When I took on National Board Certification Candidacy in 2005 I was impressed that one of the missions of this endeavor was that we would work to become teacher-leaders. In that role the classroom teacher labors to make sure that essential learning takes place for our students. Beyond our own classroom we are to model best practices for our peers and work collaboratively with others in the school district. One step further is to be involved at an ESD (Educational School District) and even at the state or national levels to influence decisions that will affect the entire state or our nation.

I’ve already alluded to the idea of becoming a teacher-leader through the National Board Certification process and it truly is a great place to start. But it isn’t the only way to become a leader who can make a difference for your school.

Any certified teacher can take steps toward being a leader by starting professional learning communities (PLC’s) within their own school. Our Jr. High has a writers group and a book circle in addition to the requisite Math study group and Language Arts PLC that meets on a mostly bi monthly basis. The district pays the Language Arts group and the Math group to meet but the other groups are strictly voluntary.

Here’s one way to get started. When training for a particular topic that interests you becomes available at your district, or ESD, or in the professional journals that you subscribe to¬– apply and attend. Take the nuggets of truth back to your peers and share it. I’ve shared at the Language Arts PLC meeting, at staff meetings and at the writers workshop group (not to mention the informal information exchange that occurs at lunch or in the copy room).

This isn’t one of those “one more thing to do” ideas and it sure isn’t meant to tie you in knots of over-burdened anxiety–it’s a way to get things percolating and it brings a bonding among staff who are working together to make a difference in the lives of the students we serve. All teachers can be leaders and most leaders end up being teachers in some aspect or another. It is joyful to learn about things we are interested in and it is a double blessing when others can profit as well. So get out there and be a leader of teachers by becoming a teacher-leader!