Weekly Journal 11-28-00

Section 1:  Preparation for class

This weeks reading consisted of chapter 24 in The Jossey-Bass Reader on Educational Leadership entitled "Assessing the Prospects of Teacher Leadership".  This chapter discussed sub-topics including Teacher Leadership and the Professionalization of Teaching, Professionalizing Teaching by Professionalizing the Workplace, Work Worth Leading: Targets of Teacher Leadership, Teachers' Acceptance and Support of Leadership by Colleagues, and Assessing the Prospects for Teacher Leadership.

These sections discussed the implications and benefits of the possibility that Leaders be those who are or have been teachers and explores professionalizing the workplace by giving power to teachers within the organization.  

Section 2:  Reflections

What I found particularly interesting about this article were the six arenas in which teachers might reasonably demonstrate leadership at the school level.  They are that lead teachers continue to teach and to improve their own teaching, lead teachers organize and lead well-informed peer reviews of school practice lead teachers participate productively in school-level decision making lead teachers organize and lead in-service education, lead teachers advise and assist individual teachers, and lead teachers participate in the performance evaluation of teachers.  I agree with these areas.  However, I believe the teacher who is to be the lead teacher must be someone everyone has confidence in and one who is qualified to lead.  The choosing of a lead teacher shouldn't be based solely, or primarily, on sonority.

Section 3:  Applications

I could apply these principles as well as the other information in this chapter to my efforts everyday in my teaching and dealing with peers.  If I can begin now to be one who others look up to and one who provides service to peers, I may increase my chance of being one who is not only qualified to lead teachers but one who has the respect and confidence of those who will be lead.

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