Melinda M. ManginRutgers University

STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE TEACHER LEADERSHIP

School Administrators of Iowa Annual Conference August 5-6, 2014

THE POWER OF

SYNERGY

MELINDA M. MANGIN

Associate Professor Graduate School of EducationRutgers University

Teaching• HS Spanish Teacher• North Carolina & NYC

Research• Professional Learning• Teacher Leadership

Family• Three children

MELINDA M. MANGIN

PUBLICATIONS How the framing of instructi onal coaching as a lever for

systemic or individual reform infl uences the enactment of coaching. Educati onal Administrati on Quarterly, 2015 .

Capacity building and districts’ decision to implement coaching initi ati ves. Educati on Pol icy Analysis Archives, 2014 .

Teacher leader model standards: Implicati ons for preparati on, policy and practi ce. Journal of Research on Leadership in Educati on, 2014.

Leading professional learning in districts with a student learning culture . The Handbook of Professional Development in Educati on: Successful Models and Practi ces, 2014.

Confl icti ng storylines in teacher leadership: How one l iteracy coach struggled to positi on herself and her work. The New Educator, 2013.

Participants will…

Learn about two key strategies for eff ecti ve teacher leadership;

Refl ect on teacher leadership in their own school or district;

Engage in acti viti es intended to facilitate discussion;

Establish next-steps for developing eff ecti ve teacher leadership.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Who’s in the room?

Teacher leadership today

Effective Teacher Leadership Developing shared understandings Creating a learning culture

Closing reflections

SESSION OVERVIEW

Superintendents!Elementary principals?Anyone from a city larger than

50,000?Cities smaller than 5,000?Calling all secondary principals….Classroom teachers!Anyone from central offi ce?Any teacher leaders?

WHO’S IN THE ROOM?

TEACHER LEADERSHIP TODAY

TEACHER LEADERSHIP IS EVERYWHERE!

Federal initiatives

State-level endorsements/certificates

Preparation programs

Teacher Leader Model Standards (2011)

Associations & conferences

Online forums & blogs

Utilize existing resources Capitalize on teachers’ knowledge

Create opportunities for involvement Teacher voice and advocacy

Build capacity: individual & collective

Facilitate instructional improvement Provide professional learning Guide program implementation

GOALS OF TEACHER LEADERSHIP

VARIATION IN ROLES (KILLION & HARRISON, 2006)

1. Data Coach

2. Resource Provider

3. Mentor

4. Curriculum Specialist

5. Instructional Specialist

6. Classroom Supporter

7. Learning Facilitator

8. School Leader

9. Catalyst for Change

10. Learner

VARIATION IN TASKS (MORAN, 2007)

Presentation Classroom visits Co-planning Study groups Demonstration lesson Peer coaching Co-teaching Resource management Program implementation Coordination across systems

Ambiguity and confusion

Traditional school culture Isolation, autonomy, egalitarian Doing, blame, compliance

Beliefs about who can lead

Competing priorities & finite resources

Mixed evidence of success The black box of practice

CHALLENGES TO TEACHER LEADERSHIP

Set clear goalsCreate well-defined rolesFocus on instructionCommunicate expectationsFoster principal supportProvide training and development

But…eff ective teacher leadership can not be achieved with a checklist.

“BEST PRACTICES”

Effective teacher leadership is dependent on:

Shared sense of responsibility- ownership Deep changes in socialization-

interdependence

Under these conditions, teacher leadership can be responsive to shift ing needs and

sustained over time.

MEANINGFUL CHANGE

1. Shared understandings

2. Learning culture

Effective teacher leadershi

p

FOUNDATIONAL STRATEGIES

Ownership

Inter-dependence

Strategy #1

DEVELOPING SHARED UNDERSTANDINGS

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?

??

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PROBLEM

Divergent understandings about what constitutes teacher leadership create ambiguity and confusion.

Confusion

Ambiguity

Materials:What Counts as Teacher Leadership?

Instructions: Read scenario & discuss with your group

(15 min)

Which view is most similar to your understanding, and why?

How do divergent understandings challenge teacher leadership?

Report back to the whole group (5 min)

SURFACING DIVERGENT UNDERSTANDINGS

Confusion

Conflict

Lack of coherence

Unmet needs

Working at cross-purposes

DIVERGENT UNDERSTANDINGS: EFFECTS

The effects are evident in teacher leader practices, improvement initiatives, preparation programs, & teacher leader policies.

Within school/district: Teachers Teacher leaders Administrators Parents School boards Etc….

Across Organizations Schools Districts Associations Universities State

departments Etc…

CREATING SHARED UNDERSTANDINGS

Communication

Strategy #2

CREATING A LEARNING CULTURE

PROBLEM

Traditional School Culture

Blame

Compliance

Autonomy

Isolation

Egalitarian

DoingREFLECT:

~ Do you see aspects of a traditional culture in your school?

~ How might traditional school culture negatively affect teacher leadership?

Growth Mindset

Collaborative inquiry

Shared responsibility

Honest CritiqueRisk-taking

A LEARNING CULTURE FOR TEACHERS

~ Why is a learning culture important for teachers?

~ How is a learning culture different from a compliance culture?

Materials:

Mind-Sets and Equitable Education (Dweck, 2010)

Instructions: Read article & discuss with your group

(15 min)

How can a growth mind-set facilitate: …. a learning culture for teachers?.... teacher leadership?

Report back to the whole group (5 min)

HOW MINDSET AFFECTS LEARNING

Growth: ~ intellect can be developed ~ expect challenges ~ hard work over talent ~ learning is collaborative

Fixed: ~ intellect is static ~ discouraged by challenge ~ ashamed of difficulty ~ succumb to stereotype

TEACHERS’ MINDSETS

The effects are evident in:

How teachers work with students- they offer encouragement & support;

How teachers approach their own learning; willingness to take risks and collaborate;

How teacher leaders can interact with colleagues & offer honest critique.

Acti vely engage in inquiry, criti cal thinking, refl ecti on

Thoughtf ul att enti on to process

Expect interdependent work and shared responsibility for decision-making,

Recognize multi ple sources of leadership

CREATING A LEARNING CULTURE

Danger: • Blaming• Complianc

e• Outcomes

at any cost

Reflecting on our learning….

What do I want to remember?What do I want to put in motion?

1.Write down your response. 2. Share your response with a partner.

EXIT TICKET

THANK YOUand one more thing .

. .

Melinda ManginRutgers University

melinda.mangin@gse.rutgers.edu