FEATURE ARTICLE
Building Community
4th-grade team reaches through classroom walls to collaborate
By Learning Forward
Categories: CollaborationApril 2014
Imagine, for a second, a school where teachers see themselves as leaders and work together to ensure that all children have access to engaging, high-quality instruction every day. How might these teachers define teacher leadership and articulate its purpose? What suggestions would they offer about how teacher leadership can be grown and supported? What might these teacher leaders say about their reasons for choosing to participate in leadership work? The actions and reflections of the 4th-grade teacher team from McWhirter Elementary Professional Development Laboratory School in Webster, Texas, offer an inside look at the self-organizing system of team-based teacher leadership that stands ready to help transform schools. During a team meeting, the group had sketched out its professional learning plan for the next semester. Teacher
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For More Information
Read two previously published articles about this school:
“Moving in unexpected directions: Texas elementary uses exploratory research to map out an evaluation plan,” JSD, October 2013.
“Tight budget loosens creativity: District turns to distance learning to stretch development dollars,” JSD, February 2012.
Available online at www.lf.wphlab.com/publications/jsd.
Books That Support Team-Based Teacher Leadership Development
Easton, L.B. (2011). Professional learning communities by design: Putting the learning back in PLCs. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Conzemius, A.E. & Morganti-Fisher, T. (2012). More than a SMART goal: Staying focused on student learning. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.
Garmston, R.J. & Zimmerman, D.P. (2013). Lemons to lemonade: Resolving problems in meetings, workshops, and PLCs. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Hord, S., Roy, P., Lieberman, A., Miller, L., & von Frank, V. (2013). Reach the highest standard in professional learning: Learning communities. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Killion, J. & Roy, P. (2009). Becoming a learning school. Oxford, OH: NSDC.
MacDonald, E.B. (2013). The skillful team leader: A resource for overcoming hurdles to professional learning for student achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Troen, V. & Boles, K.C. (2012). The power of teacher teams: With cases, analyses, and strategies for success. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
References
Ackerman, R.H. & Mackenzie, S.V. (Eds.). (2007). Uncovering teacher leadership: Essays and voices from the field. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Chapman, S., Leonard, A., Burciaga, S., & Jernigan, T. (2013). A tale of three teachers. Teaching Children Mathematics, 20(3), 190-197.
Costa, A.L. & Garmston, R.J. (2002). Cognitive coaching: A foundation for Renaissance schools. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers.
Conzemius, A. & Morganti-Fisher, T. (2012). More than a SMART goal: Staying focused on student learning. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.
Harris, A. (2003). Teacher leadership as distributed leadership: Heresy, fantasy or possibility? School Leadership & Management, 23(3), 313-324.
Hiebert, J. & Stigler, J.W. (2004). A world of difference: Classrooms abroad provide lessons in teaching math and science. JSD, 25(4), 10-15.
Killion, J. & Roy, P. (2009). Becoming a learning school. Oxford, OH: NSDC.
Lambert, L. (2003). Leadership redefined: An evocative context for teacher leadership. School Leadership & Management, 23(4), 421-430.
Reeves, D. (2008). Reframing teacher leadership to improve your school. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Sergiovanni, T.J. (2005). Strengthening the heartbeat: Leading and learning together in schools. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Spillane, J.P. (2006). Distributed leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Troen, V. & Boles, K.C. (2012). The power of teacher teams: With cases, analyses, and strategies for success. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Learning Forward is the only professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development. We help our members plan, implement, and measure high-quality professional learning so they can achieve success with their systems, schools, and students.
Categories: Collaboration
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