How do teachers and school leaders learn to improve their professional practice and make meaningful change in their schools?

The infinite potential that teachers possess for sharing their knowledge and wisdom with other stake-holders in education’s decision-making circles—or even for becoming part of these circles—thus remains largely unexploited.

Motivations of teachers Quality of the classroom teaching (Fullan, 2001; Segiovanni, 1999). Leadership matters

Teacher leadership has quickly become widely recognised as a critical factor in meeting nationally-mandated educational policies. (McCay et al, 2001)

“Their base of influence must be professional expertise and moral imperative rather than line authority. They must learn to lead by empowering rather than by controlling others.” ( Murphy, 2005

ALSO

Survey, Reeves, teachers and senior managers representing a mix of urban, rural, and suburban schools Educational Leadership February 2009

Students Personal experience Colleagues Family Professional development Formal school leadership Curriculum

how? colleagues

D irect modelling

February 2009 | Volume 66 | Number 5 How Teachers Learn Pages Model Teachers Douglas B. Reeves

Communities of practice Teachers as active participants Relating EVERYTHING back to student learning (Darling-Hammond, Hargreaves and many others)

“ The successes of [excellent teachers] tend to be born and die with them: beneficial consequences extend only to those pupils who have personal contact with the gifted teachers. “ No one can measure the waste and loss that have come from the fact that the contributions of such men and women in the past have been thus confined” (Dewey, 1929)

What does this mean in terms of leadership in your school?