As our district moves to a Teacher Leadership and Compensation model next year, I will need to rethink my classroom vs. teacher-leader options--and I must show caution against moving up at the risk of forgoing my strengths.
I was at first happy to see a TLC initiative to acknowledge and compensate teacher leaders who have chosen the classroom over an administrative path. However, as details of our plan emerge, I see that the lead role in our district will be highly administrative (initiatives come with rolls of red tape). This will remove the teacher from the classroom entirely. The second tier of leadership cuts the teachers' classroom presence to half-day.
An important part of my educator identity is built upon supporting and mentoring my colleagues. I serve on two state boards as well as on my local district leadership team and as a department head. I write to put a voice to a range of educational issues. I present at conferences. This part of me is a natural fit for a TLC position.
However, I want to stay in the classroom.
I teach college comp to seniors and advise a blossoming journalism program. I love both roles in equal measure. Even a part-time TLC role would mean abandoning one or the other, and I need to think long and hard about my willingness to do that.
These concerns dominate my thoughts when I look ahead to the next five years. Are any of you facing similar considerations? I would like to hear from those of you who are involved in (or have opted out) of TLC programs.
.JPG) |
| Today's Amazon delivery. Classroom teaching "requires" me to feed my Amazon habit. |
Day 12: How do you envision your teaching changing over the next five years?
Reflection: My husband's comments: "What are you writing?" "Are you still writing that?" "Does anyone want to read that?" As if my inner critics weren't enough...
No comments:
Post a Comment