#RuralEdChat Archive
#RuralEdChat is a chat that focuses on the needs of the rural educator. This chat has been revised by Tammy Neil (@MathNeil), John Martin (@edventures) and Natalee Stotz (@nataleestotz).
Tuesday March 1, 2016
Good evening, How are you all tonight?
I'm Joelee, a preservice teacher studying Elementary Ed and Special Ed at Grove City College in PA
Hi there Joelee, welcome to the flock!
Welcome! So glad you are here.
I'm Elijah Gersims, freshman History and Secondary Social Studies major at Grove City College!
Kyle here joining from North Carolina!
I'm Cody Dunlap, a first grade educator from Kansas.
Hi Happy Tuesday that ended up being a snowday for us here in SW WI.
Well lookee there, Grove City College is well represented tonight! What brings you all to ?
So glad you are here, Elijah!
Checking out for the first time from midcoast Maine!
good to see you again, excited to be apart of the conversation tonight
Welcome, Kyle. Glad you could join us.
I'm waving to you from over in NH Geoff!
Happy to see so many joining us tonight for a conversation about leadership in its myriad forms
Nathan from the exurbs of SE WI
Geoff, welcome. WE love first time -ers.
Hey John! How's the post-primary landscape looking over there?
we're both in an class together and decided to check this chat out! :)
Great to see you again, as well.
Sort of in shock over Trump carrying my state, but otherwise fine. And you?
Hey Nathan! Great to see you here. Did you get much snow over there?
My first time as well. Two newbies.
Still reeling! When does Maine hold their primary?
Not bad. My state doesn't vote until the 15th.
Great that you chose our chat! You're always among friends here.
Thanks for letting us crash the party.
Hey , we've got some great pre-service Ts here on tonight!
Caucuses are next week, I think. We don't get the coverage from the candidates that you do, though.
Hello from central Pennsylvania
Our first Q is coming up in a bit. We're big on conversational style here lately, but you can tag responses A1, etc.
Forgot to introduce myself! John Martin from Sandwich, NH. Dir of Innovation & Tech for the School District.
Yep. 4-5ish inches here. Say is that a hound mix? Have we ever had a ?
I love the variety we have tonight for
I'm Tammy from North Florida. I teach Intro to Tech & Game Design.
Kelly, bio, NC foothills... Late.
Hey John. Great to have some innovation here :)
never late to We are a laid back crew here. Happy to see you, Kelly!
. Love your bio, we'll have to trade some travel stories some time! Spent some time in South Asia.
Marvin from Paw Paw, MI. Grade 7 SS. Hello!
Glad to see another North Carolinian!
Q1: So what is a teacher leader? What does that mean?
Q1 let's talk about what teacher leadership looks like in your corner of edu. What is a teacher leader to you?
The UNC head wrestling coach is famous here in PA.
A1: Teachers who step up and do whatever it takes for students to succeed.
A1: currently a preservice T, so I don't have much experience. But I think teacher leaders are advocates for their Ss needs
A1) One of my favorite qualities that teacher leaders have is compassion and grace for their students and fellow faculty!
A1:T ldrs make other Ts in their school (and beyond, thx to Twitter) better, find problems, identify solutions, take initiative
A Teacher Leader is a teacher that speaks up or steps up when others don't.
To me, a teacher-leader is someone who, for starters, helps shape the culture and direction of a school.
A1) Teachers are leaders because they have OTHERS in mind! They are always selfless!
Love this quote and would add to it that they raise up their students as well! https://t.co/rq5S6hFeNO
A1:T ldrs make other Ts in their school (and beyond, thx to Twitter) better, find problems, identify solutions, take initiative
yes. if and when they leave, there are usually big shoes left behind. culture is huge.
I feel like an effective teacher-leader listens and facilitates collaboration, but also holds true to firm principles.
Teacher leaders are a resource for peers because of their excellent pedagogy in the classroom. Great topic!
A1: Teacher leaders also inspire other teachers to "up their game" for the benefit of students
Teacher Leaders will step into the Principal's office and have the difficult conversation for the sake of entire school.
A1 - do good things for kids, keep your classroom open to all, ask good questions
Yup. For one example, willing to name elephants in the room and call people in to be their best selves.
voice is so important! That doesn't happen often enough in a productive manner
I'm interested to see how NC defines teacher leader bc they are discussing compensation based on teacher leader roles
teacher leaders admit that they are works in progress just like everyone else but they really & thrive on improving their game
. That sounds like a big can of worms!
Teacher leaders are constantly growing! And looking for others to grow in their profession as well!
Yes! Teacher leaders aren't afraid to admit that they don't know, take chances to learn alongside https://t.co/pHgl0qmH7L
teacher leaders admit that they are works in progress just like everyone else but they really & thrive on improving their game
Ten years ago, I would have been excited. NC was often an inspiration. Systematically undone. Scary.
agree, it should be used to move the system forward, not just the individual
In some schools, teacher leaders are definied as dept. chairs. Compensation for those positions.
. Which begs the question, is a teacher leader a formalized position?
Or a spot to achieve just for monetary gain?
Technically it could be considered a formal position, but it should be a role that all educators take on!
This right here is a very important conversation in our work. I think there is more room for it.
We sort of do that. They sit on Curriculum Committee, and it counts toward total workload.
A1: Teacher leaders are respected because they hold formalized roles, but the best leadership comes informally.
Formal titles or compensation doesn't mean you are a leader. True leadership is earned.
What if we were able to spend 1/2 time w/students & 1/2 time w/colleagues. Huge potential 4 culture-building & coaching models.
Teacher leadership is one area where you cannot have too many chefs in the kitchen. Too many teacher leaders = Dream job!
This is true on so many levels. Sometimes the wrong folks make it into leadership roles and...uh-oh.
I basically agree - I do personally have a tendency to resist hierarchies, though. Subtly and not-so-subtly. :-)
Q2 Does your district have formalized teacher leadership pathways?
There are some schools led by teachers, no admin. Interesting model.
As long as those chefs are willing to accept decision that the chefs came to together. That doesn't always happen
Q2: Why do we need Teacher Leaders?
absolutely, it's lead by example which naturally ends up demanding respect
. Man after my own heart! I love a good group of rogues!
A2: my district just split in two this year. I feel like we're still finding our way, and Ts are starting to take initiative
A2 it can't all be done by admin. Grass roots leaders are needed to make an org go
A2: teacher leaders help their peer teachers grow, which in turn allows students to be taught by more excellent educators
A2: honestly, I'm not sure there's enough administration in our district to empower the Ts to lead. They're stretched very thin
A2) Teacher leaders are the ones that the Ss really look up to and who model good teaching principles with their fellow Ts!
. Is that due to the restructuring in Maine or growth in your school?
Teacher-leaders by definition have at least one foot in the classroom and are thus With students. Fundamentally important.
Sorry folks. We sent out two Q2s Answer either one!
A2: NC developed a global educator badge providing a pathway for Ed leaders to show how they integrate
A2) The reason we need leaders in every aspect of life. They give us something to strive to be!
and this is a big fundamental diff with many in admin roles.
. IMO, nor should it all be admin led. The best schools are built collaboratively.
If the Admin will realize they don't have to do it all alone then TLs will emerge.
how's that going so far, Kyle?
True TLs (not just a title) consider a variety options and find common ground and solutions https://t.co/wbg31meGkh
As long as those chefs are willing to accept decision that the chefs came to together. That doesn't always happen
my district consolidated from two districts in 2009. They voted to deconsolidate into three this year.
A2: We have a system of subcommittees in which each teacher is asked to serve. They feed into the school Steering Committee.
A2: I haven't heard of any districts w/ T ldshp pathways. Most schools I've seen expect all Ts to be involved in different ways
In my school, I often hear administrators acknowledging that fact, often trying to build connections w/kids.
This is happening to some extent, but in some ways it's becoming a free-for-all too. Not necessarily any better
A2: Leaders have followers and education change requires many stakeholders
That's so important. and I really think it can be done from that role for sure.
That's true. If Admin can't/won't lead teachers, then it becomes open range. Nothing gets accomplished.
Only about half a year in or so but many teachers throughout the state working towards their global badge!
Because teachers are in the classroom, they have a better feel for what is happening in the building-collectively.
is that a mood emoji flipbook?
And along with that, administrators can listen to those more immersed in student life. I see that, too.
Kyle, if you haven't connected with you should. She's another awesome NC edu.
Yes. Admin is important to coordinate/orchestrate efforts of the T/ldrs so that there's a direction for Schl to go in
An NC colleague works in a self-governed school. TLs ARE the admin.
Ts are experts in many different specialized areas. Would love to see more specific leadership pathways.
have read and followed a lot of the teacher-powered movement. Very inspiring.
I'd love to hear more about microcredentials in NC. ME is shifting into them, but only in tech-based PD to start
. That's a model I'd like to see more of!
Nice! , home base in NC, is doing great work with schools. :-)
Ha! And microcredentials are another area of focus for in NC. Good people.
Would love to chat and share what NC is doing. Tech-based PD has been great at providing scale and equity.
What do you mean by microcredentials? Haven't heard that term before
It is a good place to start, but lack of PD time already, will be difficult to get off the ground in my district
think of scouting badges. T selects PD goal, submits evidence of meeting goal, receives credential
. The movement was where I first encountered the idea of microcredentials.
They are a way to designate competency is specific areas. Sort of like a digital certificate but much more!
. It has great application for Stu exploration & growth as well.
Sounds like we've got a future topic on our hands!
Great point. Ts are already strapped for time. The key is to help integrate into what they are already doing.
Yes! I've introduced badges into my A/S robotics club for 1st time. Lots to learn!
Interesting that model frees up need to meet at set times for PD, but requires set time investment to get going
Like the Digital Global Ed badge? That's the only one I had heard about
Very interesting! Would love to hear how that is going.
Hard to tell right now because progress is so slow (club is only once a week). Ss seem motivated to earn them, tho
Ok, here comes Q3: HOW do we become (or help others to become) teacher leaders?
Exactly. NC has that in place. Makes it easier to share expertise with peers, admins.
A3: What is your school missing? Look for roles that need to be filled and filled them. Encourage your peers to do the same
A3: Be available. TLs are incredibly efficient and are able to assist peers in their practices.
A3: Identify an issue that we know we would be really good at solving. Recruit others to help you.
A3: Find a place to step into and join a conversation. Listen, learn, then shape/steer. That's how I did it as a new admin.
Be willing to jump in when needed. As others see you working side by side, leadership emerges.
A3) Coming from a current Ss, I think that students really shape how teachers react to their pedagogy so positive Ss reactions!
A3: working on learning more about . Want to use w/Ss, but also use to identify and solve school-wide issues
A3: Provide good customer services all stakeholders.
A3: Allow Ts to take risks. Let them experiment to find innovative ways to engage Ss.
. Another great thought. I try to provide the safety net for those Ts & Ss in some cases.
Hey 🙋🏻! Here to help,collaborate or toss around ideas if needed!
If you see a need for a Student activity/club offer to sponsor/chaperone. Ss have great voice in leadership.
Some Ts just need a nudge or a model to give confidence that TLship doesn't require super powers or perfection
And ears. Teachers, just like students, need to know that their voices matter.
. Just did that same thing today! Mentioned the HS comp to my HS principal. Offered to coach next year.
Another North Carolinian! How's the weather by the coast?
We can help teacher-leaders by helping them focus on their strengths & what they have to offer, making use of their expertise.
I'm slowly exploring the resources. Going from little to a lot is overwhelming. Deep dive this summer https://t.co/drrjaHKD61
Great point. Developing platforms for them to be heard is important.
Beautiful! We are getting an early taste of spring!
I want to give a shout out to an amazing teacher leader on my campus... She impresses me every day!
Sounds like a great plan. :-)
Teacher voices matter! https://t.co/tHM6TZwqhB
And ears. Teachers, just like students, need to know that their voices matter.
This was a fun ! I want to thank our friends from Grove City College for dropping in, you've got a great career ahead of you!
Don't forget that you are already a great Teacher Leader!
Thanks! Glad to have been able to participate and learn tonight
First and it won't be the last! Loved chatting and always enjoy connecting outside of these.
. I hope that you & come back to visit!
Thanks! I enjoyed the chat!
Yes! Thank you to everyone who joined us tonight for Great conversation. Please join us next week!
. Glad you swung by tonight. Looking forward to talking & travel with you!
the model and a support system is the key element, once the ball gets rolling, watch out!
