Teacher Leader KnowledgeBase

This KnowledgeBase archive includes content and external links that were accurate and relevant as of September 30, 2019.

The Teacher Leader KnowledgeBase aims to raise awareness of the teacher leader role at the district level and to support teachers aspiring to the teacher leader role through master's degree-level university programs.

Task 1: Create/Obtain/Identify Time to Participate in Professional Learning Opportunities

Guideline:Working with the school principal, teachers in leadership roles might want to advocate for time for relevant professional learning activities aimed to enhance the instructional capabilities of their colleagues. This task provides resources to assist teacher leaders in doing so.

Resources

Practical Tips

Breakfast Club

Chronicled by the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, the Breakfast Club concept developed at the Adams School in Chicago illustrates one approach to making time for professional development.

Finding Time for Collaboration

This ASCD article explores ways to make time for collaboration among teachers.

Finding Time for Staff Training and Collaboration

This document identifies a variety of ideas districts and schools have used to find time for professional learning and collaboration.

References

How Teachers Learn: Learning with Blogs and Wikis

This link is to an article from the February 2009 issue of ASCD's Educational Leadership publication. In this article, author Bill Ferriter, a 6th grade science and social studies teacher in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Senior Fellow in the Teacher Leaders Network, explores how teaches can use blogs and wikis to support their professional learning.

Professional Learning Communities at School

Professional learning communities offer teachers a way to interact and collaborate with their colleagues on instructional issues. This North Carolina Department of Public Instruction resource offers an overview of professional learning communities and explores what they are, why they are important and how they are created.

Professional Learning Communities: What Are They, And Why Are They Important?

This SEDL website provides an overview of professional learning communities.