TEACHER LEADERSHIP FINAL ESSAY

Teachers as Leaders
Final Essay
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ECI 508

NC State University
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By Yuanyuan Fang
April, 2015
Author Note
Yuanyuan Fang, College of Education, NC State University
This paper was credited to the effective and engaging teaching pedagogy, study strategies and
activities the author learned from ECI 508. A million thanks go to Dr Carol Pope and my
classmates in ECI 508.
Contact: yfang5@ncsu.edu

Introduction

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Many teachers think that it is the responsibility of school administratives, principals or
department leaders to make decisions regarding students learning, to improve school culture, or
to build professional learning communities, and that teachers had better stay in their classroom
and focus on their teaching. I had the same misunderstandings before I took ECI 508 Teachers as
Leaders. Leaders in my mind were perceived as formal leaders who wielded positional powers,
made decisions, mandated policies or enforced rules, etc. In some peoples mind, classroom
teachers who passionately and courageously share and actively seek collaboration with peers for
the improvement of student learning and school-based reforms are considered as overstepping
the authority of the formal leaders or going across the line. For me, as a classroom teacher, I
used to have fear, the fear of being judged, being criticized, or being alienated from my peers
because of my unusual position as an informal leader. Because of that, there was a time when I
could not identify myself and my position at my school.
However, it was not until I read, observed, learned, reflected, experienced and articulated
with my five senses in and beyond my teacher leadership class that I believe anyone has potential
to become a leader and has strength to grow as a competent leader in his/her field. According to
Katzenmeyer and Moller(2009), leadership is not limited to governance of activities as the only
route to influencing teaching and learning, nor limited to a selected group of lead teachers or
master teachers. Informal leadership roles within school are equally valued and powerful (p. 6).
An efficient teacher leader can be other roles, such as a mentor, a teacher of a demonstration
classroom, an action researcher, a coach, a study group leader, or a willing listener. Teacher
leaders are not born, but learned. Along with my passion and excitement about teaching as well
as persistence, what I have learned about teacher leadership in ECI 508 class has further

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confirmed my belief that I can and will be able to grow as a good teacher leader at and beyond
my school.
Teacher Leadership Definition
According to Katzenmeyer and Moller(2009), the definition of teacher leadership is
teachers leaders lead within and beyond the classroom; identify with and contribute to a
community of teacher learners and leaders; influence others toward improved-educational
practice; and accept responsibility for achieving the outcomes of their teacher leadership (p. 6).
I think this definition evolves with ongoing exploration and learning. Based on my observation,
learning, and personal experiences, I have had a good understanding of teacher leadership.
Teachers leaders influence and promote changes to others as a school-based reformer
even if they are in harsh school cultures. They accept responsibility to exert great influence on
students within their classrooms by teaching, setting goals or resolutions, providing resources,
going hand in hand as learners(Barth, 2001, p. 23); they engage like-minded colleagues
throughout the school community by gathering qualitative data to support schools need to for
change, securing and sharing resources to promote school reform, and helping them achieving
goals. An effective teacher leader seldom complains and asks, nobody supports me, my
school culture never let me, what am I supposed to do, or my school leaders or students are
impossible, etc., instead, they ask what is it that is essential for my students learning now,
and how am I going to secure resources or seek external network to change my school and
empower my colleagues to make a difference in students learning and lives. As Barth
said(2001), an effective teacher leader has the courage and skill not to remain victimized by the
toxic elements of the schools culture but rather to address them (p. 10). In our teacher leader
video reviews, a great many teacher leader examples demonstrate this insightful quality in

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challenging school environment, such as Nikumbh in Like Stars on Earth, Joe Clark in Lean on
Me, and Erin Gruwell in Freedom Writers, etc.
Teachers leaders are visionary practitioners who bring a spirit of collaboration, creativity
and invention into classroom and school community. According to Harris(2003), vision without
execution equals hallucination (II 6). Teacher leaders move beyond vision, take action, and are
responsible for the outcomes.They involve innovation, developing competency in teaching
pedagogy, combating obstacles by securing and applying rich software and hardware resources
to expand students thinking and facilitate their discovery, and building alliances and networks to
piece together necessary people, funding, and other resources to accomplish work and support
their action plans (Crowther, 2008). In our teacher leaders interview discussions, I found one
teacher leader one of my classmates interviewed for her review demonstrates leadership with this
quality. She collaborates with colleagues to create assessments and evaluates lessons, works for
DPI, re-evaluating the Common Core, and is a network teacher for the Governor's Teacher
Network, where she is researching how to maximize instructional time using Flipped Learning to
improve students learning. She is definitely a good example of teacher leaders to move beyond
traditional roles to instill new ideas and inventions to class and school.
Teacher leaders are risk takers who advocate for positive students learning outcome with
persistence and resilience. Barth in his book on teacher leadership and school reform
states(2001), To learn is to risk; to lead others toward profound levels of learning is to riskthe
career of the lifelong learner and of the school-based reformer is the life of the risk-taker (p.
187). As informal or formal leaders, we take risks in and outside of our classrooms. We take a
risk when we address issues or conflicts; we take a risk when we inquire and critique; we take a
risk when we find out solutions to the problems that present themselves. Sometimes we face up

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to different challenges and take various risks to achieve our goals of bettering school culture and
increasing students performance within our families, with the school district, among many other
things. For example, Erin Gruwell in Freedom Writers took a risk of getting sacked to go over
her department chairs head to ask the superintendent for permission for her at-risk students
trip. Dewey Finn, the passionate music teacher in School of Rock that my classmates represented
in their video review, took a risk of creating a kid band and entering them into a community rock
band competition to demonstrate to students, the principal and parents that learning happens
beyond classroom, and that the skills that are learned in school are very applicable to real life.
Another example is Ms Angela Scioli, the guest speaker in our class, who took a risk of being
arrested to advocate for teachers and students in the legitimate house. Through these excellent
teacher leader examples, I have learned that teachers leaders are brave and resilient to move
beyond their usual roles to expand influence, to create a healthy and supportive learning climate,
and to promote professional development (Katzenmeyer and Moller, 2009).
Based on the good teacher leadership examples set by my class professor, the leaders we
interviewed, the informal and formal leaders in my board observation review, and the engaging
excursion activities---Exploring the World, I have learned that effective and competent teacher
leaders are open-minded and empathetic, and that they respect and embrace difference in every
student. As Barth poses(2001), diversity is abundant and free; when used wisely, deliberately, it
offers an untapped, renewable resource available as fodder for reflection...(p. 74). Teacher
leaders take great care to meet different students needs and do what is the best for them above
everything else by building connections with students and creating a climate of hope, respect and
trust in and beyond the classroom (Zemelman and Ross, 2009, p. 62). In our ECI 508 class, my
professor demonstrates leadership by valuing the differences and commonalities among us. She

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cares about our thoughts, feelings, and shows great concern of our different needs. She has built
a supportive and trust classroom learning community for students of different cultural
background, and guided us to embrace and celebrate the different values, goals, and dispositions
in the group through reading and writing, collaborative group/pair projects and activities, and
teacher and peer review/conference, etc., which definitely engaged us in diverse and enriching
contexts and helped us immersed in learning.
Besides, in the new digital age with bursting information, efficient teacher leaders are
evolving learners who reflect on practice and refract from students perspectives (Pope, 1999).
As Alvin Toffler in Barths book said(2001), the illiterate of the 21st century will not be those
who can not read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn( p. 7). For one of
our class prompts, each of us wrote our reflections on how we learn and read about the world in
class. Through reading my professors and classmates learning process, I came to realize that to
grow as a credible, capable and respectful teacher leader, thinking, reconsidering, reflection, and
ongoing learning are essential steps to lead students to profound and evolving learning.
According to Barth(2001), Teachers and students should go hand in hand as learners---or they
dont go at all(p. 23). There is no denying fact that teachers are able to lead students to effective
learning when they simultaneously and continuously read and learn. In addition, effective teacher
leaders constantly review and examine their learning and teaching process, gathering
information, view their class in different lights by listening to peers and students, and observing
peers teaching and students learning(Pope, 1999, p.182). They consider and reconsider their
expectations of students and students expectations of their class so as to well refine their
teaching approaches and innovate ways to meet students needs. More meaningfully, they reflect
on their own deficiencies to see whether they will hurt or hinder the development of a group.

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Plan of Action

Based on what and how I have learned about teacher leadership through our class, I am
determined to strive for my goal of being an informed thoughtful teacher leader to advocate for
students, to collaborate with peers and help each other achieve goals, to participate in school
change, and to speak up for teaching or learning issues, etc.
Identify myself and Manage myself
According to Peter Drucker(2008), one must learn to place themselves where they can
make the greatest contribution by knowing his/her strength and weak points; they need to be well
aware of how to develop themselves and how and when to change by well managing themselves
(P. 163). Katzenmeyer and Moller (2009) also list clearly and confidently stating your own
position as the first step to influencing others: knows his/her own shortcomings and strengths
(p. 110). I need to know who I am, where I belong, what my strength is, what I can do, and how I
lead in specific school culture so as to make a good personal assessment and an effective
influencing strategies when I carry out my plan of action. I will apply the Four temperament quiz
and explanation we tried in our class and Peter Druckers manage oneself strategies to assess
myself and identify my position accurately to more effectively influence others.

Personal and Professional Growth

I am determined to be a head learner/leading learner to model learning for students
(Barth, 2001). I will invest more time and energy to continuously learn leadership knowledge
and skills through online courses, books, journals, and practice and seize opportunities to apply
what I learn about leadership through inquiry and reflection.
Student Learning

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Since my students learn at private boarding school and they are in developmental stages.
Particular attention and time should be given to every student. As a classroom and homeroom
teacher, I will respect and celebrate difference and uniqueness in each of my students and keep in
mind that student learning in real world is priority, even within the rigid test-orientated school
curriculum. I will do what is best for students above everything else and increase their personal
and professional performance by authentically listening to them, supporting them in initiatives
they wish to achieve, removing barriers to their success.
Through meta-cognitive and transformative learning, I self regulate my class
management skills. I want to make changes by using good listening techniques with students--FLEX listening skills (Katzenmeyer and Moller, 2009, p. 107), treating students with dignity,
differentiating students needs and achieving equity among students of different levels. Through
constant reflection and refraction, I keep up exploring students potentials not only in academic
intelligence, but also in their affective and artistic level by building connections with students
through one-on-one/group communication or conference, and creating a healthy and respectful
class learning community in and beyond the classroom through reader-response reading corners,
writing process society, and inquiry-based collaborative group/pair projects. I will also find ways
to give incentives (resources, recognition, innovative evaluation, and problem-solving skills) to
boost students confidence and promote their growth as the 21st century learners.
As an English teacher, I will reform my traditional teacher-centered language classroom
to student-centered classroom by sharing responsibilities, applying what I have gained
throughout the enlightening whole-year learning in my NLGL graduate program---the engaging
activities situated on research and theories, the enriching teaching and learning strategies based
on learners response, and the good integration of American teaching pedagogy and Chinese

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teaching pedagogy with technology in new literacies. Through explicit direction or modelling
integrated with multimedia, I will gather qualitative data by reading, observing, and
metacognitive experiences to guide students to be more professional in the areas they develop
interest in---learn to address issues, to critique, to do research, to gather data, to analyze, to
effectively collaborate and synthesize, and to articulate. By providing a wider exposure to the
outside world and motivating them to talk with their peers across countries through cross-cultural
correspondence program, I will empower my students rather than control, and engage them in
meaningful dialogues about their life and the world beyond, learning and future plan rather than
solely instilling test-orientated content to them.
Teach and Lead Beyond Classroom
Immersion and Collaboration with Peers and Principals at school
Unlike before, I believe I will be able to overcome fear of speaking up and addressing
issues at my school. I have confidence and will do my best to promote teacher leadership
development in and beyond my school learning community.
Inspired by the IAP(influencing Action Plan) strategies, (Katzenmeyer and
Moller, 2009, p. 114), and the thirteen steps to teacher empowerment (Zemelman and
Ross, 2009), I will build confident relationships and have regular interactions with the
principals to to influence their understanding of teacher leadership and its value and win
their long-term support for sustainable teacher leadership training and development.
Inspired by teacher leadership video presentation and talk and board observation
in my ECI 508 class, I plan to talk with my executive principal to gain her support of me
collaborating with Teaching Affair Office at my school to organize teacher leadership
video discussion or writing, help my colleagues to have good knowledge of teacher
leadership and see its value in improving students learning through project product

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sharing. I plan to positively share the knowledge of concepts, and emerge others in

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writing and discussion, help them grow deep understanding of teacher leadership.
The ability of teacher leaders to influence others relies on teacher leaders
interpersonal relationships, their competence as perceived by others and the information
they have that others want to know (Katzenmeyer and Moller, 2009, p. 29). Like what
we have done in ECI 508 class, I plan to win support from school leaders to organize
leadership workshops, like reading and writing workshops. Through these workshops,
teachers collaborate within and beyond school, share craft knowledge and solve various
problems we encounter in classrooms and schools. New teachers could be also motivated
and engaged to actively address teaching and learning issues and make changes through
teacher leadership advocacy skills.
I plan to make as many contributions to provide hardware and software resources
to facilitate my colleagues to learn about the benefits of teacher leadership. If possible, I
plan to create online reading and learning resource centers for future teacher leaders. Like
Twitter, we have its counterpart---QQ blog, Sina Blog and Wechat, to promote
professional communication with the real authors and other teacher leaders, building
teachers capacities in leadership.
Considering the fact that there is no mentorship and coaching system for high
school teachers, I also plan to write letters to or have deliberate conversations with my
school board and general school principal to assist and promote pre-service teachers and
new teachers to grow as competent teacher leaders in their future teaching and learning.
Sustainability of Improvement Efforts for School Renewal
Due to social dynamics or the norms within school culture, building connections with
like-minded people and external network to reach outside to a wider professional community can

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an impetus for teachers to realize the value of teacher leadership skills and have confidence and
guts to lead, to articulate within (Crowther, 2008).
For me, I will more actively participate in national educational projects or conferences,
professional organizations, and other external school reform activities or movements. I believe
this will provide me and my other colleagues to build alliance and networks of other exemplary
teacher leaders to gain support of our action plans, strengthen leadership skills and accomplish
future work---make a difference for students.

Conclusion
As Katzenmeyer and Moller poses(2009), teachers, if afforded opportunities, can
increase effectiveness...Influencing by teacher leaders without its difficulties, but it is certainly
worth the efforts(p.115). The school culture is complex, in which social norms, attitudes,
beliefs, values, traditions are deeply entrenched. The culture shapes what people think and how
they act with its power. There are indifferent team members, reluctant peers to share resources
and deal with teaching and learning problems, and lack of support by school leaders. Still, more
and more opportunities present themselves when we never give up and persevere in it. I believe
school leaders are learning and transforming along with us with more research studies and
evidence growing in the acknowledgement of teacher leadership as a valuable
asset(Katzenmeyer and Moller, 2009). Today, there are many alternative avenues and rich
resources for informal and formal teacher leaders to advocate. But the strongest power is
ourselves, and our deliberate and follow-through actions as well as our persistence are the key to
success. So in this case, our continuous efforts are needed to enhance the school renewal and our

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evolving learning spirits with execution are demanded to make positive changes to students
lives.
Just Barth stated(2001), Every member of a community holds some responsibility for
the welfare of every other and for the welfare of the community as a whole (p. 13). As teachers
leaders, it is time that we took on these responsibilities and made endeavor to influence and
empower others, sometimes even if we sacrifice.

References
Barth, Ronald S. (2001). Learning By Heart. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Crowther, F., with Ferguson, M., & Hann, L.(2008). Developing teacher leaders: How teacher
leadership enhances school success (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Drucker.P. (2008). Managing Challenges for the 21st Century. Boston: Harvard Business
Review Press. pp. 161-195.
Harris, B. (2003). Noel Tichy: Leadership beyond vision. Missoula: Montana Associated
Technologies Roundtables.
Katzenmeyer, M. & Miller, G. (2009). Awakening the Sleeping Giant: Helping Teachers
Develop as Leaders. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.
Pope, C. A. (1999). Reflection and Refraction: A Reflexive Look at an Evolving Model for
Methods Instruction. English Education, Vol. 31, No. 3. Urbana, IL: NCTE.
Zemelman, M. & Ross, H. (2009). 13 Steps to Teacher Empowerment: Taking a More Active
Role in your School Community. Portsmouth: Heinemann.