Teacher Leader Interview 5

1. Because I love you! And I think it is also vital for teachers to continue the learning experience by furthering our education continuously. So if I can help you do that, it is win/win.


2. Teacher leadership means that as educators, you not only strive to represent your school and student body effectively, but you use your position to its fullest by being a leader to fellow teachers, new educators, other staff members, and students and their families. I don't believe you have to be an administrator to show leadership.

3. Since becoming a GATE specialist, my roles and responsibilities have changed somewhat. Because I am at more than one school and because teachers often feel my position is "too easy", I am often regarded as unimportant. I try to make up for their misconceptions by working on committees, especially special education and he SIP team. It is not required of me. As for serving as a teacher leader in the District and community, I don't feel as if I have enough time as a mother and wife to do so!


4. I think they having teachers serve as mentors to new teachers is a wonderful chance to lead. I also wish teachers leaned on each other's strengths more. For example, if a teacher is very comfortable teaching Math, what can he or she do to assist others in becoming better Math teachers? The challenges that go along with that seem to: lack of time, teacher's unwillingness to take constructive criticism, etc.
5. I have always enjoyed teaching other adults. I have taught speed-reading courses, held literature circles, I even taught a pottery class! For me, I learn better when I go through the motions of something myself. So not only could I benefit someone with my teaching, I could also learn at the same time.
6. The one thing that hinders me from leading is when over teachers, namely classroom teachers, do not want to accept my opinions or learn from my experiences because they think I became a GATE teacher for the easy way out and that I was never a classroom teacher. (So untrue!!!)

7. I became a teacher because after I received my undergrad in Social Work, I found that I was struggling with the unfairness of the system. Parents were often given more rights than children. I knew I wanted to work with children, but I felt in that environment, I would be unhappy seeing all the abuse, the judicial acceptance, etc. In school, I have more affect on those children because I am with them for a longer amount of time all day long.

8. School culture is an issue at one of schools right now. I believe school culture is the pride everyone feels when representing their school. It is the respect the teachers, staff, administrators, and students give to each other. Without a positive school culture, the learning environment is affected because the students don't respect the staff because the staff doesn't care. It leads to huge issues with cyclical behavior.

Supportive administrators with open doors help school culture to work. Allowing horrible teachers to remain at your school, ignoring parent and teacher concerns, and not providing incentives to the students for excellent learning has a negative effect on school climate.

9. What advice would you give teachers (or other members of the school community) who want to become more involved in teacher leadership? How might you inspire them?


For teachers, I think it is just a matter of making them feel like they will be able to help someone in need or make an impact. There are often so few teachers or staff members at each school that really want to dig their heels in and represent their school. It cannot always be the same handful of people. The learning experience would be better with a variety of knowledge and experience. I think the only way to inspire them to be better leaders is to revisit specific times when a teacher or administrator or staff member showed excellent leadership and give examples of how it affected different people.

10. How does the administration at your school affect teacher leadership?

They are essentially the foundation for all that goes on. If the administration does not unify and work to encourage positive school climate and teacher leadership by being good examples themselves, then the school will ultimately fail.

11. How do you deal with negativity at your school?

I try to stay out of it! But honestly? I think that just like any workplace it is impossible NOT to have some. However, I think it can be curbed if everything works like a well oiled machine and where the staff members are invested in their school.

12. How do balance your personal and professional responsibilities?

Still trying to figure out that one! But as of right now, I will say my personal life most important. That does not mean that I do not stay after or do extracurricular activities at the schools I work at. But because I am at two schools and my husband is also a teacher, there are often times our special events coincide, so we try to take turns representing our schools as best as we can without neglecting our children.