Teacher Leadership: Opportunities and Challenges
Teacher leadership is what paves the way for teachers to have an influential impact on decision-making regarding the betterment of schools. It is something that helps cultivate an environment of collaboration and ongoing learning (Ackerman & Mackenzie, 2007). It is necessary and vitalbut becoming a teacher leader is not easy. Two areas from the Carnegie list that resonate with me are curriculum development and implementation, and professional development and training. In my view, we need a regular review and update of the curriculum so as to better affect positive student outcomes. Teachers also need access to the latest tools and strategies (Barth, 2007). Still, we are met with resistance to change. Many teachers are reluctant to embrace new content or methodologies. We are met with a lack of resources. The money, time, and manpower simply are not there in a lot of cases. We are met with time constraints in terms of scheduling conflicts and lack of access to training sessions.
To overcome these challenges, some strategies that might be helpful would be collaborative decision making, external funding, and flexible scheduling. We need teachers to want to be involved in the decision-making process, and so teachers need to sense that their views are valued and taken into account, because then they are more inclined to support and adopt changes. Additionally, schools should explore grants and sponsorships that can help curriculum development and professional development. Plus, professional development sessions should be offered at different times for instance, during actual school hours, post school, or even on weekends.
Ultimately, the path to teacher leadership comes with many hurdles. But with the right strategies and a spirit of collaboration, these hurdles can be overcome. As Barth notes in "The Teacher Leader," teacher leadership transcends mere additional responsibilities; it is a pursuit of ushering in positive change and elevating the educational community.
References
Ackerman, R., & Mackenzie, S. (2007). Uncovering teacher leadership: Essays and voices from
the field. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Barth, R. S. (2007). The Teacher Leader. In R. Ackerman & S. Mackenzie (Eds.), Uncovering
teacher leadership: Essays and voices from the field (pp. 9-36). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
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References Atkinson, R.C. & Shiffrin, R.M. (1968). "Human memory: A proposed system and its control processes." in, Spence, K. & Spence, J. (Eds), Advances in the Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 2(1): New York: Academic Press. Bailey, a.J. (1986). Policy making in schools: Creating a sense of educational purpose. Balshaw, M. (1991). Help in the classroom. London: David Fulton Publishers. Campbell, J., Kyriakides, L., Mujis, D. & Robinson, W. (2004). Assessing teacher effectiveness: Developing
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