Academic Writing

A teacher has been role model that the students can depend on, a guide to lead
them to their academic success. In the past, teacher leadership roles have been limited
in scope and established at the prerogative of school administrators. Teachers have long
served as team leaders, department chairs, association leaders and curriculum
developers. In these roles teachers have often served as "representatives" rather than
"leaders" who enact change (Livingston, 1992) but the defined position of “teacher leader”
is, increasingly, serving as a cornerstone of a well-functioning school system, given the
ever-evolving demands of the education profession. In this article, we will be discussing
about the concepts of teachers as leaders, the roles of a teacher leader in schools and
the efforts to become one.

For teachers, it can be difficult to pinpoint their definition of success when

compared to other careers. Teachers typically define career satisfaction in terms of their
ability to be of service to others and make a difference in the lives of their students
(McLaughlin & Lee, 1988). By comparison, the leadership considerations by teachers are
stem from their desire to improve the quality of teaching and learning for all students. Kim
and Maubourgne (1992) also define leadership as a person's ability to inspire confidence
and support among the group of people that are needed to achieve organizational goals.
The reason teachers should possess leadership skills is to ensure the students can
generate a sense of accomplishment, motivation and dexterity through the teachers over
the course of time. Regardless of education rankings, leadership skills among educators
are becoming a necessity despite different versions. However, studies have shown that
teachers do not subscribe to traditional definitions of leadership as "higher" or "superior"
positions within the organizational hierarchy (Devaney, 1987) or be interlinked with the
characteristics of the leader alone. Instead, teachers view leadership as a collaborative
effort, a "banding together" with other teachers to promote professional development and
growth and the improvement of educational services (Troen & Boles, 1992). Although the
community perceives teachers to play their leadership roles by teaching students in
classrooms, leadership roles have begun to emerge and promise real opportunities for
teachers to impact educational change without necessarily leaving the classroom. As the
society evolves and information access is easier than before, the living standards among
the community evolves, creating higher demands for current and future job opportunities.
Henceforth, modern teacher leaders now need to conduct a wide range of roles to support
school and student achievements. Whether these roles are assigned formally or
informally, they build the entire school's capacity to improve. Not only that, many teachers
can serve as leaders among their peers’ due to their ability to lead in variant ways.
 The roles of a teacher leader have been adapted over the course of years. Early
work clearly centers teachers’ curricular role within the classroom and focused on
instructional practice. (Ogren, 2005) Now, teachers are required to tackle multiple roles
to educate children in line with the National Education Philosophy to produce a
comprehensive and balanced human being whether directly or indirectly. For instance, a
teacher leader must take on the role as a reflective practitioner. “One definition of insanity
is to keep doing the same things, but expect a different result.” These quotes illustrate
the necessity for practitioners in any environment to consider how best to refresh their
practice, to get better at what they do, to benefit from good practice. To put it simply,
reflective practice is a conscious, systematic, deliberate process of framing and re-
framing classroom practice, in light of the consequences of the actions, democratic
principles, educational beliefs, values and preferred visions teachers bring to the
teaching-learning event (Serafini, 2002) and being a reflective teacher can be extremely
beneficial because teachers who plan and organize instruction around the learning
preferences of individual learners, emphasizing special strengths and shoring up
underutilized gifts and talents, may unlock the full learning potential of their students,
proving the true capabilities of an aspiring leader.

In contrast, special education teachers are teacher leaders because they possess
the same qualities as servant leaders. Although their jobs resemble regular teachers, but
it requires a different form of leadership to take on this role. Thus, it is important to
recognize the leadership of special education teachers and the ways they affect the
quality of education for students with and without disabilities. The role of a servant leader
is an approach to leadership that embraces the opportunity for the leaders to embrace
service to their followers. This approach to leadership puts the goals, needs, and
development of “followers” ahead of those of the leader. For teachers, applying servant
leadership to classroom contexts serves as an opportunity to improve education by
positively impacting student learning, development, and deepening the student-
centeredness of instruction. (Noland & Richards, 2015) According to Spears (2010), he
has identified a set of ten characteristics of the servant leader which include listening,
empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship,
commitment to the growth of people and community itself. Regardless of any
characteristic, they often occur naturally within many individuals; and, like many natural
tendencies, they can be enhanced through learning and practice. When it comes to
educators, possessing a servant leadership can offer great hope for the future in creating
better, more caring institutions and be positively related to student affective learning as
students feel challenged, supported, are given the affirmation, and are cared for
personally (Greenleaf, 1977)
 Personally, as a teacher trainee, there are still traits I do not fully grasp on well
enough to be a leader. Primarily, I must focus on is to maintain a strong sense of morality.
Sergiovanni (1992) defines moral leadership as a form of worries that motivate others
through the principles and holding the admirable. Moral leaders do not find ways to
benefit themselves but to act for the betterment of mankind. Through moral leadership
they can create a “climate for risk taking, student centered learning, open
communications, new relational norms, and aesthetics.” (Bogotch & Miron, 1998) Should
I desire the trust and development from my students, I must do my best to exhibit ethical
values that can be emulated by students and provide a positive transformation through
education itself. Secondly, I must can manage and become a transformational leader.
According to Burns (1978), the essence of transformational leadership is dedication to
fostering the growth of organizational members and enhancing their commitment by
elevating their goals. A transformational teacher does not stick to the comfort zone,
instead he or she presents the image of a leader who can be a source of inspiration for
students to be followed and sets high expectations to students through motivational
words, practice and proper guidance. As an upcoming educator, I must learn to believe
on the power of individuals to achieve their highest potential and embraces a bigger
picture. Thirdly, collaboration is the key. While maintaining a strong morale is vital,
collaboration is at the heart of teacher leadership, as it is premised upon change that is
undertaken collectively. For teacher leadership to be most effective, it must encompass
mutual trust, support and enquiry because teachers who work together in a meaningful
and purposeful way are more likely to remain in the profession because they feel valued
and supported in their work (Beane 1998; Barth 1999). I cannot become a leader all by
myself, thus I must to learn to respect others and listen to other opinions or suggestions
first before making any rash decisions.

In conclusion, being a good teacher in the classroom is a necessary and an

important part of the job – necessary but not sufficient. In the increasingly complex and
demanding job of education, every teacher should take an active role in improving and
pushing the system to improve. Teachers need to see themselves as teacher leaders
rather than merely gears in a machine in which they have little control. A true leader does
not create followers, instead they create more leaders.
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