"The two biggest ideas I take away from this course are strategically defining a few goals and ensure that those goals are the focus for all stakeholders. The goals need to be SMART and understood and followed by all. If all do not understand, then PD needs to be provided to make sure everyone is on the same page. To ensure that the goals are followed, every resource in the school needs to move toward meeting the goals. Everyone has to go in the same direction at the same time for true, lasting change to occur."
"Leadership includes vision which provides guidance to the school organization by articulating what the educational leader wishes to attain or gain. It serves as "a signpost pointing the way for all who need to understand what the organization is and where it intends to go" (Nanus, 1992).
As an educational leader, I must continuously collaborate with others to develop a shared vision for the school, team, or organization. When time is invested in developing a vision statement or other written statement reflecting the overall shared goals, it provides a powerful image of the future for the entire group of stakeholders, most importantly the students!
- Nanus, B. (1992). Visionary leadership: Creating a compelling sense of direction for your organization. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass."
"Professional development needs to be job-imbedded and ongoing. It also needs to be a place where teachers need to feel respected, safe to share their opinions and concerns, all focused on helping the teachers improve their instruction to better serve and teach their students. Teacher leaders need to step up and be involved in professional development planning and take a proactive stance in making it applicable and collaborating with their fellow teachers. As a teacher leader I can help set the climate in the professional development meetings that I attend, and also offer suggestions about the type of professional development that would be beneficial to me as a teacher."
"Change takes time! I need to allow myself to take that time to change and also give my district time to make the changes necessary. Every single case study we looked at happened over years. It wasn’t just 1 or 2 professional development sessions. It takes a lot of careful, well thought out planning, with a lot of people involved. As a teacher leader I can offer my suggestions, positive opinions, and realize that it takes time!"
"We do really live in an instant gratification society. I have to continually remind myself that change takes time. This course really helped me understand how much time it would take to get a whole district ready to move on change. District leadership also needs to be understanding that change in our classrooms take time as well. It cannot happen overnight."
"Professional development needs to be job embedded, ongoing, and include teachers who are collaborative and proactive in the planning process. In one of our readings, Fink used the following motto: "Isolation is the enemy of improvement."( p.113) I also appreciate and respect your initiative to be involved in the change process by providing suggestions and positive opinions. In closing, I value your input regarding change happening over time. This course has helped me to see that change is a continual process and takes time. "
"The first idea about teacher leadership that I am taking away from this learning experience is that teachers should take the initiative to take on leadership roles where they feel the most comfortable. We have read countless articles that state that teachers are the experts at what they are doing. They should use this expertise to help other staff members, new teachers, and principals to help in the decision making process. The most important thing a teacher can do is be involved and be helpful!
The second idea bout teacher leadership I am taking away from this course is COLLABORATION! We've said it over and over and over again, but I can't stress it enough. We are nothing without our team! This includes our personal life, our grade-level teams, our building teams, in our reading endorsement classes, and beyond!
I want to also share a third take-away I have from this learning experience. I want to stress the importance of properly used professional development. We've learned so much lately about the types of professional development and how to ensure that it is being done properly. Namely that it is job-embedded, with clearly stated goals, differentiated, and collaborative. We've all said we've sat through professional development that isn't really applicable to what we are doing or we've already sat through it and it feels like a "waste of time". If there is an opportunity to create a professional development opportunity that is meaningful to us we should take it!"
"Keeping the big picture in mind (whether in the classroom or the district) and to continue as a life long- learner as both an individual and with others through professional development and positive collaboration towards the goal of increasing student achievement and teacher instruction/growth."
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