Jessica Pinney

Assignment:

Module 6 Assignment: Growing Teacher Leaders Tue, Aug 07 20 2, 2:0! PM

Pro"essional Learning #ommunities Jessica Pinney $%& 600

The article Growing Teacher Leaders in a #ulture o" $'cellence (y )ear(y and )haddi' *200+, is a(out the many ways "or a district to create a true -ro"essional learning community. A"ter doing research at Mountain /roo0 schools and other research the team came u- with a way to create a -ro"essional learning community that is success"ul. The article is success"ul (ecause the Teachers as Leaders -rogram included a school district, teachers, administrators, -ri1ate consultants, a restaurant (usiness and the &ni1ersity o" Ala(ama *)ear(y 2 )haddi' 200+,. The list o" 0 3uestions "rom %r. #harles Mason is hel-"ul to understanding how teachers should (e thin0ing when it comes to as0ing 3uestions, discussions at meetings, mentoring, how to meet needs, su--orting others, credi(ility, willingness to share, inter-reting reality, as0ing a(out -ur-ose and 0ee-ing consistency with 1alues and (elie"s *200+,. This list o" 0 leadershi- ideas is to the -oint, user "riendly and hel-s ma0e the leadershi- -rogram success"ul. The article ma0es PL#4s a -ositi1e -rogram not a negati1e one. The -rogram ac0nowledges teachers as the most im-ortant -art, 0ee-ing high e'-ectations and ha1ing a school culture that is e""ecti1e, challenging and engaging *200+,. All these "actors ma0e this article and the idea o" a -ro"essional learning community success"ul. My current leadershi- s0ills (ased on this article are almost non5e'istent. 6 attend meetings when 6 can, other than that 6 am isolated in my classroom with no contact with the outside world. 6 do hold high e'-ectations, engage my students, challenge them an they are e""ecti1e or the most -art (ut 6 do not wor0 with other teachers. The ste-s 6 can ta0e are to 7oin committees, teams, -rograms in my district and using %r. #harles Mason4s 0 leadershi- 3uestions8ideas 6 can (egin to grow into more o" a leader. 9The leadershi- climate in my district is a hierarchy, there is administration, de-artment chairs, team leaders etc. There are leaders and "ollowers. There are teachers who don4t -artici-ate or care, there are those who get u-set with change. There are not many o--ortunities to de1elo- leadershi- s0ills currently. At least that4s how 6 "eel. Many teachers are all a(out their classroom an not wor0ing or changing how they ha1e (een doing this "or 20 years. 6n the article e1eryone wor0s together to heleach other, there can (e "acilitators (ut no one -erson is in charge, e1eryone -artici-ates and e1eryone is de1oted to e'cellence "or teachers and students. The Teachers as Leaders -rogram -ushes "or thin0ing and wor0ing as a district whole grou-. Teachers do not ha1e to (e administrators to (e leaders. To im-ro1e the leadershi- climate my district could create a (etter mentor -rogram "or new teachers, ad1isors to students, "acilitating -ro"essional de1elo-ment acti1ities that relate to us as the teacher, creating success"ul instructional su--ort teams. Although my district has team meetings, de-artment meetings, "aculty meetings and sta"" de1elo-ment days, there are no 3uestions as0ed and many teachers draw doodles on -a-er. 6n order "or our districts to (e true -ro"essional learning communities we ha1e to wor0 together, as0 3uestions, su--ort each other and always want to engage, challenge and (e e""ecti1e.

:e"erences )ear(y, L. 2 )haddi', L. *200+, Growing teacher leaders in a culture o" e'cellence. The Pro"essional $ducator. ;2 *n ,. <s-acing and indentation intended