How can you ensure that teacher leadership is valued in your school or organization?

Teacher leadership is the process of empowering teachers to take on roles and responsibilities beyond their classrooms, such as mentoring, coaching, curriculum design, professional development, and school improvement. Teacher leadership can enhance student learning, teacher satisfaction, collaboration, and innovation in your school or organization. However, teacher leadership is not always recognized, supported, or rewarded by administrators, colleagues, or policymakers. How can you ensure that teacher leadership is valued in your school or organization? Here are some strategies to consider.

1 Create a shared vision

The first step to value teacher leadership is to create a shared vision of what it means, why it matters, and how it can be achieved in your school or organization. You can involve teachers, administrators, students, parents, and other stakeholders in developing a common understanding of the goals, benefits, and challenges of teacher leadership. You can also align your vision with your mission, values, and culture, and communicate it clearly and consistently to everyone.

Add your perspective

Andrew King

Principal Oropi School | President NZ Rural Schools Association
Report contribution
I like to call it a collective vision. Shared to me implies some Form of conformity to a norm. collective is allowing differing views but a form of alignment

Like

2 Provide opportunities and support

The second step to value teacher leadership is to provide opportunities and support for teachers to develop and exercise their leadership skills and knowledge. You can offer various pathways for teachers to take on leadership roles, such as leading teams, projects, committees, or initiatives. You can also provide adequate time, resources, training, feedback, and recognition for teachers to perform their leadership tasks effectively and confidently. You can also encourage teachers to pursue further education, certification, or accreditation in their areas of expertise.

Add your perspective

Andrew King

Principal Oropi School | President NZ Rural Schools Association
Report contribution
Fostering potential is crucial and so knowing your teachers strengths and potential is essential. This then helps you be informed about what sort of future professional development to offer to them

Like
Amanda Reardon

Instructional Coach; Ed.D. Candidate studying Teacher Leadership, Rutgers University
Report contribution
It's important to remember that teacher leadership can occur both formally and informally. School leaders need to foster opportunities not only for those in formal roles (i.e. Team Leaders, etc.) but also create opportunities that foster leadership development informally (e.g. leading team professional development).

Like

3 Build a collaborative culture

The third step to value teacher leadership is to build a collaborative culture that fosters trust, respect, and communication among teachers and other members of the school or organization. You can create structures and norms that promote teamwork, dialogue, and shared decision-making among teachers and administrators. You can also facilitate peer learning, coaching, and mentoring among teachers of different levels, subjects, and backgrounds. You can also celebrate and showcase the achievements and contributions of teacher leaders to the whole community.

Add your perspective

Andrew King

Principal Oropi School | President NZ Rural Schools Association
Report contribution
Realising the importance of being part of a collaborative team is essential and this can’t operate in an institution with hierarchical models and modes. So we need to ask leaders “what are you doing to promote a culture where sharing and diversity of thought, and questioning is valued?”

Like

4 Advocate for teacher leadership

The fourth step to value teacher leadership is to advocate for teacher leadership at the local, regional, and national levels. You can raise awareness and influence policies and practices that support and enhance teacher leadership in your school or organization. You can also network and collaborate with other schools, organizations, associations, or agencies that share your vision and goals of teacher leadership. You can also showcase and share your best practices, challenges, and lessons learned with other educators and stakeholders.

Add your perspective

5 Evaluate and improve

The fifth step to value teacher leadership is to evaluate and improve your teacher leadership practices and outcomes regularly. You can use various tools and methods to collect and analyze data on the impact of teacher leadership on student learning, teacher performance, school culture, and organizational effectiveness. You can also solicit feedback and suggestions from teachers, administrators, students, parents, and other stakeholders on how to improve your teacher leadership strategies and processes. You can also use the results and insights to inform your future actions and plans.

Add your perspective

6 Keep learning and growing

The sixth and final step to value teacher leadership is to keep learning and growing as a teacher leader and as a school or organization. You can seek new challenges, opportunities, and perspectives that can enhance your leadership skills and knowledge. You can also reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, successes, and failures, and learn from them. You can also seek and offer support, guidance, and inspiration to other teacher leaders and aspiring teacher leaders in your school or organization.

Add your perspective

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Add your perspective

Lil Dye

MSc (CAMW), BA Hons, PGCE (x2) QTS. Social Prescriber Link Worker. Author and experienced educator. Teacher (QTS), Wellbeing Practitioner, Life Coach,
Report contribution
Kindness and patience are the two things missing here. People get tired, make mistakes or aren’t always being the best they can be. I’ve seen teachers feel like a train wreck when they made a mistake, only to have a double crash when colleagues or SLT showed no kindness or patience. I’ve seen two careers halted in two schools when the teachers involved weren’t their best as they were getting over a bereavement. Terrible treatment! I’ve also seen careers destroyed over one mistake! Teachers can’t be excellent all the time. They are human too.

Like

How can you ensure that teacher leadership is valued in your school or organization?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Create a shared vision

2 Provide opportunities and support

3 Build a collaborative culture

4 Advocate for teacher leadership

5 Evaluate and improve

6 Keep learning and growing

7 Here’s what else to consider

Teaching

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Teaching

More relevant reading

How can you ensure that teacher leadership is valued in your school or organization?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Create a shared vision

2 Provide opportunities and support

3 Build a collaborative culture

4 Advocate for teacher leadership

5 Evaluate and improve

6 Keep learning and growing

7 Here’s what else to consider

Teaching

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

Explore Other Skills