How to Thrive as a Teacher Leader by John G. Gabriel Table of Contents Chapter 1. Organizational Leadership: Nurturing Leadership in Your School For nearly a century, schools have functioned in the autocratic style of the line-staff model: principals are managers and teachers are their employees, often voiceless and powerless to influence their superiors' quest to improve student achievement. But with the growing emphasis on high-stakes testing and the advent of No Child Left Behind, many school leaders are seeking more effective organizational behavior by drawing on the leadership potential of all stakeholders, especially teachers. Schools making this change are creating and expanding teachers' roles as leaders. For principals, this trend is a shift from “relying on the power of the system” to “seeking to empower others”—or, more specifically, a shift from “seeking to be in control” to “letting go of control and building a community of relationships that tends to be self-organizing” (Caine & Caine, 2000, p. 8). Lending support to the need for transformation, Buchen (2000) argues that “the only leadership that will make a difference is that of teachers. They alone are positioned where all the fulcrums are for change. They alone know what the day-to-day problems are and what it takes to solve them. They, not the principals, should be the ones to hire new teachers. They know what is needed.” A task force report from the School Leadership for the 21st Century Initiative (2001) echoes these sentiments. It states: “Mischaracterized though they often are as incompetent know-nothings, teachers are, paradoxically, also widely viewed as . . . indispensable but unappreciated leaders in the truest meaning of the word. . . . It would be difficult to find a more authentic but unacknowledged example of leadership in modern life” (p. 1). The report claims that teachers are essential to reform and that they possess a body of knowledge yet to be exploited. But we already knew that. That's common sense. We educators also knew that the role ripest for this kind of metamorphosis is that of the department chair in high schools or the team leader in elementary and middle schools. Department chairs and team leaders walk a fine line: they are neither teacher nor administrator. They nurture colleagues and teach alongside them, but they also must retain allegiance to their administrators. They lack line authority. Considering how essential teacher leaders are to improving achievement, this is perhaps the most curious aspect of their roles. They are constantly reminded, by both administrators and teachers, of all they cannot do—regardless of their potential for positive change, which is often greater than that of all other leaders in a school because of their broad sphere of influence. Teacher leaders possess a semblance of authority but no formal power—only the illusion of power. For example, a department chair cannot complete teacher evaluations. She cannot place amemo or letter in someone's personnel file, nor can she dismiss a teacher. As a result, she must Page 1 of 12Chapter3/1/2007http://www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/template.chapter/menuitem.b71d101a2f7c208cdeb3ffd...find other ways to motivate, mobilize, and lead teachers. She must rely on intrinsic leadership abilities, knowledge of group dynamics, influence, respect, and leadership by example to boost the productivity of her department. In myopic schools, the role of department chair is limited to that of a paper pusher. These schoolsview the teacher leader as someone who will complete the master schedule, order supplies, maintain inventory, and pass along administrative directives to the department. These schools either don't know how else to capitalize on the strengths of their teacher leaders or are uncomfortable doing so. True, these traditional responsibilities are critical to maintaining the wellness of a school, but in terms of improving the health of an organization, forward-thinking schools have moved beyond this. In schools where transformational leadership is present, administrators recognize that the leadership of a department chair or team leader can make a significant difference to the climate and culture of the school. They are not threatened by a teacher's influence or exercise of leadership, nor by giving up some control. These administrators strive to encourage and cultivate leadership and “make better use of the unique strengths and contributions [that] department heads can bring to school management and improvement” (Weller, 2001, p. 80). At these schools, teacher leaders act as coaches and mentors, observe classrooms so that instruction can be refined and best practices implemented, and attempt to realize a vision or to “reculture” the environment. With the pressure of high-stakes testing and the need to meet state and federal benchmarks, administrators rely on these leaders to improve achievement and even defer to them in certain instances. Roles for Teacher Leaders Although the traditional teacher leader is still important in a school, other leadership positions canhave as much influence in ensuring student achievement. These roles offer teachers a greater voice in shaping programs, supporting the mission, and guiding a team toward its goal, which will ultimately help the students and the school achieve. Not all leadership positions are formal in nature. Every school has teacher leaders who do not serve—and may never have served—as official leaders, which is one of the most unique components of teacher leadership. In any kind of organization, informal leaders command a great deal of respect; they have much say and sway in determining a team's climate or the chances of a proposal's adoption, and they are often sought after for advice. Similarly, not all leadership roles are fixed—meaning assigned, specific positions. Someone might act as a mentor one week and then assume the role of innovator with a unique proposal the following week. These fluid and spontaneous roles are just as essential as the leader to the success of the team. Ideally, these people are the supporters whom the leader can trust and turn to for help in a variety of matters. It is also expected that leadership roles will change, shift, and evolve over time. If someone was a team leader for the past five years, it does not guarantee him that role for a sixth year. Leadership roles should not be determined by