TEACHER LEADERS: A CATALYST FOR CHANGE

JENNIEBELLE LARA R. MANLUTAC

In every good school, there are teachers whose vision extends beyond the four corners of their classroom. Such teachers recognize that students’school experiences depend not only on interaction with individual teachers, but also on the complex systems in place throughout the school and community.

This awareness prompts these teachers to want to influence change. And with their persistence to lead, they become teacher leaders, who, today more than ever, are needed across schools in the country.

There are various qualities and skills teacher leaders must possess. But before that, we must identify that teacher leaders have two fundamental types of roles: formal and informal. Formal teacher leaders fill such roles as administrators or principals.

These individuals typically apply for their positions and are chosen through a selection process. Ideally, they also receive training for their new responsibilities. Formal teacher leaders play vital roles in most schools.

In many cases, these teacher leaders manage curriculum projects, facilitate teacher study groups, provide workshops, and order materials. They may also evaluate other teachers, in which case their colleagues are likely to regard them as pseudo-administrators.

Informal teacher leaders, in contrast, emerge spontaneously and organically from the teacher ranks. Instead of being selected, they take the initiative to address a problem or institute a new program. They have no positional authority, their influence stems from the respect they command from their colleagues through their expertise and practice.

Whether they are selected for a formal leadership role or spontaneously assume an informal role, effective teacher leaders exhibit important skills, values, and dispositions. Teacher leaders call others to action and energize them with the aim of improving teaching and learning.

Moreover, the litmus test of all leadership is whether it mobilizes people’s commitment to putting their energy into actions designed to improve things. It is individual commitment, but above all it is collective mobilization.

A hallmark of leadership, therefore, is the ability to collaborate with others. Teacher leaders must enlist colleagues to support their vision, build consensus among diverse groups of educators, and convince others of the importance of what they are proposing and the feasibility of their general plan for improvement.

They must be respected for their own instructional skills. They must also 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.

A number of values and dispositions make certain individuals ideally suited for teacher leadership. Effective teacher leaders are open-minded and respectful of others’ views. They display optimism and enthusiasm, confidence and decisiveness. They persevere and do not permit setbacks to derail an important initiative they are pursuing. On the other hand, they are flexible and willing to try a different approach if the first effort runs into roadblocks.

In addition, many attributes of good teacher leaders are fundamentally the same as the attributes of good teachers: persuasiveness, open-mindedness, flexibility, confidence, and expertise in their fields. Despite these similarities, however, working with colleagues is profoundly different from working with students, and the skills that teachers learn in their preparation programs do not necessarily prepare them to extend their leadership beyond their own classrooms.

To assume a leadership role, they may need expertise in curriculum planning, assessment design, data analysis, and the like. They may also need to develop the abilities to listen actively, facilitate meetings, keep a group discussion on track, decide on a course of action, and monitor progress. These skills are not typically taught in teacher preparation programs.

To conclude, I believe that leading change within one’s own department or team may require considerable interpersonal skill and tact. The success of such an effort also depends on the teacher leader’s having established credibility and trust with his or her col l eagues.

Indeed, some of the most powerful opportunities for teacher leadership relate to areas that have enormous influence on the daily lives of students and other teachers across the school.

It is the same reason why teacher leadership is an idea whose time has come, as the unprecedented demands being placed on schools today require leadership at every level. By understanding the phenomenon of teacher leadership and helping teachers develop the skills required to act as leaders, we can improve schools and help teachers realize their full potential.

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The author is Teacher III at San Juan Nepomuceno Elementary School