Module 3: Teacher Leaders and Sharing Leaders

Define your learning objectives

Activity

• Learn about different schools' shared leadership practices from the standpoint of formal and non-formal leaders
• Understand the changing role of teacher leaders and school formal leaders
• Understand how to involve more teachers in leadership practices

Padlet
Activity:

An instruction guide for successful implementation?

There is no recipe or a “to do” list to follow when adopting a shared leadership approach in a school, as school realities differ from one another and what works in one school might not be suitable or feasible in another school.

However, some practices can facilitate the engagement and participation of teachers in leadership practices within schools. What are they, in your opinion? What kind of practices worked in your school? Post your opinion in the word cloud and see what your peers think!

Activity: Challenges are there for us to work together and overcome them!

Activity:

• Engaging formal leadership to include more flexible leadership structures
• Establishing leadership teams
• Seeking input from staff
• Building confidence between teachers and formal leadership
• Getting a shared understanding between all staff
• Mobilising enthusiasm of individual teachers or/and the leadership team (if exists)
• Identifying final and intermediate achievements and goals

Roles of teacher leaders

• Brokering role – translation of the school improvement principles into practices of individual classrooms – how teachers can meaningfully develop their practice
• Participative role – creating and fostering a climate where all teachers feel part of the change or development the school is undergoing and have a sense of ownership; in this dimension, teacher leaders assist others and guide them towards the collective goal
• Mediating role – serving as an important source of expertise and information regarding curricula, methodology, and more; in this dimension, teacher leaders serve as “mentors”
• Collaborative role – forging a close relationship with individual teachers through mutual learning and exchange of practices.