Have you ever imagined yourself as a teacher leader but weren't quite sure whether you really had—or could develop—the necessary skills? Have you wondered what the first steps toward becoming a teacher leader might be, what kinds of approaches work best, and how you could overcome the inevitable challenges that come with leading your colleagues on a journey toward improvement as professionals? Authors Rebecca Mieliwocki (California and National Teacher of the Year for 2012) and Joseph Fatheree (Illinois Teacher of the Year for 2007) answer these questions and more in this engaging guide to becoming a successful teacher leader. Organized around five key tools—communication, collaboration, professional development, data, and advocacy—the book covers every aspect of what is involved in taking on leadership responsibilities. Firsthand accounts of the authors' experiences and those of more than a dozen other State Teachers of the Year describe the various pathways to leadership, strategies for success, and pitfalls to avoid. These teacher voices add powerful credibility to the research on teacher leadership and show how leaders can not only improve their schools and districts but also influence state and national policies and practices. Both informative and inspiring, Adventures in Teacher Leadership invites others to expand their professional reach, empower the profession of teaching, and, ultimately, make a big difference in the lives of students everywhere. This book is a copublication of ASCD and NNSTOY.
In this book the author investigates emerging patterns in the development and effectiveness of teacher-leadership. She looks closely at the particular demands on young teachers in mission-driven urban schools as well as those in more traditional settings, and examines movements to give teachers a voice in district, state, and federal policy. The book provides a powerful counterpoint to current debates about teacher quality and shows how teachers can work together to make schools better. (Orig.)
Pathways to Leadership delivers strong advice, valuable guidance, and successful strategies to equip any leader to become better at leading teams and managing organizations. The resources found in this book are geared toward new as well as seasoned leaders. Individuals looking for ways to becoming more adept at developing the skills necessary to lead, survive, and thrive within companies and organizations.
"Because of their expertise in working with children with disabilities, special education teachers are often propelled into leadership roles in their schools, districts, and communities. Leadership in Special Education will provide special educators with the rationale for embracing a leadership role in their profession along with the guidelines and skill set needed to achieve this goal. Through this book, special education teachers will learn how to conduct classroom research, mentor and provide consultation and professional development to other educators, work effectively with families, advocate for special education issues locally and at the state and national levels, actively participate in disability-related organizations, and more. Each chapter of the book includes interviews with real special education leaders who offer strategies and advice. Other features include reflection questions prompting teachers to reflect on their leadership potential and a list of further resources"--
A bold, brain-based teaching approach to culturally responsive instruction To close the achievement gap, diverse classrooms need a proven framework for optimizing student engagement. Culturally responsive instruction has shown promise, but many teachers have struggled with its implementation—until now. In this book, Zaretta Hammond draws on cutting-edge neuroscience research to offer an innovative approach for designing and implementing brain-compatible culturally responsive instruction. The book includes: Information on how one’s culture programs the brain to process data and affects learning relationships Ten “key moves” to build students’ learner operating systems and prepare them to become independent learners Prompts for action and valuable self-reflection
Interest in and knowledge of leadership and learning, separately and together, is an international and continuing phenomenon. This book adds to a somewhat under-researched aspect of the field. It focuses both on a particular form of leadership – teacher leadership, and on a particular form of learning – professional development. It considers the connection between teacher leadership and professional development and the first chapter relates this connection to a ‘Leadership for Learning’ conceptual framework, developed through an international, three-year project. The book’s chapters explore teacher leadership and professional development from a number of perspectives, giving rise to three points of particular significance. Firstly the chapters show that, either by accident or design, there is a growing cadre of teacher leaders emerging from a multitude of professional development activities and initiatives. Secondly, a number of new conceptual frameworks are put forward, alongside the adaption and development of extant ones that add to the ever-increasing theorisation of educational leadership and professional development literature. Thirdly, the chapters provide evidence of the connections between leadership and learning as conceptualised in the ‘Leadership for Learning’ framework. This book was originally published as a special issue of Professional Development in Education.
For years, Kim Marshall and Jenn David-Lang have been considered "designated readers," curating ideas and research for busy frontline educators. Kim's weekly Marshall Memo summarizes the best articles from more than sixty magazines and journals.
This pioneering book shares a fresh vision for school leadership that connects current knowledge from mind, brain, and adult learning research to the process of teacher development and leadership. The authors provide clear steps to enable and inspire teachers to embrace leadership and collaboration opportunities for improving instruction and student outcomes, and increasing professional satisfaction. To demonstrate the broad array of leadership pathways, a flexible “spectrum of teacher leadership” suggests the myriad ways for teachers to contribute to their school and community beyond their classrooms. This spectrum is illustrated with real-life examples of teacher leadership in practice. Smarter Teacher Leadership will guide teachers to bridge what has been discovered about the brain and how metacognitive, cognitive, and affective skills support learning, teaching, and leading to stimulate collaboration with colleagues and advocacy with administrators, parents, and the wider community. “Using neuroplasticity and metacognition as key vehicles, Marcus Conyers and Donna Wilson elevate the concept of teacher leadership to a new level of understanding and significance. Their work has a research-based authority, and a deep sensitivity to teachers as professionals, that is both rare and admirable.” —Frank Crowther, emeritus professor, University of Southern Queensland “Teaching and learning are inherently social activities, but too often school culture and teachers’ training and expectations leave them working in a social vacuum. Conyers and Wilson have produced a clear, practical guide to improving teaching through strategic collaboration—a useful addition to the ambitious teacher’s library!” —Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, associate professor of Education, Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Southern California “Smarter Teacher Leadership is an excellent and really useful book for both aspiring and serving leaders. The power model of leadership is developed and is a welcome shift towards purposeful collaboration among teams of people. In an age of dominance of systems and structures this is a refreshing approach.” —Elaine Wilson, University of Cambridge
This inspiring book presents the concept of a heartprint -- the distinctive impression that an educator's heart leaves on students and colleagues during his or her professional career. For teachers, understand how teacher motivation, teacher-student relationships, and collaborative teaching all affect your self-efficacy, career, and professional development. For school leaders and administrators, discover your impact on staff, students, and school culture as you progress in your career and gain perspective on creating sustainable change. Examine the 5 HEART aspects of your professional life: Happiness: a passion for teaching, a purpose, and a desire to positively impact education Engagement: teacher motivation, energy, and effort necessary to impact student learning Alliances: relationships, collaborative teaching, and teacher support Risk: vision-focused risk taking to create sustainable change in schools Thought: the knowledge and professional development integral to advancing your career Discover Your Answer to the Question "Why Teach" and Advance Your Career in Education: Reflect on your journey and the personal and professional qualities of the teacher or leader you want to be. Discover your distinctive heartprint on your students and colleagues, and decide what the qualities of a good teacher are for you. Gain personal development plan ideas and inspirational insights from Dr. Kanold as well as dozens of thought leaders and researchers. Connect your professional life to each chapter and reconnect to the emotion, passion, energy, growth, and collaborative intimacy expected when joining the teaching profession. Build collective teacher efficacy and academic optimism by using the resource as a book study for professional development. Contents: Part 1: H Is for Happiness Chapter 1: The Happiness Dilemma Chapter 2: The Happiness-Passion Connection Chapter 3: What's Love Got to Do With It? Chapter 4: Got Compassion? Check! Chapter 5: Wanted--Persons of Positive Character and Hope Chapter 6: The Joy-Gratitude-Stability Connection Chapter 7: Why Should We Weep? Final Thoughts: The World Happiness Report Part 2: E Is for Engagement Chapter 8: Gallup Says--Full Engagement Not Ahead Chapter 9: Getting Engaged! Chapter 10: It's Energy, Not Time Chapter 11: Name That Energy Quadrant Chapter 12: Avoid the Quadrant III Drift Chapter 13: Quadrant II Time Required Chapter 14: Grit--Deliberate Daily Practice Final Thoughts: The MTXE Perspective Part 3: A Is for Alliances Chapter 15: The Primary Purposes of Collaboration Chapter 16: PLCs--Serving the Greater Good Chapter 17: Oh, the Inequity Places We'll Go! Chapter 18: Reduce Our Professional Noise Chapter 19: Relational Intelligence Required Chapter 20: What Are Those Black Boxes? Chapter 21: Celebration--Making Above and Beyond the Norm the Norm Final Thoughts: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success Part 4: R Is for Risk Chapter 22: What's in a Goal? Chapter 23: Shared Purpose--Each and Every Child Can Learn Chapter 24: Results or Persons? Chapter 25: The Risk-Vision Dependency Chapter 26: Build Trust the Millennial Way Chapter 27: Fixed or Growth Mindset? Chapter 28: Warning--Entropy Ahead! Final Thoughts: A Sense of Urgency Part 5: T Is for Thought Chapter 29: Your Great Adventure! Chapter 30: Your Voice of Wisdom Chapter 31: Clean Up the Climate Chapter 32: Become a Feedback Fanatic Chapter 33: Yours, Mine, and Ours Final Thoughts: Hold the Mayo!
A road map for teachers who strive to be highly effective leaders in our nation's classrooms Teach For America has fought the daunting battle of educational equity for the last twenty years. Based on evidence from classrooms across the country, they've discovered much about effective teaching practice, and distilled these findings into the six principles presented in this book. The Teaching As Leadership framework inspires teachers to: Set Big Goals; Invest Students and Their Families; Plan Purposefully; Execute Effectively; Continuously Increase Effectiveness; Work Relentlessly. The results are better educational outcomes for our nation's children, particularly those who live in low-income communities. Inspires educators to be leaders in their classrooms and schools Demystifies what it means to be an effective teacher, describes key elements of practice and provides a clear vision of success Addresses the challenges every teacher, in every classroom, faces on a daily basis An accompanying website includes a wealth of tools, videos, sample lessons, discussion boards, and case studies.
