Teacher Leaders: Find your passion!

A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position. —John Maxwell

These posts take the seed of inspiration and give it direction within the context of your school and your classroom community.

A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position. —John Maxwell

In my last post, I shared what inspires teachers to lead. From historical figures and mentors to colleagues across the hall, teachers are inspired by the leadership models of others. In this post, we look at the passions that drive individual teachers to lead. These posts take the seed of inspiration and give it direction within the context of your school and classroom communities. See how each of these posts reveal a teacher’s unique passion for leading change.

• False Transparency and the Airport Princess So many people THINK they know what a teacher does and what the job entails, yet Bill Ferriter argues that this is a false transparency. Teachers need to educate not only inside the classroom but also outside of it.
• A marriage made in math class Sometimes by simply collaborating with a colleague, you can find innovation within your classroom practice. This math teacher did!
• Why Teachers Should Write More Books Some of the best evidence of teacher passion can be found in the comments of this post! Teachers sharing their passion for the written word.
• Believing is Seeing This teacher started with a vision, and with time and dedication, founded a completely teacher-led school in Colorado. She challenges teacher leaders with this “What we believe on the deepest level, we create in our lives. If we believe we are powerless, we are. If we believe that we can make a difference, we will.”

Action Step: After reading these resources, brainstorm issues, topics, or areas that you feel invigorated by or passionate about. Does your blood boil at the misperception of teachers in your community? Do you yearn for a more collaborative culture in your school or department? Do you find yourself dreaming big about starting your own school? Do your fingers itch to write about your classroom experiences? Identify your area of passion–name it, claim it, and prioritize it in your weekly routines.

Want to engage with a group of teacher leaders from around the nation and the world? Join the CTQ Collaboratory and become a part of a growing virtual community engaged in conversations around teaching, learning, and leadership.