Opinion
Education Teacher Leaders Network

The Collaborative Leader

By Anne Jolly — November 21, 2006 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

As part of a new partnership, teachermagazine.org is publishing this regular column by members of the Teacher Leaders Network, a professional community of accomplished educators dedicated to sharing ideas and expanding the influence of teachers.

Are you ready to lead improvements in your school but doubt you can get permission from the front office? My advice to you is: Unite and conquer!

Remember that famous saying by Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Teacher leadership is a whole lot easier with administrative support, but consider the power of a group of teachers who commit to work together to bring about change. The key word is group. Imagine a team of accomplished and determined teachers forging ahead toward a shared objective. There’s an awesome force!

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Begin by joining forces with other teachers who want to work together on a common goal. Some key words here are “together” and “common goal.” Don’t try to tackle everything that needs fixing at once, but focus! And don’t try to “go it alone.”

2. Accept one another’s strengths. Interestingly, it’s often easier to accept weaknesses than strengths, especially in a profession that is traditionally individualistic and isolationist. Don’t let your efforts seem like a contest—make this a true collaboration.

3. Know your stuff. Don’t go to the administration with a problem—go with a plan. For example, if you want job-embedded professional learning time during the school day, don’t just go to your principal with the idea. Get together, find out how other schools do it, decide on several options for your school, write the suggestions up, cost it out if it involves substitutes, and be prepared to objectively and calmly provide a rationale for the change and to cite the benefits for teachers and students.

4. So you gave it your best shot and it didn’t work? Okay, no problem—go to your “new” best shot. There is absolutely no such word as “No” when a group of teachers unite to bring about needed changes that ultimately benefit students. The trick is to avoid drawing lines in the sand and making people defensive. The bottom line here is, is your goal worth doing? Then don’t be easily discouraged and don’t throw in the towel.

5. Accept those roles in which you are effective. For example, don’t try to present a proposal to the entire PTA if you are uneasy speaking to adults. Let a colleague who is comfortable with that role do it. Say no to jobs in which you can not, for whatever reason, turn in a peak performance. Support those on your team who can. And be sure to work hard in your own areas of personal strength.

Powerful changes in education can’t depend solely on an enabling administrator, or those changes may never happen. I think change should start with the folks who really know what needs to happen for kids—accomplished teachers!

Related Tags:
Opinion

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
Mathematics Webinar How to Build Students’ Confidence in Math
Learn practical tips to build confident mathematicians in our webinar.
Student Achievement K-12 Essentials Forum How to Build and Scale Effective K-12 State & District Tutoring Programs
Join this free virtual summit to learn from education leaders, policymakers, and industry experts on the topic of high-impact tutoring.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: April 16, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Quiz ICYMI: Do You Know What 'High-Quality Curriculum' Really Means?
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Image of curricula.
iStock/Getty
Education Quiz ICYMI: Lawsuits Over Trump's Education Policies And More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Image of money symbol, books, gavel, and scale of justice.
DigitalVision Vectors
Education Quiz ICYMI: Trump Moves to Shift Special Ed Oversight And More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
President Donald Trump signs an executive order on TikTok in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump signs an executive order on TikTok in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington.
Evan Vucci/AP