Page 64 - EdViewptsSpring2021

A Silver Lining of Crisis:

Teacher Leadership

By Laura Godlesky, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools for the Oceanport
Public School District

March 2020 seemed surreal modes that embody multiple domains et al., 2000, p. 781). When teacher
to educators who left their of teacher leadership. This article will leaders collectively share pedagogy
explore this important and special type
and other skills with their colleagues,
classrooms suspended in of leadership and provide examples of districts can improve dramatically
time returning only to pack teacher leadership during one of the (Lumpkin, Claxton, & Wilson, 2014).
Much research posits that teachers
most challenging times in education.
up for the year. Without a doubt, Also, it will delve into ways to keep can be powerful change agents
there have been many challenges this momentum going. As opposed to through collaborative work within a
that COVID-19 presented to districts, returning to pre-pandemic practices, trusting relationship (York-Barr & Duke,
educators, students, and families. schools can use these experiences 2004). While there are domains that
Anyone involved in education today to move forward in new and different specifically define teacher leadership,
can easily point out the shortcomings ways as teacher leaders are supported research affirms that these leaders
of both the remote and hybrid to help build the capacity of the entire focus on students, collaborate with
instructional settings that have become organization. colleagues, and have a commitment to
commonplace. While those cannot Teacher leadership and the positive learning and improvement (Lumpkin,
be dismissed, there also has been an outcome its practice can have upon Claxton, & Wilson, 2014).
"unsung hero" during these challenging organizations is not new; in fact, it’s Experienced and skilled practitioners
times that needs to be brought to been around almost 50 years. Teacher can effectively teach in a silo. However,
light - the teacher leader. The sudden leadership has evolved in stages, and shifting from a face-to-face instructional
closure of school buildings in the spring most recently, teacher leaders have model to a fully virtual model in the
of 2020 provided an awakening for taken on a much more collaborative spring of 2020 created a common
teachers to develop new skills and role as they “slide the doors open” to problem of practice for all educators.
begin to exercise them through various share practice with colleagues (Silva Instead of being able to fall back upon

Educational Viewpoints -62- Spring 2021