Article: Overcoming the Obstacles to Leadership

Running head : TEACHER LEADERS

The Challenge of being Teacher Leaders

Name of Student

University /College

Professor /Instructor

Class /Subject

The Challenge of being Teacher Leaders

Teacher leaders are those teachers that are usually appointed by their superiors to act as coordinators and facilitators in their respective fields . In the article Overcoming the Obstacles to Leadership ' by Johnson and Donaldson , four questions have been answered concerning the issue of teacher leaders . The following paragraphs discuss each question and provide answers that are of great help to our educators p

What are the reasons why second-stage teachers find opportunities to become teacher leaders attractive ? There are three reasons that make teacher leader opportunities attractive . First , some teachers are confident that they are good in what they do and thus , wish to share their expertise to other co-teachers as well . Another reason is that teacher leaders experience less isolation from others thus giving them more opportunities to work as groups rather than individually (Johnson 2007 ,

. 8 . Lastly , being teacher leaders provides opportunities in varying one 's responsibilities and thus expands influence (Johnson 2007 ,

. 9

What are the challenges faced by the teacher leader ? Many teacher leaders face challenges in fulfilling their responsibilities . Most often , teacher leaders are restricted from observing classes and teachings of other educators (Johnson , 2007 ,

.9 . This can be a problem since it can deter suggestions and comments that can improve the teaching methods of teachers . Another problem faced by teacher leaders is egalitarianism . In this case , teacher leaders are questioned regarding the validity of their appointments and at times , are criticized by special privileges that they can avail to fulfill their responsibilities successfully . Moreover , since teacher leaders often belong to second-stage teaching , their experience and expertise are often questioned (Johnson , 2007 ,

.10

What strategies can teacher leaders use to cope with the responsibilities and oppositions they face ? Since teacher leaders are frequently faced with dilemmas , some strategies are devised to help them adapt to their new responsibilities . Teacher leaders who are eager to help and share their knowledge usually have to wait to be appointed rather than volunteer thus , by doing so , they minimize the risk of criticism and jealousy (Johnson , 2007 ,

.10 . Others , on the other hand will only work with other teachers that are willing to be improved thus eliminating much of the rebuffs they encounter in their new roles as teacher leaders . Still , there are others who explain to their fellow educators that they are not reformers but rather facilitators that help everyone (Johnson , 2007 ,

. 11

What is the role of the principal in encouraging teacher leaders in fulfilling their responsibilities ? Since teacher leader roles are not readily well-defined , school principals should be very particular in supporting their appointed teacher leaders . They should not only explicitly support teacher leaders but also find ways on how to buffer the new appointment with the other teachers to avoid conflicts Furthermore , such principals should involve the whole school system in finding and appointing teacher...