From the Director's Desk

By virtue of their excellence in the classroom, accomplished teachers are considered teacher leaders by others. Within their schools they are asked to mentor new teachers, lead improvement efforts, write curriculum, or provide professional development for their colleagues. Administrators tap them to serve on school, district, or state committees. But how do accomplished teachers view themselves? To what kind of leadership roles do they aspire? And what do accomplished teachers need to be effective leaders?

When teachers see a need and decide to take action, good things happen for students. Teacher leaders need to develop a framework of specific knowledge, skills, and dispositions in order to become successful change agents. But you may be saying, “I’m only one person; what can I do?”

Pearl Quick, a retired middle school art teacher, believed that the state art standards needed revision. Using her position as the president of the Virginia Art Education Association (VAEA), Pearl proposed that the VAEA board convene committees around the state to collect input from art teachers within their localities. At the end of the two-year process, the State Board of Education endorsed the suggested changes. There is definitely strength in numbers! As Pearl says, "I think one important way to effect change, especially in your content area, is by active involvement in your professional organization."

Sarah Ford, a first-grade teacher concerned about the impact of local testing on students, especially those in kindergarten and first grade, helped to create the Richmond Education Association's Testing Committee. The group spent a year looking at research, writing and conducting a survey to capture the perspective of all teachers in the district, analyzing the results of the survey, and meeting with district leaders. After drafting a proposal, Sarah met with outside experts who helped her tighten the focus; the final proposal received positive press and was presented to the school board. Sarah increased her chances of success by doing her homework, working with a team, and making sure that she had data to back up her recommendations.

Teacher leaders like Pearl and Sarah use a variety of tools in their quest for change, and so can you. At the Center for Teacher Leadership, teacher leaders and their stories continue to be our focus as we seek to grow professionally. We want to help you develop the tools you need for successful advocacy. Whether building communication skills or building relationships, from understanding policy protocol to using your sphere of influence, you as an accomplished teacher can seize the moment and become a passionate teacher leader.

At the Center for Teacher Leadership, we are committed to sharing the knowledge, experience, and insight of teachers with others. To this end, we welcome Susan Graham as a guest blogger this week. Susan teaches family and consumer science at Gayle Middle School in Stafford County, Virginia. During her 25 years in the classroom, Susan has distinguished herself as an accomplished teacher and teacher leader. She is a National Board Certified Teacher, a former regional Virginia Teacher of the Year, a recipient of the Rufus Beamer Individual Award for Excellence in Vocational Education, a founding member of the Virginia Teacher Leaders Network, and a Fellow of the National Teacher Leaders Network. She has been a guest writer and expert commentator for Editorial Projects in Education, an initiative of Education Week and Teacher Magazine. Susan's blog "A Place at the Table" invites readers to pull a chair up to her virtual table as she offers her voice-of-experience perspective on teaching today, with a special focus on teacher leadership and continuous professional growth. Why not pull up your metaphorical chair and join in the conversation?

Have you ever been to Disneyworld? One of the more iconic experiences is riding the little boats through It's a Small, Small World. Floating along, one takes a tour around the world where life size Madame Alexander dolls wearing traditional costumes go through mechanical motions of interacting and waving. Mostly it's about the costumes, which, of course, are not how people really dress in those countries. The experience tell us little about the nationalities represented and perhaps even less about children. It is a fantasy on multiple levels. We know that, but we still enjoy the ride. I like visiting It's a Small World. It's cute, familiar and reassuring.

It occurs to me that many people feel the same way about schools. They'd prefer an educational experience that is simple, attractive, traditional and consistent. They'd like to visit a theme park version of The Red Schoolhouse where the teacher, dressed in a cardigan sweater, writes in white chalk on a black board. It would be preferable if the desks were wooden and lined up in straight rows. The children would be quietly attentive—eagerly raising their hands to respond. If one or two of the little girls had pigtails it would be a nice touch. Please don't smirk just because, as a teacher, you know that this is far from the reality.

Public schools hold an almost mythical place in the minds of most of our fellow citizens. For that reason, most people have an opinion about the business of school. Some imagine perfect order, others creative thinking, or solid memorization, or the arts, or the sciences, or diversity or extracurricular activities. Our personal values, experiences, and preferences shape perception of what school ought to be. Almost everyone has an opinion because almost everyone really cares.

The up side of the public’s interest in education is that public figures understand the importance of being photographed reading to a cute little cluster of diverse kindergartners. Little kids, like puppies, are good for image and everyone at least gives lip service to the importance of education. The down side is that people are concerned or even angry when the reality of the classroom doesn't align with school as they envision it. Some teachers see this as “meddling,” but it actually is a compliment to the importance of the work we do. Rather than being frustrated with their fanciful visions of what school was and should be, we would be wise to see this as a teachable moment to educate and inform the general public about how schools have adapted to meet the changing needs of our society.

Good teachers go into their classroom prepared to prepare their students to be contributing members of their community. What would happen if good teachers thoughtfully prepared to teach our communities about what happens in the classroom?