What does it mean to be a LEADER?

Throughout my teachers college career at Brock University and through my experiences in the EdTech cohort, I learned what it means to be a LEADER!

Teachers are to be leaders in their schools, and in their communities. However, some people focus mostly on the concept of teacher's leading other teacher's. May believe that to be a leader you need to display a high level of engagement with the profession of teaching.  

Although this is true, I believe that being a leader is much more then leading professionally. A teacher-leader must possess a high degree of professional knowledge, yes, but there are other domains in which a teacher must lead. To be considered a leader, teachers must lead in their own classroom, their school, in professional networks and organizations,  and in their profession as a whole.

The Classroom
Teachers must lead in the classroom, this means that they must be seen as a leader to their students. They must come to school with an open mind and an open heart. They must take the time to prepare lesson that will teach and engage students and be willing to listen and support.
Teachers give students the impression of what school looks like, and can either motivate or deter students. I believe that it is important for teachers not only to teach but to lead by example through being prepared, showing respect and taking time.

The School
Teachers must also strive to be leaders in their schools. This does not mean being the expert in all areas of the schools daily running or in all aspects of technology. To me, this means being their a support for your colleagues, sharing the knowledge you do have and being able to accept help and guidance from those who may know more on a subject. In addition, being a leader in your school mean participating in other aspects of school life, such as coaching, leading a group, or volunteering your time for extra help. To be a leader in the school, is to lift your team and have the school community as a whole be the best it can be.

Professional Networks and Organizations
As a teacher, it is important to engage in professional networks and organizations. To be a leader in the classroom or the school, teachers should strive to always be enhancing their learning and resources to better support their students. Being a leader in these professional network mean striving to engage with others in the profession, such a professors or researchers to gain extra knowledge. Schools are becoming increasingly diverse through out the years, and gaining extra knowledge will only help everyone involved.

Profession as a Whole
As teachers leader in these different domains, they will gain knowledge and expertise that they should not keep to themselves. To be a leader in the teaching profession is to share this knowledge with the wider community. This can be done through blog posts (such as this one), professional articles, or even books being published.


Overall, I think that to be a teacher-leader is to not only strive to be the best you can be, but to strive to encourage you students and colleagues to be the best they can be.