For years, education leaders have sought to pinpoint how teachers become effective in order to better leverage teachers’ impact on student learning and improve student outcomes. Teacher leadership is receiving increased attention as a potential lever for improved instruction, recruitment and retention of effective teachers, and improved student outcomes. This is the driving force behind the a recent study conducted by the Center on Great Teachers.
The report from the study is titled “Great to Influential: Teacher Leaders’ Role in Supporting Instruction”. This report takes a look at the teacher leadership role and how it supports effective instruction and practices in schools. The goal of this research report is to answer the following question: How do teacher leaders drive instructional improvement?
The report includes three main sections: the characteristics of teacher leaders, the roles teacher leaders take in improving teacher practice, and the supports and barriers to teacher leadership. The report concludes with specific policy recommendations for supporting teacher leadership in state and local contexts.
A summary of the report’s findings are listed below:
Characteristics of Teacher Leaders
- Model a growth mindset that promotes continuous improvement and innovation
Teacher Leaders’ Roles Across the Career Continuum
- Promote collaboration and self-reflection through roles such as mentoring, which can build more intentional and effective teaching practices
- Connect research and practice as adjunct professors, guest lecturers, cooperating teachers, and mentors
- Help beginning teachers translate effective practices to their own teaching style through modeling. (Formal recognition may make teacher leaders more willing to model practices for others.)
- Comfort with instructional risks and promoting a culture of continuous improvement.
Support and Barriers to Teacher Leadership
- Distributed leadership structures and supportive school leaders can help facilitate teacher leadership roles and grow teacher leaders.
- Formal and informal teacher leadership roles can both support teacher leadership.
For more information, read the full report.
For information about the research project and a link to the first report, see Center on Great Teachers.
