INTRODUCTION

Many people agree that if schools are to continue improving in ways that help all children reach higher standards of academic learning, more teacher leadership will be needed. But what is meant by the term "teacher leadership"? And what kinds of teacher leadership are needed most?

Here's what other teachers had to say about leadership in teaching. They answered these 4 questions:

1. Think of a time or situation where you or another teacher provided leadership that was needed outside the classroom (or at least, outside the traditional role of teachers). Please describe this situation, what you (or the other teacher) did to provide this leadership, and why this kind of leadership is important.
2. Please set aside your own personal experience for this question. In an ideal world -- given adequate time and resources -- what kind of leadership from teachers do you feel is most needed (outside the classroom), and why?
3. What can be done to help more teachers step into these kinds of leadership roles?
4. What can you and other teachers do to help more teachers step into these kinds of leadership roles?

I would like you to look at and read the first five responses found here. http://www.ed.gov/comments/TeachLeader/responses/index.html

What is teacher leadership? Can you summarize it from these five responses? How is it related to Staff Development? View this Powerpoint Presentation. http://aeon.csuhayward.edu/~jlopez/6410/whatisSD/index.htm

Let's continue this week to look at "good teaching". If teachers want students to reach high standards, they must teach challenging content to every student. Look at this site and a story of two teachers. http://www.middleweb.com/SRChatt1iv.html