocates for their students, checks in with students and teachers regarding supports used and progress, communicates effectively with all colleagues, creates and helps explain student IEP goals and supports, provides insight, training, and guidance to paraprofessionals, and serves as the main teacher to ask questions regarding ideas and best practices for improving student success in social-emotional behaviors and academics.

As a P.E. teacher, many times I feel that I am the one always reaching out or using my own knowledge and experience of how to help each student. I then try to share any information I have found, explored, etc. then I share it with the other specials' teachers so they are included. In fact, I typically am offering ideas, checking if that would be ok, trying things on my own. Having experience with special education staff not communicating very well or with specials (music, library, P.E.) in elementary, there were a few points made regarding characteristics and skills of the special education teacher leaders.

"I think you need to be able to....sound professional, but not intimidating, be able to talk on a parent's level, a student's level, talk to a teacher so you don't come across like you know everything and what they're doing is completely wrong." (Bagley & Tang, 2016, p. 52) I think those communication skills are very much needed so teacher relationships are positive, along with, as stated in the article, being approachable, patient, having compassion, collaborating, and seeing other's perspective.

While reading the article by Bagley and Tang (2016) I feel a teacher leader is one that goes beyond teaching students and writing IEPs. They are a leader that helps by communicating positively and reaches out to other teachers and staff, builds relationships and trust within the school and families, and is someone that any staff or teacher can come to when they have questions, concerns, or ideas.

I have had some very positive interactions with some special education teachers, which many of them had a lot of the same qualities, characteristics, skills, and roles as were mentioned in the interviews. Some have been as a teacher and some have been as parent. As parent, having special education teachers that are teacher-leaders has made school and home much more positive and gives a sense that you are heard, but also that you can really trust and appreciate their expertise and support.

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Teacher Leadership in SPED- Madison Anderson

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Teacher Leadership in SPED- Madison Anderson

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After reading the assigned article, I think that my idea of a leader is more defined. I view being a teacher leader as someone who may or may not be formally designated by administration, but also someone who steps up with the goal of making the school better and providing a high quality, inclusive environment for the children they serve.

The idea of a SPED leader being someone willing to do more than just the bare requirements resonates with me. When we step into our roles, we should have the desire to do more than just check the boxes. This statement did give me a bit of initial discomfort, but after reading further it was clear this did not mean taking on additional work without compensation. It was more directed at being a support and resource for your peers, and an advocate for your students.

I appreciated the breakdown of advocating, facilitating, administrating, and innovating, as I felt like this gave a very clear picture of how SPED duties can expand beyond just the duties we perform daily. Someone truly can become a leader by simply showing up with a growth mindset and the desire to support all those we come in contact with.

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Leadership in Special Education- Katie Clauer

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Leadership in Special Education- Katie Clauer

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One of the biggest roles of a teacher is advocating for your students. In the classroom we are the ones that often see as much of our students as their parents and it is our job not only to be aware of their needs but also ensuring they are being met. We screen, assess, instruct, provide for our students. This done most often by teachers in special education. We must collaborate with general education teachers, family and other consultants and services a student may have. We lead by sharing with our peers how to best serve the student. This is not always easy, being the person to ensure IEP accommodations are being met, and that the interventions are being implemented with fidelity.

Special Education Teachers must be leaders as they are good tools for General Education teachers when dealing with any academic or behavior problems. Being able to help observe students but also provide colleagues with new skills is important. I want to be someone that other teachers and school faculty feel comfortable asking questions and bouncing ideas off of. We must collaborate in order to best serve our students!

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Defining leadership of a Special Education Teacher isn't as simple as a sentence in a dictionary.  There are so many hidden roles of a Special Education Teacher.  As Bagley and Tang note, "it could be argued that all Special Education teachers serve as teacher leaders simply given the scope of their collaborative responsibilities across disciplines and grade levels" (Bagley and Tang, 2018, pg. 44).  So, when we look closely at defining a Special Education Teacher Leader, we must take into account their roles and characteristics.  To be a SETL (Special Education Teacher Leader), one must be a team player, have patience and compassion, be approachable and communicate well with others.  SETLs may hold the role of mentor teachers, serving on various committees/teams, leading paraprofessionals, leading IEP/eligibility meetings, and managing communication with families.  Thus, Special Education Teachers may be taking on a leadership role without even realizing they are indeed a "leader".

Bagley, S., & Tang, K. (2018). Teacher leadership in special education: Exploring skills, roles, and perceptions. Journal of Interdisciplinary Teacher Leadership, 1(3), 44–63. https://doi.org/10.46767/kfp.2016-0023

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Defining Teacher Leadership in SPED - Jodie Bridges

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Defining Teacher Leadership in SPED - Jodie Bridges

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My role is not the role of a special education teacher, but I have been the lead teacher in a classroom for many years.  As a lead teacher, and a lead teacher in a lab school, there were many roles I filled that I would define as a teacher leader.  These included effectively leading my students, communicating with families, advocating for my students needs, advocating within the community on the needs of young children, staying up-to-date on research, and mentoring newer teachers.  To my understanding, all of these roles are also often performed by special education teachers.  Bagley and Tang (2018) listed many of these same responsibilities, listing them as advocating, innovating, facilitating, and administrating (p.49).  I would think that another added responsibility of SPED teachers would be that of coaching general education teachers on how to best support the children who have special needs.  Many classroom teachers do not have much training in this.
Unfortunately, when I was a teacher in two different public schools, I did not feel that the special education teacher performed many of these roles.  They did not really extend beyond their classrooms.  I don't know if this is the norm or not for special education teachers, but you can easily see the lasting and considerable benefits that would take place if the SPED teachers were also teacher leaders as described in the article.  I think Bagley and Tang (2018) were right when stating that there needs to be a definition written of what it means to be a special education teacher leader (p.58), so that new teachers receive the training to take on these skills.

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What does it mean to be a “teacher leader” in Special Education- Olivia Eager

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What does it mean to be a “teacher leader” in Special Education- Olivia Eager

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Special education teachers take on leadership roles across numerous domains. They are constantly serving as "teacher leaders" as they primarily lead a large portion of IEP or reevaluation meetings. Additionally, teachers working in the field of special education teacher are responsible for advocating for their students and their families as well as collaborating with other professionals who also work with their students to adequately and optimally support and adhere to each individual student's presented needs. For instance, I am a member of a multidisciplinary team (MDT), a group comprised of special education and related services (i.e. SLP, OT, PT) staff, school psychologists, and admin. We meet weekly to discuss upcoming IEPs, initial evaluations/reevaluations, recent behavior concerns, etc. We then work as a team to brainstorm what needs to be done in the best interest of the students. As stated by Bagley and Tang (2018), "beginning special education professionals collaborate with families, other educators, related service providers, individuals with exceptionalities, and personnel from community agencies in culturally responsive ways to address the needs of individuals with exceptionalities across a range of learning experiences" (p. 58). Additionally, special education teachers serve as teacher leaders when they coach general education teachers on how to properly implement accommodations and adaptations in order for students to properly access their educational curriculum and environments.

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Special Education Teacher Leaders- Kimberly Riggs

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Special Education Teacher Leaders- Kimberly Riggs

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Special education teachers are undoubtedly some of the best leaders at any school.  In some cases, such as smaller schools, it is the special education teachers who are responsible for facilitating collaboration across departments.  In any school, however, special education teachers have to demonstrate certain elements of leadership roles.
I teach high school elective courses and always have several students in each class who have an IEP or 504 plan. Due to the number of students on my roster who receive supports, I can attest to the importance of special education having leadership skills.  For example, special education teachers often advocate for their students who are also in general education classes by collaborating with other teachers throughout the school.  Being able to facilitate collaboration among teachers in different departments, along with administrators, counselors, and other education professionals, is just one way special education teachers are “teacher leaders”.

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Special Education Teacher Leaders - Kimberly Simpson

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Special Education Teacher Leaders - Kimberly Simpson

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In my opinion, special education teachers are in a unique position to qualify as teacher leaders simply due to their role as facilitators, collaborators with other school personnel, advocates for their students and interventions, as well as innovators in planning and developing those interventions through data-based decision-making processes. This was noted in the research article as well though it is noted that more research is needed. One of the roles that I had not really thought about that was discussed in the article was administrating.
I can identify with facilitation/collaboration, advocacy, and innovation.  I have coached/mentored new special education teachers, however, I find that I could use more coaching/mentoring in order to take on the role of administrating.

An effective special education teacher leader may not encompass all traits equally, however, would be confident to collaborate with others who possess strengths across the traits noted by Bagley and Tang (2018); advocating, facilitating, innovating, and administrating. I think it would be difficult to find one teacher who excels at each role equally. In my opinion, it would be beneficial to have a special education teacher who excels in one area (or more), such as advocacy, providing coaching, and training to other special education teachers to increase their leadership roles in that area(s). Through collaboration, coaching, and open communication special educators build positive partnerships with families, students, colleagues, and community members as an essential aspect of the role of a special education teacher leader.
Bagley, S., & Tang, K. (2018). Teacher leadership in special education: Exploring skills, roles, and perceptions. Journal of Interdisciplinary Teacher Leadership, 1(3), 44–63. https://doi.org/10.46767/kfp.2016-0023

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Teacher Leaders in Special Education- Kristina Wagoner

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Teacher Leaders in Special Education- Kristina Wagoner

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Special educators have the unique role of working with some of the most rewarding but also the most difficult students within a school. As a special education teacher they are expected to be the person most knowledgeable of their student’s needs and way to support those needs within other settings. For this reason special education teachers are leaders in that they need to consult and collaborate with other teachers and staff on how to support students. This can take many forms from IEP meetings to actually getting in the classroom and helping the general education teacher create an environment that is the most productive for their student.

Additionally, special education teachers need to build relationships with many people involved with their students. Not only general education teachers and related staff, but also parents. Special educators use their leadership skills to effectively communicate with parents and establish good school to home relationships to best serve their students.

Last, I think special educators also need to work with their building and even on occasion their district level admin. Like I mentioned above, special education students can be some of the most difficult within a school. Keeping communication about student needs and concerns with administration helps to not only get those needs met if there is a fiscal need, but also can help with inappropriate punishments for students with disabilities.

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Teacher Leaders In Special Education- Chris Bordes

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Teacher Leaders In Special Education- Chris Bordes

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Teacher Leaders: advocacy, facilitating, innovating and administrating.

In my educational experience, Special Education Teachers by default are Teacher Leaders. I say this because in my experience, they are often on their own to do advocate, innovate, facilitate and administrate. In the public education setting, especially at the elementary education level, SpEd classes are often limited to a single classroom, or occasionally split in to two classes if a school has the need. The departments typically increase in size as we move to secondary levels and expand to around six or eight teachers,  in what my be thought of as a “traditional department”.  This often means that elementary special education teachers are a department of one, maybe two and are left to fill all the traditional roles themselves. I readily concede they typically receive support staff in the way of para-professionals, and most of those “paras” are nearly as special as the SpEd teachers are themselves, they can not serve in the same capacity, leaving it up to the teacher to fill in those gaps.

Being on their own, these SpEd Teacher Leaders are left to fill all the roles and are spread thin as they have so very much on their plate, let alone the challenging tasks of bonding and engaging with their students and managing their classrooms and the personalities within them, balancing the needs of everyone, any individual special needs and often having some of the most challenging students in the given building. Focusing only on the “advocating” portion of their role. Imagine an average family that is just doing what they must to get by, they often don’t have the knowledge or resources to know what is best for or what is legally required to be provided for their student. They are instead advocating out of love and/or need for their student, which then increases the role of the SpEd teacher to advocate for what they know is best for each student in their care, wether it be additional services, or alternative learning, or even a medical need being met.

The role of a SpEd Teacher Leader is one that many others are not aware of or wanting to embrace.

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Teacher Leaders in Special Education-Brandy Padgett

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Teacher Leaders in Special Education-Brandy Padgett

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Special education teachers are strong advocates for their students. They must be able to coordinate and work with other teachers and staff to not only provide the best learning environment possible for special education students but to make sure their unique learning needs are met. Special educators are the experts in their field and their knowledge is sought out by general education teachers. They must be a team-player, be able to collaborate with others and not force their intentions upon them. Just as some students require a tremendous amount of patience, working with other staff can as well. Special education teacher leaders (SETLs) must be flexible and aware of not only the needs of their students, but of the needs of general education students, teachers and staff. Finding ways to be proactive when planning for special education students is a desirable trait of a SETL. Additionally, SETLs need to be knowledgeable of special education practices, developing and carrying out IEP plans and implementing teaching strategies that benefit students.

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Teacher Leadership in Special Eduction : Brent Wilson

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Teacher Leadership in Special Eduction : Brent Wilson

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Teachers wear many hats but they all lead to the success of the student. Each person has a role to play in the educational system and teachers sometimes fulfill many different roles. Some of the roles mentioned in the reading that stood out to me were, collaboration and training.

The ability to collaborate with other general education teachers, establish relationships so your special needs kids may have the support they need if or when they move into a general education classroom which ultimately is the goal for some. Collaboration is also important when working with parents of these students. Collaborating with parents, gaining and relaying information between the two parties is necessary for successful teaching.

One teacher mentioned her role was to train and help the learning environment because the best and most conducive for learning to take place. This is an important part of the process, as teachers we need to be constantly evolving our practices and teaching styles to fit what is needed. the idea is that good teacher leaders teach students, not lessons.

In the two roles I mentioned about I definitely engage in both but the teacher training stood out to me the most. I do not necessarily train other teachers but when I am observed by another teacher I love getting feedback and changing my style of teaching to be more effective in the classroom.

Teachers don't only have important roles that they must play but their characteristics and skills really set them apart. One of the characteristics mentioned in the reading that I really connected with was the ability to have patience and compassion.

I do not teach special education but am a teacher and this has been a goal I have been trying to work on is the learn to love and have compassion for the hard student. It's easy to love and be patient with the good student but how can I extend that same compassion to the student that rebels or "doesn't care". I may not teach special education but my daughter is special needs and can be very difficult at times, and even as her father I lose my patience often. As a parent I have a hard time at times trusting the people we leave her with at school or anywhere else when we can't see her because these kids can be very hard and sometimes even hard to love. that is my biggest fear as a parent of a special needs child. luckily we haven't had to deal with that yet all of my daughters therapists and teachers are incredible and that has been the single most important thing besides her home life. She has progressed so much in just a year of being in school because of her teachers.

I have seen the other side that when a teacher has compassion and patience with their students, they really do change lives. This is what I remember in my teaching everyday and if I can do that then I have succeeded in my job as a teacher.

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Leadership in Special Education
Melissa Buck
Special education teachers are situated in a unique position to fill many roles, it’s no wonder that defining teacher leadership in special education is a research topic. The article Teacher Leadership in Special Education: Exploring Skills, Roles, and Perceptions (Bagley & Tang, 2018) sought to address what teacher leadership in special education looks like and how the work relates to the roles and dispositions that are outlined in the Teacher Leader Model Standards and the Council for Exceptional Children’s Special Education Specialist Advanced Preparation Standards. Bagley and Tang (2018) compared both sets of standards and identified four distinct traits that special education teachers possess. These characteristics included advocating, facilitating, administrating, and innovating. When looking closer at those characteristics, it is clear that special education teachers are on the forefront of pursuing change in the field, doing their best to accommodate needs of all learners, working to move the field forward, navigating and juggling the demands of all things IEP, and consistently reinventing the wheel to meet the needs of students. At the core of special education, is an educator who tirelessly works to support students, their families, and their team.

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What does it mean to be a Teacher Leader in Special Education?- Delanie Williamson

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What does it mean to be a Teacher Leader in Special Education?- Delanie Williamson

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Special education teachers are INFLUENCERS. The nature of a special education teachers position in the school gives them influence beyond the walls of their own classroom. Bagley and Tang identified several commonly agreed upon characteristics of SETLs. Those characteristics included:
Collaborative- This was a characteristic mentioned multiple times throughout the Bagley and Tang article. Special education teachers must be able to effectively collaborate with professionals across school settings in order to effectively advocate for student needs.
Flexibility- Special education teachers are often asked to play different roles and they may have to adjust plans without warning.
Knowledgeable- SETLs are expected to have expertise across multiple subject areas and levels of disability in order to meet the need of every child in their classroom at an individual level. They need to be able to identify appropriate curriculum and standards across all grade levels and ability levels.
Proactive- SETLs are often asked to solve problems before they have even happened. They are expected to prepare classroom teachers to accommodate the needs of specific students. SETLs need to be able to predict what needs may arise for students and advocate for their needs.
On page 54 of Bagley and Tang, Figure 1 highlight how SETLs lead by supporting. It highlights keywords that go along with the characteristics teachers identified. They determined that SETLs lead through support by innovating, administrating, facilitating, and advocating. All of these tasks require that the SETL have some level of influence. They are often called upon to support students as an advocate, facilitate problem solving conversations with school staff, administrate a students individual plan, and innovate by determining the best mode of instruction based on the needs of their student.

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Definition of Leadership in Special Education — Jessica Florian

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Definition of Leadership in Special Education — Jessica Florian

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From the Bagley & Tang (2018) study, I agreed with several of the participants. The ones that stood out to me was a teacher leader in special education needs to be someone who does more than just teach. They need to be willing to take on more than just the daily requirements of teaching. A teacher leader needs to be committed to improving one’s school or department. It’s important that teacher leaders keep the schools vision and well being in mind. They also need to be able to work with multidiscipline professionals and teachers and willing to collaborate effectively. In my current position as a behavior interventionist I work on some leadership qualities such as being an advocate for the student I work with. The needs of the student I work with are in my best interest. I work with my students case manager and teachers to help him be successful.

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Special Eduction Teacher Leaders - Erika Anderson

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Special Eduction Teacher Leaders - Erika Anderson

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Interestingly, special education teachers often qualify as teacher leaders due to the nature of their job and role supporting students and colleagues. Four of the roles of SETL's outlined in Bagley and Tang's (2018) include advocacy, innovating, facilitating and administrating. Many of these tasks fall into the natural schedule of special education teachers.

For example:
Advocacy - ensuring that students have appropriate support & IEPs are consistently followed throughout school settings

Innovating - Keeping up to date on current interventions, being willing to try something different (e.g., using new technology to support complex communication needs)

Facilitating - Attending meetings, collaborating with families and other staff member, communication is key

Administrating - Being available for colleagues and families regarding behavioral questions

I thought it was noteworthy that leaders can have different personalities and may be more quiet or outgoing. When I think of teacher leaders I have encountered in the past, the first thing that comes to mind is strong problem solving skills and a positive attitude. The article also mentioned the importance of approachability in effective teacher leaders, which makes sense because for collaboration to take place, people need to feel that they can ask questions.

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Defining Teacher Leadership in Special Education - Megan Yarnell

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Defining Teacher Leadership in Special Education - Megan Yarnell

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Teacher leadership in special education, as stated in the article by Bagley & Tang (2018), focuses primarily on support through advocacy, facilitating, innovating and administrating. After reading the article I would include the need for social and emotional intelligence, or "people skills", in the list of defining characteristics.  The following quote from the article emphasizes the need for these softer skills, "you need to be able to...sound professional, but not be intimidating, be able to talk on a parent's level, a student's level, talk to a teacher so you don't come across like you know everything and what they're doing is completely wrong" (Bagley & Tang, 2018, p. 52). Building partnerships and skillfully contributing to a team of professionals and invested stakeholders is an essential component to the role of a special eduction teacher leader.

SETLs model best teaching practices in the field of special education. They continually work to improve their own skill set, act as a mentor and resource for other educators, and take action to support the needs of the students they serve. They produce paperwork that is compliant with special education law, supervise and train para-educator staff, and have a solid understanding of curriculum across grade and developmental levels. I believe that a special education teacher leader is a vital component to the school community and supports "a positive schoolwide attitude towards inclusion" (Bagley & Tang, 2018, p. 59).

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Kate Hicks

Teacher leadership within the landscape of Special Education includes taking on a variety of roles and responsibilities.  Special Education teachers have knowledge about IEPs as well as special education law that general education teachers do not usually have.  Collaborating with teachers and other educational professionals is also a job that is taken on.  Special education teachers ensure their students are advocated for, being able to access curriculum and have a positive educational experience.  The Special Education Specialist Advanced Professional Standards explicitly tell us that special educators broaden professional knowledge, and expand expertise.  These standards also tell us that special educators facilitate improvement of programs and support classrooms (Bagley & Tang, 2018, p.57).  As a special education teacher I often have teachers in my room asking for suggestions and help with their struggling students.  They turn to me to help provide students with accommodations and adaptation.  I also communicate constantly with my students’ parents and so I have build relationships between school and family.

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Nate Anderson
The idea that leading through support as represented by advocacy, facilitating, innovating, and administrating was the explicitly stated role of SETLs in the Bagley & Tang (2018) article, as many of you have pointed out. I would like to add to that definition with the other concept that stood out to me while reading the article. I noticed that there was an unstated theme for how that supporting role should be carried out and the SETLs' responses all hinted at coaching. Now, I realize I am cheating a little bit since coaching is also in the title of this course, but providing that support in an abrasive or ineffective manner would diminish the role of the SETL. In my experience, one can do all of the advocacy, facilitating, innovating, and administration they want, but if it is done incorrectly it will likely have no effect or even cause more harm than good.

This is highlighted when the article defines the characteristics and skills of a SETL. "When our participants were asked to describe what characteristics and skills they felt should be possessed by SETLs, the most dominant response was “people skills” – specifically, an ability to communicate well, collaborate
effectively with others and see situations from others’ perspectives" (p. 52). The proven way to do that is through coaching. (I will copy the next two paragraphs at the end of this post to expound upon this point so you don't have to go find it in the article)

I would argue that the definition provided by Bagley and Tang would benefit from the inclusion of coaching to explain how the supporting with the different skills should happen.

ADDITIONAL PARAGRAPH FROM THE ARTICLE FOR REFERENCE:
"Louisa specifically noted that it is important for SETLs to be able to communicate 'in a way that’s constructive and doesn’t alienate anybody' (Interview, March 7, 2011) These responses all point towards our participants’ belief in the importance of SETLs being able to communicate effectively with their colleagues and others they work with, and to come across as an approachable colleague who is available and willing to help.
Indeed, the ability to successfully interact and communicate information without alienating one’s colleagues
was mentioned by several participants as especially important for SETLs. Kimberly, for instance, noted, 'I think you
need to be able to… sound professional, but not be intimidating, be able to talk on a parent’s level, a student’s level,
talk to a teacher so you don’t come across like you know everything and what they’re doing is completely wrong'
(Interview, January 19, 2011) Karen similarly pointed out that 'you have to be able to communicate very well with
[colleagues], and be a team player, yet at the same time guide them in certain areas, so that it’s a team decision, and
not just top down' (Interview, June 17, 2011)."

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What is a teacher leader in special education?

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What is a teacher leader in special education?

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Post by: Jordan Bunn

Special education teachers lead in their classrooms, schools, and communities in several ways. Four major components that stood out to me from the article and that I have observed working in schools are education, advocating, collaboration, and innovation.

Education:

Serving as the point person for information about special education at your school

Teaching colleagues about disabilities, special education laws, accommodations, etc.

Collaborating with general education teachers about ways to support shared students

Providing strategies or ideas related to behavior or differentiation of instruction (even for students who don’t have IEPs)

Serving as a mentor to new teachers

Staying current on evidence-based practices

Advocating:

Ensures that students are involved and welcomed in the school community

“Someone who takes charge and has the student’s best interests at heart and is willing to stand up and, you know, do whatever he or she needs to do to make sure the needs of the students are met” (Bagley & Tang, 2018, p.54)

Collaboration:

Facilitating and initiating collaboration between special educators, administrators, paraprofessionals, and other specialists

Most importantly, collaboration with families

“If you’re not collaborating and taking the initiative to take ideas to the next level, then I just think you can only function at half capacity” (Bagley & Tang, 2018, p.55)

Innovation:

Creating and altering curriculum to meet the needs of students

Designing interventions to help students

Problem solving and flexibility

My major takeaway from the article and my experiences is that special educators have the opportunity to use their unique expertise to be leaders in their schools. My goal is to serve as a support to my colleagues and families that I work with. I want to share my ideas and knowledge while making sure to listen to the perspectives of others. I also want to make sure that advocating for my students always remains a priority.

References

Bagley, S., & Tang, K. (2018). Teacher leadership in special education: Exploring skills, roles, and perceptions. Journal of Interdisciplinary Teacher Leadership, 2(1), 44–63. https://doi.org/10.46767/kfp.2016-0023

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Teacher leaders assume roles they were not only given but discovered. They think outside the box when something seems impossible, they see potential. They seek knowledge and resources. They ensure a culture that is welcoming, and strength based. They use evidence-based practices and implement change. If what the implement does not work, they adapt. They take charge but are open to feedback. They seek children and the children seek them. They are the child's biggest advocate. Other teachers have a sense that this person is on their team, and they collaborate for the good of the team.

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Sarah Vickers-Teacher leaders are professionals who wear many hats. They work with many other departments and grade levels to help support students achieve their potential. They also keep up to date on policies and best practices. They manage many caseloads simultaneously. They also give small group and individualized instruction. They give all the students the support that they need.  They work closely with the student’s teacher and family to help a smooth transition between settings.  They help facilitate training for paraprofessionals, teachers, administration and collaborate with families. They do a lot of behind-the-scenes administrative roles. They keep up to date with new and innovative practices and teach others that information. They are master problem solvers, and their expertise is trusted by their colleagues. They have a huge heart for helping the children in their lives. They often play the role of both a cheerleader and advocate. 

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Sarah Vickers-Teacher leaders are professionals who wear many hats. They work with many other departments and grade levels to help support students achieve their potential. They also keep up to date on policies and best practices. They manage many caseloads simultaneously. They also give small group and individualized instruction. They give all the students the support that they need.  They work closely with the student’s teacher and family to help a smooth transition between settings.  They help facilitate training for paraprofessionals, teachers, administration and collaborate with families. They do a lot of behind-the-scenes administrative roles. They keep up to date with new and innovative practices and teach others that information. They are master problem solvers, and their expertise is trusted by their colleagues. They have a huge heart for helping the children in their lives. They often play the role of both a cheerleader and advocate. 

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Teachers Leaders in Special Education - Tate Castleton

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Teachers Leaders in Special Education - Tate Castleton

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First of all, teachers who work in special education are just that - SPECIAL. As an elementary school principal, I am amazed at what special education teachers have to do. In fact, I have never worked with one who I would not consider a teacher-leader.
To be a teacher-leader within the realm of special education one must be knowledgeable, sensitive, assertive, highly skilled, very organized, flexible, and caring. Our reading this week mentioned how teacher-leaders in special education are made up of teachers with a wide range of personalities. This is so true, I have worked with teacher-leaders who are quiet, but fierce and I have worked with others who are dynamic, outgoing, and full of energy. Both types of leaders were effective and highly respected. No matter the personality, they just need to be prepared to manage complex caseloads, ever-changing laws and policies, and be skilled enough to meet each child where they're at both academically and emotionally to ensure they can realize their full potential.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for special education teacher-leaders and I continually marvel at all they are asked to know and do, all the while keeping kids in the spotlight and doing all they can to ensure they experience success, have fun, and feel loved. We need more of them in this world because they're simply is not enough!

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Teacher Leaders in Special Education- Kristy Payne

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Teacher Leaders in Special Education- Kristy Payne

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Special education teachers, by nature, take on many leadership roles within their schools and school communities. When teachers take leadership roles, be them paid or unpaid, has been shown to be beneficial to schools. I think it's interesting to note that the impact on student achievement is not as well documented at this point. However, special education teacher leaders do show that they advocate for their students greatly, with their students being their overwhelmingly number one concern. I also thought it was also interesting to note that when teachers take leadership roles, their rate of burnout decreases. They are able to use their unique skill set and knowledge base to share with their co-workers, while collaborating with teachers, to increase overall school community knowledge.As a special education teacher, I strive to collaborate with my school site to share the knowledge base I have regarding our special education programs and students. It's also important to do the same thing with the families I serve. At times they lean on us to steer them in the right direction when it comes to services and supports for their children. We also have to facilitate meetings and help all team members understand student strengths and needs. Being a special education teacher leader is a lot of work but it is a rewarding career for sure.

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Teacher Leaders in Special Education- Alex Hopkins

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Teacher Leaders in Special Education- Alex Hopkins

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Teacher leaders in special education must perform a variety of roles and possess specific characteristics.  After reading this research, I was able to reflect on how I would synthesize this information with my own experience as a teacher leader to develop my own definition. I believe a special education teacher leader is a change agent. They are proactive in their pursuit of supporting their students by making positive change, not only in their classrooms but in the building as a whole. They are approachable and collaborative while advocating for the needs of their students, special education colleagues, and general education teammates. . SETL is detail-oriented and flexible as they seamlessly shift between educator and manager, often taking on administrative duties.
When I was in the classroom I was frequently the "point-person" for questions related to the special education process and/or behavioral and academic supports for students. I found that within this role it was essential to be a "people person" who could collaborate and communicate effectively. The article discusses the importance of seeing situations from the perspective of others, which is an invaluable skill as a teacher leader.
Several of the participants in this study mentioned the broader theme of advocacy (Bagley & Tang, 2018) One participant, Benita said that a SETL must "be a fighter.... you have to always be looking for the needs of others." This theme rings truest to my current position and the reason I entered special education in the first place. My biggest takeaway is that "teacher leaders are creative and innovative seekers of challenge and growth" (Bagley & Tang, 2018). I believe my role as a teacher leader in special education is constantly developing but has always been rooted in this theme of advocacy. I always strive for growth and change, not only for the students I have served but also for the colleagues I have taught with, the schools I have worked in, and now, the districts I support across the state.

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Special Education Teachers and Leadership - Jitka Elizarraras

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Special Education Teachers and Leadership - Jitka Elizarraras

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Special education teachers perform in leadership roles in different ways. Special educators must take on many responsibilities to ensure students are receiving appropriate supports, support colleagues in their work with students in special education and advocating for students. Bagley and Tang (2018) explain that special education teachers believe student advocation was a primary role that they take on in the realm of leadership. This involves ensuring all supports for the students are appropriate and meet the needs of the student, ensuring supports are being practiced and applied appropriately, and ensure the best interests of the student is being advocated for (Bagley & Tang, 2018). Special education teachers not only have to serve as leaders to the needs of the students, but also serves as leaders to colleagues and families. With that said, it is highlighted by participants in this study that “people skills” are necessary to best communicate to parents, teachers, and students in ways they can best understand (Bagley & Tang, 2018). When hosting meetings where it can be difficult for parents to hear about how their child performs in school, working with colleagues to establish the supports in the classroom, or empathizing with a student, it is important to be approachable and practice communication skills that best address the needs of the interaction.

Something that resonated with me was a statement made by a participant that special education teachers have a responsibility to be innovative and proactive in generating new ideas and seeking new considerations. Special education, and education in general, is a growing field in research and its application in the field. Applying those concepts to the classroom can support the program as a whole to meet the needs of the students. In general, special education teachers have to interact with colleagues, families, and students. It is important that special education teachers maintain a healthy and positive leadership role as they establish appropriate supports and curriculum for students, communicate with the parents, and collaborate with colleagues.

I have been able to observe these qualities in the special education teacher I work for as a paraprofessional and have been able to learn from her experiences as she works with students, fellow teachers, and families.
Today, the teacher discusses to me about the impact communication skills have on the relationships she shares with her colleagues and families and that it supports her efforts in their collaboration. Personally, I want to improve my skills in communication to support my ability to perform in leadership roles and collaboration. I appreciated this reading because it brought to light the many areas where special education teachers serves as leaders and advocates for their students.

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Teacher leadership in special education has key characteristics that all point to improving the special education program as a whole and helping the children. A teacher leader communicates; they build connections with children, parents, teachers, coworkers, and other professionals in order to improve the educational experience. They have to be able to work with others positively. Teacher leaders advocate for those they work with and for, and they aim to influence positive change. A teacher leader is a model of best practice, practice they continually research and update as needed while helping coworkers to do the same. A teacher leader  is a lifelong learner who applies what they learn.

One comment from a teacher in the article, is that people with different personalities can all be teacher leaders. My original view of a teacher leader included someone who was extroverted. However, different personality types can be teacher leaders as long as they go above and are a support, as listed above, for those they work for and with. It gives hope to me, that I can be a teacher leader, even though I am not greatly outgoing. As I have considered the teachers I have known, I see how a few have influenced our program in more subtle ways with their modeling and feedback. They were the teachers who let me observe their classroom for ways to improve my own teaching, brainstormed ideas with staff, parents, and administrators, and inspired me with how they worked well with all.

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This article breaks down teacher leadership in special education to discuss what makes a teacher leader.  Overall, the broad definition might be, "A teacher in special education who is a leader. " This is someone who leads inside and outside the classroom.  Someone who leads students and communities.
A teacher leader in special education has a variety of qualities.  An important quality that teacher leaders have is that they are collaborative.  They work with a variety of people to collaborate for the good of the child.  They have many roles as a teacher leader, and they always model best practices.
Teacher leaders have a variety of skills.  Three stood out to me from this article.  Teacher leaders have interpersonal skills, organizational skills, and are proactive.
Teacher leaders are innovative, advocates, facilitators, and administrators - all of these things help teacher leaders to be a support to others.
I thought it was really interesting that the article mentioned that more studies should be done to define if every special education teacher should be considered a teacher leader.
I feel like I am a teacher leader - but not for special education (I am a preschool teacher). However, I have been a teacher leader for individual children with special needs in my own classroom over the years.

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Shannon Withers

Looking ahead into the role I am working towards as a SETL, after discussing what this might look like with our SPED director and after reading the article shared, it is my perspective that the role of this individual (hopefully me soon) is that of a support person. Someone who can be a point of contact to help lead, guide, and facilitate instructional and behavior support. It is someone who can empathize with both the staff member, parent/guardian, as well as the scholar(s) of concern. The SETL helps to establish a positive school culture through PD training. They seek to make connections with those he/she interacts with across all school settings. It is essential the SETL be an effective communicator and does not take things personally when working with scholars (or others) exhibiting challenging behaviors. After all, they are communicating their needs in the only way they know how at the time. Emotional stability and proactive responses will help to support those vested in learning academically and developing social-emotional skills.

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Special Educator Teacher Leaders support student success by:

1.) ADVOCATING

Having meaningful collaboration with General Education teachers.

Staying up-to-date on effective strategies and laws related to serving students with special needs.

Serving as the "gatekeeper" for mandated plans at their school site.

2.) FACILITATING

Possessing interpersonal skills such as the ability to model best teaching practices, proactively train paraprofessionals, and mediate conflicts or misunderstandings.

3.) ADMINISTRATING

Possess a willingness to be the "point person" and an understanding that there are lot of other things, besides teaching, that are needed to make the program or school run.

4.) INNOVATING

This includes conducting research, attending conferences, bringing back new information back to colleagues, and problem solving.

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After reading the article by Bagley and Tang (2016), how would you define teacher leadership in special education? 

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After reading the article by Bagley and Tang (2016), how would you define teacher leadership in special education? 