Educational leaders are more needed than ever. With nationwide teacher shortages adding to the already taxed educational environment, schools must find ways to implement positive structure for both teachers and pupils alike. This leaves a perfect opportunity for teacher leaders.
According to the National Education Association (NEA), “teacher leadership is a largely underdeveloped and untapped resource in schools. Organizations frequently attempt to compartmentalize teacher leadership with narrowly defined areas of responsibility and limits on actions. These organizational limits cannot, however, diminish the impact of a respected colleague on culture and action within a school.”
Have you always wanted to work in a teacher leadership role? There’s never been a better time, and here are the must-have skills you’ll need to succeed.
The formal definition says that teacher leadership is when “teachers go beyond their classroom responsibilities and assume informal and formal roles within the school to influence and enhance instruction and learning for all students. Teachers who hold the professional identity as an educator who demonstrate leadership within the classroom, school, community and beyond, either through formal or informal roles.”
In practice, teacher leadership can take many forms, but most often it looks like:
Teacher Leader
Teachers who take on additional, high-level roles are typically called teacher leaders. Generally speaking, teacher leaders are those who have “significant teaching experience, are known to be excellent educators, and are respected by their peers.”
Why is Leadership in Education Important?
The primary purpose of educational leadership is to ensure academic success through process, material, and training improvements. This is mainly accomplished through collaboration with different individuals, such as educators, parents, students, public policy makers, and the public.
According to a Wallace Foundation study, “Leadership is second only to classroom instruction as an influence on student learning.” This is because teacher leaders are intensely focused on improving and ensuring academic success for students, which implies success for teachers as well. Through teacher leadership, schools are pushed forward in terms of process, material and training improvements, and enhanced collaboration across all parties involved in school progress.
Teacher leadership takes many different forms and will depend on an educator’s personality and instructional style. Overall, there are a handful of distinct leadership styles in education.
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There is some commonality amongst educational leaders who successfully lead their institutions and help their peers and students achieve their goals. For those who wish to move into educational leadership roles, possessing the following traits of effective school leaders should translate to positive outcomes.
1. They Understand the Importance of Building Community
Educational leaders are most successful when they have buy-in from their fellow teachers and the student body. To foster that sense of trust, they know they must invest time and resources into building a sense of community. When the feeling of community is established, stakeholders are more apt to go above and beyond to help everyone achieve their goals.
2. They Empower Teachers and Cultivate Leadership Skills
No one can succeed alone, and that is certainly the truth with educational leaders. There is simply far too much to achieve for one person, and good leaders know that delegating tasks is the mark of a good manager, not a bad one. Empower fellow teachers to tackle leadership-level tasks and help them to develop their leadership skills — the school will be better for it.
3. They Utilize Data and Resources
While they can be a pain, standardized tests and other school-based data resources are great opportunities for school leaders. Using this data, good educational leaders know to use this information to drive continuous improvements within the school. They can identify areas that need additional attention, learn from departments that are succeeding, and ultimately leverage data to make strategic decisions to benefit the entire school community.
4. They Have a Vision and a Plan
Having a clear plan will not only help leadership stay the course, but it also provides guidelines for the school community as a whole. Good educational leaders have clear goals — a vision — that they can unite their team around, helping to encourage their performance in pursuit of that mission.
5. They Create Collaborative, Inclusive Learning Environments
To reach all learners, educational leadership professionals must put inclusivity at the forefront of their goals. By creating an inclusive learning environment, students have access to flexible learning options that suit their learning styles, and ultimately feel a sense of belonging. This also empowers educators to focus on student success because they know the leaders who support them have their backs.
Roles that teacher leaders can take on/are suited for with or without a formal title:
Educational leadership, or teacher leadership, is when teachers go “beyond their classroom responsibilities and assume informal and formal roles within the school to influence and enhance instruction and learning for all students. Teachers who hold the professional identity as an educator who demonstrate leadership within the classroom, school, community and beyond, either through formal or informal roles.”
Teacher leaders are those who have “significant teaching experience, are known to be excellent educators, and are respected by their peers.”
Educational leaders should possess the following traits:
To become an effective educational leader within your current school or potentially in your next, the first step is continuing your education. Even with an advanced degree, educators can benefit from taking courses or enrolling in programs that are specifically focused on teacher leadership. At the University of San Diego Division of Professional and Continuing Education (PCE), we proudly offer a Teacher Leadership Certificate Program that helps learners develop skills, tools, and strategies to become teacher leaders who contribute to teacher, student, and school success.
Browse over 500+ educator courses and numerous certificates to enhance your curriculum and earn credit toward salary advancement.