Teacher Leadership: Obstacles and Strategies

Joan
Gilbert
Laura
Harnish
Ana
Lopez
Cheryl
Pilatowski
Kathryn
Show

It is our pleasure to introduce Joan Gilbert from the D.E.S.E.R.T. project, AZ, Laura Harnish of the TREASURmath project, AZ, Ana Lopez from TESS Project, CA, Cheryl Pilatowski, of TAPESTRIES, OH, and Kathryn Show from Seattle K-5, Inquiry-Based Science Program, WA.

Teacher Leadership has been a cornerstone of the LSC program. Teacher leaders have taken leadership roles in running summer workshop experiences and in providing year-round professional development. This year we hear about the challenges inherent in the teacher leadership model by hearing from the teacher leaders themselves. They look forward to discussing the following questions with you:

  • How can the transition from teacher to teacher leader be made smoother and more effective?
  • How have teacher leaders dealt with competing curricular demands and competing reforms such as high stakes tests, which sometimes divert teachers' attention away from the goals of the reform?
  • How have teacher leaders monitored and assessed teacher growth? What data is most useful to collect?
  • How have teacher leaders dealt with teacher resistance?
  • How have LSCs managed to sustain their teacher leadership model after the grant funding has ended?

© TERC 2003, all rights reserved