Teacher Leader Interview 6

1. Why did you decide to take this interview for me? Teacher leadership is necessary to build strong schools. Unfortunately, most teacher leadership programs are focused on teachers who intend to advance to administration as opposed to teachers who intend to continue to teach students as well as serve as leader for other teachers.


2. How would you define teacher leadership? Teacher leadership is teachers who facilitate growth in other teachers be offering mentorship, training and guidance to other teachers.

3. What contributions have you made as a teacher leader in your school, district, and community? I have served as a teacher leader in several ways. I have mentored new teachers on an individual basis. I have hosted student-teachers. I been a presenter at professional development days for new teachers as well as experienced teachers. I have been served on the board of the professional development organization (NDVC) as treasurer and president. I am currently the Orff Festival co-Chair and have served as a committee chair in the past. I am currently the grade level chair at my school, a position I have held in the past. How did you become involved in making these contributions (volunteering, required by administrator, paid role, etc.)? I became involved in each of these roles voluntarily. Although I have been asked to take on these roles by administrators, they have not been required, nor have I benefitted from additional pay.

4. What are some examples of good leading (students, classroom, teachers, support staff, parents, community, etc.)? A good leader identifies the needs of the community in which they intend to serve. Their role is to provide support for the needs of the community. A teacher who is mentoring a newer teacher, the experienced teacher works with the new teacher for the benefit of the new teacher’s students. A teacher leader serves the students by providing leadership to other teachers, parents, etc. What challenges have you observed or experienced in these leadership roles? The biggest challenge to being a teacher leader is lack of time. No additional time is given to teacher leaders to carry out their role. Most of the time spent on these activities comes from personal time.

5. What inspires and/or encourages you to lead? Are there any specific experiences that have inspired/encouraged you? When I was a new teacher, I taught in a private school and had no colleagues to go to for help. As I became a more experienced teacher and as I became a more educated teacher through quality professional development, I realized I had something to offer others. Since I was unable to receive help as a new teacher myself, it is rewarding to be able to help others when they need it.

6. What hinders you from leading? Can you describe any experiences where you were hindered from leading? The biggest hindrance from leadership is time. The time spent on leadership roles is taken out of personal time not professional time.

7. Why did you become a teacher or become involved with the school system? I became a teacher because I wanted to share the joy of music that I have with others. At a music camp I attended in high school, there was a teacher who was able to inspire us to expand our musicianship and I wanted to be able to do the same things for m students.

8. How would you define "school culture"? School culture is the environment of the school as created by its stakeholders (administration, teachers, parents, student, school’s namesake, etc.) How important is school culture in creating an effective learning environment? School culture is very important to creating an effective learning environment. When student have their basic needs met, physically, emotionally and psychologically, they have the ability to focus on the task of learning. What factors affect school culture negatively and positively? The greatest factor affecting school culture is attitude. With the correct attitude, amazing things are possible. A negative attitude inhibits efforts to create a positive 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? A teacher who would like to be more involved in teacher leadership should first undergo a self-assessment to have an understanding of what they have to offer and of how they would like to serve others. They should use the information from their self-assessment to look for opportunities in a variety of situations in which they can take a leadership role. Volunteering to do the job which no one wants to take can sometimes be the most rewarding experience.

10. How does the administration at your school affect teacher leadership? The administration at my school encourages teacher leadership. Many opportunities exist for teachers to serve as a chairperson and on committees.

11. How do you deal with negativity at your school? There is not a lot of negativity at my school. We have been subjected to several rounds of zoning changes and budget cuts. The biggest concerns teachers have is regarding what we are losing in terms of outstanding staff members and resources. These concerns are valid because they will affect students and the learning environment.

12. How do balance your personal and professional responsibilities? Time management. It is important to carve out a time for professional responsibilities which is not affected by personal responsibilities. Likewise, I protect a portion of my personal time which is not affected by professional responsibilities. It’s all a matter of balance.