Teaching, learning, and leading are inextricably linked. – Sandra Odell
The work of school improvement involves the integration of teaching, learning, and leading. And it is this combination that makes teacher leadership distinct and important.
Let’s explore the meaningful connections between teaching, learning, and leading.
Teaching and Leading
Understandably teachers define their work by what they do in the classroom with students. But it's important to remember that teaching has always been a leadership profession.
Teaching is leading.
To help make this point, Berliner compares the work of teachers and executives. Teachers and executives engage in similar kinds of work such as:
- Setting goals
- Establishing objectives
- Executing a plan to achieve these goals
- Evaluating the effectiveness of their work
Teachers lead every day in their classrooms. And teachers can lead every day in their schools and districts. In fact, because educational leadership is concerned with issues of teaching and learning, it is important to keep leadership close to the classroom.
Teacher leadership is grounded in the classroom and is based on effective teaching. Teaching and leading are processes that inform each other.
Teachers who engage in school-based leadership activities often describe the positive effects on their teaching practices. The learning that accompanies leadership endeavors stimulates new thinking and reflective action. And teachers' classroom experiences offer significant insight into curriculum decisions, policies, and professional development needs - areas of concern for any educational leader.
No one is better positioned than the classroom teacher to communicate about issues involving teaching and learning.
Learning and Leading
Lambert and her colleagues think of leadership as “attending to the learning of colleagues.”
Leadership is a learning process.
It is important for teacher leaders to meaningfully connect leading and learning. For example, teacher leaders must facilitate ongoing professional development that supports authentic school improvement work.
Teachers can lead the work of school improvement by asking important questions such as:
- How do children learn best?
- What instructional practices need to change in order to increase learning for minority students?
- What structures and processes best support a culture of continuous improvement?
- How can we organize ourselves to work effectively and to enhance student learning?
- How can we support parents as they work to enhance their child's educational experience?
When teachers pose these questions, they meaningfully connect learning and leading because answering the
questions involves colleagues in methods of inquiry. Exploring answers to these questions is the work of school improvement.
Learning for all - students and adults alike - should be the enduring business of schools and it is the work of teacher leaders.
Bringing It Together: Teaching, Learning, and Leading
Teaching, learning, and leading are co-creative processes that, when integrated, can lead to a culture of continuous school improvement.
Bringing to your awareness the meaningful connections between teaching, learning, and leading will help you be more intentional about your leadership and will help you to focus your actions.
That is, when you lead with intention, focused actions, and an awareness of the connection between teaching, learning, and leading you are on your way to realizing your full leadership potential!
Congratulations!
