How do teachers and school leaders learn to improve their professional practice and make meaningful change in their schools?

The infinite potential that teachers possess for sharing their knowledge and wisdom with other stake-holders in education’s decision-making circles—or even for becoming part of these circles—thus remains largely unexploited.

Motivations of teachersQuality of the classroom teaching

(Fullan, 2001; Segiovanni, 1999).

Leadership matters

Teacher leadership has quickly become widely recognised as a critical factor in meeting nationally-mandated educational policies.(McCay et al, 2001)

“Their base of influence must be professional expertise and moral imperative rather than line authority. They must learn to lead by empowering rather than by controlling others.” (Murphy, 2005

ALSO

Survey, Reeves, 2009

300 teachers and senior managers representing a mix of urban, rural, and suburban schools

Educational LeadershipFebruary 2009

StudentsPersonal experienceColleaguesFamilyProfessional developmentFormal school leadershipCurriculum

how?colleaguescolleagues

Direct modelling

February 2009 | Volume 66 | Number 5How Teachers Learn Pages 85-86

Model Teachers

Douglas B. Reeves

Communities of practice

Teachers as active participants

Relating EVERYTHING back to student learning

(Darling-Hammond, Hargreaves and many others)

“ The successes of [excellent teachers] tend to be born

and die with them: beneficial consequences extend only to those pupils who have

personal contact with the gifted teachers.

“ No one can measure the waste and loss that have come from the fact that the

contributions of such men and women in the past

have been thus confined”

(Dewey, 1929)

What does this mean in terms of leadership in your school?