Module One: Teacher Leadership (leverley)

What is your general definition of teacher leadership?

Teacher leadership is a teacher that displays all the roles of a leader in and out of the classroom. They help with extra activities including, supporting and helping other staff. They are teachers who are willing to mentor new teachers. A teachers who is a leader helps organize learning exercises for peers and takes the reigns when strives to help and educate their peers.

What examples of teacher leadership have you observed or experienced?

I have experienced working with a mentor teacher in my clinical to complete my master’s degree. The mentor teacher helped me with IEP’s, lesson plans, recording grades and instruction in the classroom setting. At one of the placements during my student observations I worked with a teacher had many roles. They included organizing school plays, graduation preparations; and she also was the lead teacher for the special education program at the school.

From your perspective, what are the benefits and the challenges of teacher leadership for technology (for teachers, for students, for schools, or for the profession)?

Teachers/profession (challenges): The lack of training and support for teachers, lack of funds for hardware, software or other equipment. Another challenges it the lack of time given for training or practice using new technologies.

Teachers/profession (advantages): being able to explore different learning avenues, all students have access to technology while in the classroom.

Students (advantages): using technology in the classroom gives students different way to communicate with each other and those outside the classroom. Ease of research, spell check, and the ability to print work for future reference.

Students (disadvantages): learning how to use technology being used, the access to technology outside of the classroom