Leadership and Growth Tips for Teachers

The start of a new school year often gets teachers thinking about their career trajectories and whether they want to pursue leadership roles. In the schools where I worked, there was always a variety of opportunities for teachers to assume leadership roles. Opportunities included department chair, grade level chair, team leader, leading a professional learning community, new teacher mentor, and many more. Assuming these types of roles not only allows for personal and professional growth but also provides opportunities to collaborate and interact with peers, something that is often missing in the day-to-day world of classroom teachers. Research shows there are many benefits to becoming a teacher leader. Teacher leaders report feeling empowered and more satisfied with their work. Teachers who assume leadership roles also report that they improve their practice and learn more about pedagogy (Wenner & Campbell 2017). <h2>Becoming a Teacher Leader</h2> For a teacher who is considering a move to a role in school administration, assuming a teacher leadership role first may help you decide whether you are suited to the work and if you actually like it. While these roles do not provide insight into all the various duties and responsibilities of school administrators, they do provide experience with leading groups of people, typically teachers, and that is the most important aspect of the job of a school administrator. The best school leaders I have known have been those who love working with teachers and who are skilled in developing teachers and inspiring them to do their best for students. <a href="https://medium.com/inspired-ideas-prek-12/leadership-and-growth-tips-for-teachers-20e93bfde9a1">Website</a>