Attitude has a lot to do with it: dispositions of emerging teacher leadership

Abstract

Part of a larger qualitative study to better understand how teachers learn to exercise informal leadership in the schools and districts where they work, this article illustrates dispositions of emerging teacher leadership by identifying and describing three possible teacher leadership prerequisites through lived experience examples. Eight practicing elementary and middle school teachers participated in the study. Data collection included written self-reflections, questionnaire responses, and a participant focus group. Teachers in the study demonstrated a disposition of emerging teacher leadership by valuing students and prioritizing their needs and interests. They positioned and prepared themselves to serve students by building collegial professional relationships and pursuing professional growth. Findings of the study suggest that the ability to develop collegial professional relationships, a student-centered mindset, and ongoing pursuit of professional growth may represent a dispositional foundation that supports teachers toward leadership.

Keywords:

• Danielson’s framework for teaching
• dispositions
• hermeneutic phenomenology
• multiple case study
• qualitative research
• teacher leadership

Notes

1. “Bringing the 4 Rs to Teacher & Principal Evaluation”, 11 October 2010, http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/LeaderTalk/2010/10/bringing_the_4_rs_to_teacher_p.html?qs=danielson's+framework+for+teaching 2010; “Top Teachers”, 28 August 2010, http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/LeaderTalk/2010/08/top_teachers.html?qs=danielson's+framework+for+teaching; “Improvements, Challenges in Chicago’s Teacher Evaluation System”, 15 June 2010, http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/teacherbeat/2010/06/improvements_challenges_in_chi.html?qs=danielson's+framework+for+teaching