Making the Difference
Too often, we get bogged down in our busy schedules as we struggle to juggle the many demands that are put on us as teachers--not to mention the needs of our own families! How in the world do we find the time to be teacher leaders? It's easy to say "I'm too tired to get involved" when others in your school don't see issues through your eyes. But never doubt that you can make a difference. Let me give you a few examples of teacher leaders who see issues as challenges and empower others to embrace change.
When the school board in Boone, North Carolina, chose to ignore the calendar recommended by district teachers, nationally board certified teacher Billie Hicklin and three of her colleagues decided it was time to act. In an effort to get as many instructional days in before heavy snowfall might close the schools, the board had eliminated all of the teacher work days at the beginning of the year, at the end of grading periods, and before conference days. Rather than grumble and throw up their hands in disgust, Billie and her colleagues realized that teachers couldn't expect the Board to understand why these days were important. After all, they weren't teachers. So Billie and her colleagues decided it was time to educate their board.
They got permission to make a presentation to the next school board meeting. The four teachers presented their request in very specific terms; one by one, they talked in detail about what it takes to prepare to teach and to assess instruction and student progress. They spoke about the difficulty of monitoring what's happening in the classroom. They described the extracurricular activities and non-instructional duties that teachers sponsor and supervise. When they were finished, they sat down to thunderous applause and comments by board members who marveled aloud at the energy that teachers must possess.
In the end, four out of five board members voted for the teachers' calendar. As Billie and her colleagues readily admit, the biggest barrier was overcoming their own misgivings about how effective their voice would be. They overcame their fears with this simple question: "If we don't tell them, how will they know?"
In Greenville, South Carolina, local teachers decided that they needed to address the increasing problem of individuals coming to school board meetings to question new teaching techniques and strategies. Educators in the district were spending so much time defending what they were doing that it was taking away from what they needed to do for children. By the same token, they recognized that most of these citizens attended out of sincere concern for that which they did not understand. So the Greenville teachers decided to do something simple. To do something positive. To do something that only they could do.
The teachers committed to calling any individual who came to a school board meeting questioning a new technique or strategy to invite that individual to one of their classrooms to observe the technique in use. They also made themselves available for any questions after the lesson. The results were dramatic. The mistrust and misinformation began to disappear and teachers could go back to focusing on what really matters - their students.
Our schedules are crazy, the demands are many, but we know what it means to make a difference. Which teacher leadership path will you choose?