Jen Orr Raising Our Teacher Voices Analysis

Who school leaders are – what they do, attend to, or seem to appreciate is constantly watched by students, teachers, parents, and members of the community. Their interests and actions send powerful messages. They signal the values they hold. Above all else, leaders are cultural “teachers” in the best sense of the word. (Deal & Peterson, 1990, p. 201)

Modeling is crucial for teacher leadership. In my twenty-three years as an educator, I have learned that the best way for me to teach others is by first modeling the practices myself. As a teacher leader, it is important that I model sound, professional characteristics to gain the respect of others. I have to maintain a positive, inclusive environment for all stakeholders of the learning community. This begins in the classroom by using scientifically-based, differentiated instruction to meet the needs of diverse populations of learners. In addition, this modeling continues to fellow colleagues and administrators by demonstrating a passion for educating myself, as well as others.

As one leads with integrity, fairness and in an ethical manner, they lead by modeling those values and beliefs that belong in an educational setting. They show concern and care personally for the students, staff and communities learning, behaviors, and lives. Leaders promote a culture of openness and trust. They model appropriate behavior and skills to improve learning and engage others to share in this process through collaboration.

Good leader needs to be able to identify teacher capabilities, and in what capacity they best fit in the school to reach the organization 's goals and provide resources to help teachers, and grow their capacity to become effective. According to Mantz, the tricky part is putting enough pressure on them for continual growth in meeting the vision of the school, progressing quickly, but not to the point where teachers become overloaded, and want to quit. Two years ago, the district had five teachers resign mid year. Teachers need to be pushed to meet the desired results, but there must be a balance, or they leave. Increased professional development after classroom observations has helped teachers strengthen capabilities through evaluations. Teachers make goals, then, are provided formative feedback early in their teaching experiences, which builds capacity, and provides more flexibility in the master schedule.

Servant leadership is key- Educational leaders must have the interests of the children as their main concern. Hall’s use of fear to achieve results created a bigger problem within the school district rather than solving it. Listening to teachers’ difficulties and working directly with those inside individual schools will help leaders identify and solve problems, as Errol and Castarphen have done and will continue doing.

The West Fargo Public School system is not only the fastest growing school district in the State of North Dakota, it is also one of the most innovative and creative. The district’s Mission is “Educating today’s learners for tomorrow’s world”. Teachers employed by the district take this Mission statement to heart and live it in their own lives. To them, education is a lifelong process, not just something everyone experiences between the ages of 5-17. Evidence of this can be seen in the fact that this past summer 20 elementary and secondary teachers began a 20 month educational journey by enrolling in West Fargo’s second Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA). The Academy is a collaborative effort between West Fargo Public Schools and North Dakota State University’s Educational Leadership Program. The 20 teachers began their journey this summer and will be meeting during the school year every-other Wednesday after school. At the end of five semesters they will be awarded the Masters of Education (M. Ed.) degree. Some of the unique features of the Teacher Leadership Academy are: a) rather than traveling to campus for their coursework, Academy students are taught at the district’s Leidal Education Center, b) classes are facilitated by not only university professors, but the district’s two assistant superintendents [Dr. Allen Burgad and Mrs. Beth Slette], and c) course assignments are focused around the district’s initiatives and strategic plan.

Educational leaders play significant roles in the modern society. Their effectiveness depends on their strengths. Primarily, it is vital having a comprehensive understanding of who is an educational

I think and every successful teacher will agree with me that promoting the success of every student is the main value of any educational professional and it is very important for a leader to demonstrate these traits. What is leadership? Some people think that it is good to be a boss and it is easy to rule any organization. Leadership is more than just to rule any organization. It is the development of a practice around a mission or vision and an ability to inspire others to do the same. There are three sets of practices make up this basic core of successful leadership practices: setting directions, developing people and redesigning the organization. Foster (1989) says, “Leadership differs from conventional administration in much the same way that education differs from training (p.10).” This speaks to results- to the why of teaching. And the value of a leader can be determined by their results. If their aim is high-quality education (an admittedly vague term), academic success, and well-being of each student then this is the standard by which they should be judged. Burns admonishes that “power and leadership are measured by the degree of

InTASC standard 10 is that the teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession. This artifact alligns with standard 10, becasue leadership needs constant development. The AP workshop gathered numerous experienced teacher that were able to pass along professional tools of the trade to younger more experienced educators. This interactive environment of experienced teachers from across the state allowed different perspectives from rural and urban schools, each suited with thier own problems and assests. Teachers are always learning and adapting new skills in order to transfer those skills to students; That process of professional

As an emerging teacher, I strongly feel that teachers are not only facilitators of learning but also role models and ambassadors

what it means to be teacher leader can be found in the literature, yet the roles of

334), teachers are the most significant in-school factor influencing student achievement. Therefore, we should contribute to leading social change. While they aren’t expected to solve any wider social problems such as poverty, they can teach students and other staff members to think about inclusion and social justice. I agree with Rebecca Connell’s (personal communication, March 24, 2017) discussion about teachers needed to lead by example. Her discussion, links to Ballard (2012, p. 79), which states that teachers transmit languages, values and attitudes through classroom interactions. This is why teachers need to contribute to discussions, promote fair and caring relationships and be aware of their

Over the years, I have worn many educator hats such as a Director of Resource, classroom teacher, Head Start teacher, special’s teacher, and as a teacher’s aide. My leadership experiences have not been ones in an administrative role, but I have had leadership experiences both informal and formal in nature. My years as a professional educator with a Virginia Collegiate Professional license has allowed me to teach in public settings as well as Catholic schools, at many different grade levels and for me, all of those experiences have influenced my leadership skills.

Teachers are considered pillars of the society as they are charged with the responsibility of educating and shaping young minds into productive members of the society. According to Danielson (2006), teacher leaders are those who possess a specific set of skills that allow them to teach and also have an influence on students beyond the classroom.

Those who learn to be instructional leaders acquire many characteristics that are beneficial to their schools and communities. The writer concurs that Instructional leaders exhibit a clear sense of direction for their schools and prioritize and focus attention on the things that really