Developing Teacher Leaders: A Look at Transformative Experiences

• In Event: Developing Teachers as Leaders

Abstract

This paper describes an on-line, job-embedded graduate program designed to position pre-K through third grade educators as teacher leaders and significant contributors in their schools’ improvement efforts. The program is the product of a close collaboration between a large urban school district and a research university, with funding provided through a federal Investing in Innovation grant and philanthropic partnerships. An interview study of 29 teachers in the first cohort of the program examined elements which both contributed to or detracted from their development as leaders within their school. Data analysis provided noteworthy insights into “how educators learn to do leadership tasks well” answering the call of Mayrowetz (2008) for increased research revealing how the individual leadership development process unfolds.

Authors

• Darbianne Shannon, University of Florida

• Philip E. Poekert, University of Florida