When I first started teaching, I was an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) teacher. During my career, I have progressed through the school system, teaching various courses, and now I teach grade 11–12 courses in commerce and business studies. As a teacher, I sometimes wonder, what now?
As educators know, our field has something of a flat structure. Schools don't have the type of hierarchy that companies may offer; therefore, there's a lack of opportunities for upward mobility. Broadly speaking, the only way for a teacher to be promoted is to take a leadership role in the institution. But I'm sure there are many passionate teachers like me out there who are also reluctant to take up pure leadership positions.
I have asked myself, is it that I am not ready to come out of my comfort zone and try something more challenging? But I have come to realize that every school needs two types of leaders: those who lead from outside the classroom and those who lead from inside. One has to understand where one's passion lies. And I realized my passion lies in leading from inside the classroom. I want to lead without losing my identity as teacher.
So, where do I go from here?
The answer, I discovered, lies in being a teacher leader. I realized I can blend being a teacher and a leader without sacrificing my passion for teaching or stifling my personal or career growth. John Quincy Adams rightly said, "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."
An effective teacher leads in many different ways, including influencing the various stakeholders involved in the process of education. An active teacher seeks out and implements changes to improve her classroom practices and increase her students' achievement; she influences and encourages her colleagues; and she looks for ways to improve the school's overall performance.
In my school, Self Managed Teams (SMTs) were introduced as one of the steps toward enhancing teachers' leadership qualities. SMTs allow every teacher to play the role of a leader and still continue being a classroom teacher. SMTs function on the principles of democracy. The teachers are given the autonomy to make all decisions regarding their team.
SMTs work well because the model allows teachers to use their expertise to make decisions about what they know best. Teachers know their students and they understand their needs; therefore, teachers can make the best decisions relevant to the work of their individual teams. In an SMT, each team member has a voice in the decision-making process, and members agree on everything from setting the annual calendar to determining the types of evaluations that will be given.
SMTs have proved to be a powerful tool in developing teacher leaders in our school. I think this type of system, which lets every teacher assume the responsibility of leading her own team, motivates teachers and helps in developing various competencies within the team. I have seen a visible improvement in the commitment and effectiveness of individual team members. Also, the SMT provides a platform for sharing teaching practices. And as for me, now I can continue being a creative teacher in the classroom and at the same time be a leader who is trained to take up any challenge in the future.