New to the Profession, Unsure of Our Place: Teacher Leadership and Preservice Teachers

• In Event: 67.068 - MTCC Roundtable Session 32
  In Roundtable Session: 67.068-6 - Teachers as Change Agents: Reimagining Policies as Novice and Experienced Practitioners

Abstract

Pre-service teachers’ understanding of leadership in the profession and beliefs about obstacles to leading reforms on behalf of their students, schools and profession is important. Through the lens of students’ experiences in a teacher leadership course (1) interviewing a veteran teacher, (2) constructing a policy memo on an issue of educational importance to them and (3) posting on twitter, ideas about the potential power of teacher leaders emerged. Researchers used perspectives in teacher leadership research as a lens to examine student ideas and found that new teachers were unsure of their ability to enact change in the face of obstacles such as high stakes testing and lack of resources, and they struggled to define a role for teachers as change agents.

Authors

• MaryEllen Wolfinger, The George Washington University

• Rachel Talbert, The George Washington University

• Maia G. Sheppard, The George Washington University