1. Emphases on content knowledge (e.g., science and mathematics) are necessary
but not sufficient. Since 1989, when we instituted an annual 5-day leadership
conference for teachers and administrators from the Urban Mathematics
Collaboratives, we have carried on and adapted the leadership capacity building
in several national teacher-enhancement projects. We do mathematics and
assessment work, but also capacity building in things like communication skills,
understanding and managing mindsets, building support, planning. Any thoughts
out there about balancing the content knowledge with the leadership capacity
building?
2. Collective leadership is worth attending to. In these projects, the teacher
leaders work in district teams, so we have been struck in many ways by the
collective nature of leadership: how the whole can be greater than the sum of
the parts when the goal is effecting change beyond single classrooms, in schools
and districts. I'd be interested in thoughts and experiences around this notion
of leadership as a collective enterprise.
3. There are and should be specialized roles within teacher leadership -- e.g.,
inquiry-group facilitation; coaching/mentoring; staff-development presenting;
public advocacy. Another, essential leadership role, of course, is innovation
in one's own classroom. Not all teacher leaders are comfortable with pushing
themselves into all roles, nor should they be expected to. We think leadership
training efforts should account for this diversity in need and interest.
Mark Driscoll
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TEECH Leadership Development Discussion
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