Preface 1. Why Teacher Leadership? How Is Teacher Leadership Currently Defined? How Might Teacher Leadership Be Defined? Why Do We Need Teacher Leaders? What Kinds of Roels and Responsibilities Can Teachers Take On Formally and Informally? What Leadership Styles Support Teacher Leadership? 2. What Do Teacher Leaders Need? What Facilitates and Nurtures Teacher Leadership? What Models of Leadership, Mentoring, and Coaching Serve Teacher Leaders? What Hinders or Stifles Teacher Leadership? What Can Be Done to Overcome Obstacles to Teacher Leadership? What Are Some Ways to Reward Teacher Leaders? 3. Dispositions for Teacher Leadership What Dispositions Do Others Expect From Yourself and Other Teacher Leaders? What Have You Accomplished So Far as a Teacher Leader? What is Your Vision for Teacher Leader? What Image or Metaphor Would You Choose for Yourself as a Teacher Leader? What Are Your Goals for Teacher Leadership in the Next One, Five, and Ten Years? What Obstacles Do You Need to Overcome to Become a Strong Teacher Leader? How Can You Overcome Obstacles to Teacher Leadership? 4. What Teacher Leaders Need to Know What Do Teacher Leaders Need to Know About Themselves? What Supports Metacognitive Thinking as a Teacher Leader? How Can Understanding the Needs of Adults Help Teacher Leaders? How Can Teacher Leaders Best Work With Different Generations? Why Is Understanding Teacher Development Important to Our Efforts as Teacher Leaders? 5. Additional Knowledge Needed by Teacher Leaders Why Is Understanding Educational Policy and Systems Thinking Important Knowledge for Teacher Leaders? How Does Understanding Change Theory and Organizational Theory Influence Your Work as a Teacher Leader? How Can Teacher Leaders Influence School Culture and School Climate? What Constitutes Effective Parent Involvement That Is Culturally Responsive? Why Can Teacher Action Research Be Used to Increase the Knowledge Base for Teacher Leadership? 6. Interpersonal Skills for Teacher Leaders What Effective Communication Strategies Can Teacher Leaders Use With Various Constituencies? What Skills Can You Use to Facilitate Groups Successfully? How Do Teacher Leaders Manage Their Time? What Digital Tools Will Assist You as a Teacher Leader? How Can You Use Conflict Resolution Skillfully? 7. More Skills for Teacher Leaders How Do You Conduct a "Needs Assessment"? How Do You Plan, Deliver, and Evaluate Professional Learning Activities? What Skills Do You Need for Successful Grant Writing? What Skills Are Needed for Effective Advocacy and Outreach? How Do You Use Data and Reflective Practice as a Teacher Leader? 8. The Future of Teacher Leadership What Is the Future of Teacher Leadership? What Can Schools Accomplish With Strong Teacher Leadership? What Can School and District Leaders Do to Support Teacher Leadership? What Are Some Professional Development Models for Preparing More Teacher Leaders? Appendix A: School Culture Review Appendix B: Conducting Teacher Action Research Appendix C: Readiness for Changing School Culture
This book instructs teacher leaders on the skills they need to learn and practice to be successful. Each chapter includes well-tested content and activities, reflective writing prompts, and cases for discussion that explicitly address the knowledge skills, and dispositions needed for developing teachers as leaders. This includes how to teach adults, lead productive meetings, conduct needs assessments, use protocols, resolve conflicts and engage in advocacy and outreach.
Barbara Levin has been a Professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Higher Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) since 1993. She was an elementary school teacher for 17 years before earning her Ph.D. at the University of California-Berkeley. Dr. Levin served as the Director of the Teachers Academy at UNCG, assistant department chair, and director of graduate studies. She was awarded the first Mentoring-Advising-Supervising (MAS) Award in the School of Education at UNCG. Dr. Levin also served as an Associate Editor for Teacher Education Quarterly for 8 years, and was co-PI on a 5-year, $1.4 million National Professional Development grant from the Dept. of Education called TESOL for ALL. Her research interests include: understanding how teachers' pedagogical beliefs develop across their careers; case-based teaching; problem-based learning (PBL); universal design for learning (UDL); and leading, teaching, and learning with technology. Dr. Levin has published eight books and over 40 articles in well-respected research journals. Lynne Schrum is Dean of the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education at Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Previously, she was the Dean of the College of Education and Human Services at West Virginia University. Prior to that, she was a professor and coordinator of elementary education in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University. Her research and teaching focus on preparing teachers for the 21st century, appropriate uses of information technology, and leadership in a digital world. She has written eleven books and numerous articles on these subjects; the most recent is How 2, Web 2: How to for Educators. Schrum served on AERA's Council, was editor of the Journal of Research on Technology in Education (JRTE) (2002-2012), and is a past-president of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).