Putting the Leader in Teacher Leaders Karen Rohrs Director, Professional Development Courtney Lowe Director, Curriculum and Assessment http://bit.ly/Pn992v

Goals for the Session Participants will ... 1. Explore a conceptual framework for consideration of teacher leadership based on research 2. Explore: definitions of teacher leadership what it takes to be an effective teacher leader practices and competencies ways to develop valued competencies

As we begin .... What makes leaders in your school successful? In your experience, do the best teachers make the best teacher leaders? How should teacher leadership intersect with the role of the principal and other administrators? "The professional culture in the school is said to be a key determinant of the extent to which teachers are able to lead change." (Durrant and Holden, 2006)

WHAT IS TEACHER LEADERSHIP?

Assumptions Teacher leadership is distinctive. Teacher leadership is like the other forms of leadership. Teaching and learning are the focus of teacher leadership. Organizational issues are the focus of teacher leadership. All teachers are potential leaders. Some teachers are potential leaders. Teacher leadership can be nurtured. Teacher leadership is inherent. Teachers are accountable for learning outcomes. Administrators are accountable for learning outcomes. Administrators to do this activity personally AND as an institution. Teacher leadership is distinctive (Crowther pg. 29) - essential to school success based on collective purpose and effort. Coherence and consistency make it easier to develop depth. Grounded in the notion that the whole is greater than the sum of parts. Schools do not achieve thier potential until their elements are fully aligned; vision, teaching, learning and assessment practices; use of time, space, technologies; community values; and teachers' professional development. Teacher Leadership can be nurtured (pg. 32-33) - The quality of relationships between teacher leaders and admin leaders, and the interaction among 3 processes (professional learning, schoolwide pedagogy, culture building) are central factors in solidifying the case for linking leadership and positive school improvement. Importance of "reflection in action" as the means to formulate new mental constructs. Source: Crowther, F. Kaagan, S., Ferguson, M, & Hann, L. (2002). Developing Teacher Leaders: How Teacher Leadership Enhances School Success. Corwin Press, California. (Page 110)

Assumptions Dialogue 1.  Where along the lines between the contrasting elements does your present school situation best fit?  In what ways is this similar to your personal response? 2.  In what ways might the assumptions facilitate or impede progress? The gap between your belief and current practice, then that is a growth area. How can I move areas in the direction that we want. Connection oo finding common ground for administrators as they work within an institution to understand what they value and put that into practice. Source: Crowther, F. Kaagan, S., Ferguson, M, & Hann, L. (2002). Developing Teacher Leaders: How Teacher Leadership Enhances School Success. Corwin Press, California. (Page 110)

Definitions of Teacher Leadership 1. What are the big ideas from the definitions? 2. What are some things that you anticipated reading, but were not represented here? 3. What might you take from these for your own situation?

Definition of teacher leadership #1 Teacher leadership is about action that transforms teaching and learning in a school, that ties school and community together on behalf of learning, and that advances social sustainability and quality of life for a community. Distinctive power of teaching to shape meaning for children, youth, and adults. Source: Crowther, F. Kaagan, S., Ferguson, M, & Hann, L. (2002). Developing Teacher Leaders: How Teacher Leadership Enhances School Success. Corwin Press, California. (Page xvii and 10)

Definition of teacher leadership #2 Teacher leadership refers to that set of skills demonstrated by teachers who continue to teach students but also have an influence that expands beyond their own classrooms to others within their own school and elsewhere ... with the goal of improving the school's performance ... engaging others in complex work... managing a process of change. Source: Danielson, C. (2006). Teacher Leadership That Strengthens Professional Practice. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, VA.. (Page 12-13)

Definition of teacher leadership #3 A teacher leader is a professional guide who models collegiality as a mode of work, enhances teachers' self-esteem, builds networks of human expertise and resources, creates support groups for school members, makes provisions for continuous learning, and encourages others to take on leadership roles. (Harris & Muijs 2003) Source: Gray, C., & Bishop, Q. (2009). Leadership Development. Schools and Districts Seeking High Performance need Strong Leaders. Journal of the National Staff Development Council, 30(1), 29.

Definition of teacher leadership #4 Teacher leadership implies the redistribution of power and an alignment of authority within the organization. It means creating the conditions in which people work together and learn together, where they construct and refine meaning leading to a shared purpose or set of goals. (Harris & Muijs 2003) Source: Harris, A., & Muijs, D. (2003). Teacher Leadership: A Review of Research. University of Warwick.

Definition of teacher leadership #5 Teacher leaders call others to action and energize them with the aim of improving teaching and learning. Teacher leaders enlist colleagues to support their vision, build consensus among diverse groups of educators, and convince others of the importance of what they are proposing...must be respected for their instructional skills...understand evidence and information and recognize the need to focus on those aspects of the school's program that will yield important gains in student learning. Source: Danielson, C. (2007). The Many Faces of Leadership. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, VA.. 65(1), 16

Definition of teacher leadership #6 Teachers, with or without positions of responsibility: - taking the initiative to improve practice - acting strategically with colleagues to embed change - gathering and using evidence in collaborative processes - contributing to the creation and dissemination of professional knowledge. (Frost and Durrant, 2003) Source: Creaby,C. (2012). Developing a teacher leadership programme.. Teacher Leadership: An international journal for education practitioners,.. 3(1),28.

Definition of teacher leadership #7 “Teacher leadership is the process by which teachers, individually or collectively, influence their colleagues, principals, and other members of the school community to improve teaching and learning practices with the aim of increased student learning and achievement” York‐Barr & Duke, 2004, p. 287

Types of Teacher Leaders FORMAL teacher leaders - positional "authority" Department Chair Instructional Coach Mentor INFORMAL teacher leaders - spontaneous, organic. Their influence stems from their expertise and practice. Teachers who serve in leadership roles may do so formally or informally. Rather than having positional authority, teachers become leaders in their schools by being respected by their peers, being continuous learners, being approachable, and using group skills and influence to improve the educational practice of their peers. They model effective practices, exercise their influence in formal and informal contexts, and support collaborative team structures within their schools. (Teacher leadership Exploratory Consortium, pg. 11) Wasley (1991) found informal teacher leaders more influential than formal teacher leaders Wasley, P.A. (1991) Teachers who lead: The rhetoric of reform and the realities of practice. New York: Teachers College Press.

Definitions of Teacher Leadership Through 3 Waves of Practice 1st Wave: TLs served in formal roles, typically as an extension of administration, with the goal of improving school efficiency 2nd Wave: TLs capitalized on instructional expertise and served as curriculum leaders, staff developers, and mentors to new teachers 3rd Wave: TLs central to the process of "reculturing" schools to maximize instructional expertise. Recognition of the fact that promoting improvement requires a collaborative culture focused on continuous learning, which necessarily involves teachers as creators of culture. Source: Silva, D. Y., Gimbert, B. & Nolan, J. (2000) Sliding the doors: Locking and unlocking possibilities for teacher leadership. Teachers College Record, 102, 779-804 cited in York-Barr, J., & Duke, K. (2004). What do we know about teacher leadership? Findings from two decades of scholarship. Review of educational research, 74(3), 255–316.

WHAT DO TEACHER LEADERS DO?

Principles of Teacher Leadership Model effective practices Respected by their peers, approachable Continue to teach, continuous learners Influence extends beyond their own classroom Diverse yet distinctive Can be nurtured (knowledge and skills, dispositions) Advance "social sustainability" Collaborative; influential; group skills Transformational, manage a process of change Further the mission of the school; work toward shared goals; learning oriented This is our summarization of the key ideas from these definitions, I wonder if we should chart this - they could use chart paper and then talk to them

Teachers, Teacher Leaders, Administrators Douglas Reeves: "Educational leadership is more than being a spot on a hierarchical organization chart. The quality and practice of leadership at every level have a demonstrable impact on organizational health and on student achievement." "Embracing teacher leadership does not diminish the role of the principal and other administrators. In fact, they have an enormously important additional role: that of talent scout, constantly on the prowl for effective practice." (pg. 71) TEACHERS

Teacher Leaders & Administrators "If educational improvement is going to last, it must depend on more than a few leaders...it must not be built on the capacities of individual leaders but rather on powerful communities of teacher leadership that continue to make and sustain change with, and alongside, administrators." - Andy Hargreaves in Crowther (pg. xii) "Teacher leadership occurs most readily in supportive organizational environments." (Crowther, page 11) "Teacher leadership is inseparable from the concept of empowerment..." - the notion of creating opportunities, encouraging and then stepping back to monitor. Connection between "work" and "decision making"

Teacher Leader Differentiators great teachers .... great leaders

Self-Check In what ways do teachers, teacher leaders and administrators intersect in your school? Who are the teacher leaders in your school? What do they do?

Conceptual Framework Based on a comprehensive literature review of research into teacher leadership, the authors created a conceptual framework to encapsulate the work of teacher leaders. Conceptual frameworks are useful to give a common vocabulary and set parameters for the investigation of a phenomenon or field. The handout, excerpted from the article, explains the conceptual framework and its usefulness in any discussion of teacher leadership.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEACHER LEADER?

TL Competencies In what ways does the articulation of competencies help with identification, recruitment, and evaluation of teacher leaders? 1. Charlotte Danielson Areas of School Life 2. CSTP Teacher Leadership Skills Framework 3. CSETL Capacity Building Rubric 4. Teachers as Leaders Framework (Crowther) 5. Teacher Leader Model Standards (TLEC) How do we give links to these to the participants? Possible strategy - You be the expert (each group look at one example) then have them regroup so that there is a person from each resource in a group. They teach the others and then discuss the prompt. Possible resource: Table of Teachers' Leadership Framework (Crowther pg. 4)

Question How do the models address knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for effective teacher leaders?

HOW CAN WE DEVELOP TEACHER LEADERS?

How Can We Train? If there are established competencies, and if leadership can be nurtured, then there is room for training and development. What are some ways we can develop teacher leaders? What kinds of training would be helpful? Defined and articulated standards Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions Tools: Self-Assessment example from CSTP

Administrators create opportunities for teachers to exercise leadership roles... 1. Create "hybrid" roles for teachers, in which they can remain in their classroom, but also serve as instructional coaches, teacher facilitators, mentors, etc 2. Promote shared or distributed leadership structures that provide teachers with input into school policies, curriculum and professional development 3. Provide teachers with common planning time, job-embedded professional development opportunities and released time to collaborate with peers 4. Recognise the contributions of teacher leadership to improving student learning.

Content Emphases for TL Development Continuing to learn about and demonstrate advanced curricular, instructional, and assessment practices Understanding the school culture and how to initiate and support change in schools Developing the knowledge and skills necessary to support the development of colleagues in individual, small group, and large group interactions (p. 282) Source: York-Barr, J., & Duke, K. (2004). What do we know about teacher leadership? Findings from two decades of scholarship. Review of educational research, 74(3), 255–316.

Teacher to Teacher Leader... what are some areas on which to focus? Content emphasis #1: Continuing to learn about and demonstrate advanced curricular, instructional, and assessment practices - Knowledge of research for teaching and learning - Analyse one's own professional practice and that of others - Awareness of effective teaching practice - Supporting/leading team to "forge new ways"; take risks as learners Source: York-Barr, J., & Duke, K. (2004). What do we know about teacher leadership? Findings from two decades of scholarship. Review of educational research, 74(3), 255–316.

Teacher to Teacher Leader... what are some areas on which to focus? Content emphasis #2: Understanding the school culture and how to initiate and support change in schools Change orientation Organizational savvy Balancing advocacy and inquiry Change theory Cultural competencies across populations Education policy Source: York-Barr, J., & Duke, K. (2004). What do we know about teacher leadership? Findings from two decades of scholarship. Review of educational research, 74(3), 255– 316.

Teacher to Teacher Leader... what are some areas on which to focus? Content emphasis #3: Developing the knowledge and skills necessary to support the development of colleagues in individual, small group, and large group interactions Adult learning models Partnerships with peers and administrators Trust and relationship building Coaching, observation and mentoring skills - feedback Facilitation and presentation skills Professional practices Communication strategies Source: York-Barr, J., & Duke, K. (2004). What do we know about teacher leadership? Findings from two decades of scholarship. Review of educational research, 74(3), 255–316.

What’s Our Role? Pedagogical development (Teachers as leaders) School-Based Learning Culture Building Shared approach to pedagogy Stimulus ideas Enhanced School Capacity Strategic development (The principal as leader) Linking Parallel Leadership and Successful School Reform