AWAKENING THE SLEEPING GIANT IN “ME”

ABBY A. DELGADO

The Philippine education system can no longer afford to remain the same when the world is changing so rapidly. Different new changes and trends are coming in field of education. Innovation in information technology has created a planet where countries, communities, organizations, and individuals can connect like never before. Student learning focuses on relevancy and on essential skills to meet the demands of the 21st-century marketplace has become increasingly urgent. The needs of the future marketplace necessitate transforming schools, and teacher leadership is a vital factor for meeting the current needs of students and the future needs of the global community. With increasing calls for greater accountability and instructional innovation, the work that is required can no longer be left behind. It is equally unreasonable to expect to be solely responsible for the scope of work or the expertise that is necessary to improve instruction (Copeland, Katzenberg and Moller (2009) stated that “within every school there is a sleeping giant of teacher leadership, which can be a strong catalyst for making change”. Specifically, the three most significant roles of a teacher leader are as advocate, innovator, and steward (Lieberman & Miller, 2004). Given discourse across the globe on school reform and the importance of teachers’ work to school improvement, teacher leadership embodies an opportunity to re-imagine school cultures, and to consider a range of factors that impact the teaching profession and contribute to overall school improvement.,

-oOoThe author is Teacher II at Sto. Domingo Elementary School Minalin District