More than a thousand teachers are leading the profession in substantive ways as a result of their active engagement in the Teacher Leadership Institute (TLI), a project of the National Education Association (NEA). TLI provides the opportunity for teachers to gather in community to assess need and develop a plan for creating the impact they want to have on their school and the profession. As Sarah McGlynn, TLI alumna, says:
I’ve learned how to identify a need and to create a program/initiative to solve the need — and all of the necessary steps and contacts needed to create solutions to problems we have.
– Sarah McGlynn
A while back, several TLI alumni gathered at CTQ offices learn how to craft their stories of impact. Here are a few examples of what they developed:
Pencil girl in a digital world
by Linda Lee, Michigan
In this story find out “what happens to a self-proclaimed technophobe, who is in her 26th year of teaching and looking for a new challenge to keep her invested in growing and learning.” Find out how TLI helped Linda Lee amplify her voice so that we can better serve our most vulnerable students in her powerful story below.
And don’t miss Linda using her own voice in the link below. We dare say, she is a technophobe no more!
Path to possibility
by Michele Lippens, Massachusetts
Michele, special education teacher, in her leadership story shares how applying for a grant to get some much-needed equipment for her students, led her into leadership. She shared recently that her leadership has continued to expand as a direct result of sharing her TLI story.
From keeper of the books to collaborator: Not your parents’ librarian
by Chiquita Toure, Ohio
During Chiquita’s TLI journey she took an under-utilized library/media center and transformed it into a learning hub. In addition, she developed a plan to create a Writing Center that would serve to be a model for the 16 high schools in the Columbus City Schools district. Here is her story:
Meeting the most foundational needs of students
Sarah McGlynn, Iowa
It was the TLI tools and processes that spurred Sarah’s solutions to solve the enormous problems faced by the many children of her district who are food insecure. Under her leadership, the Davenport (Iowa) Community Food Pantry opened in 2017 and is one of more than a dozen new tenants at the J.B. Young Opportunity Center. The Pantry serves nutritious food to about 500 people each day. Most of the food on the shelves has come from food drives at 17 local schools, whose volunteers are organized by Sarah. And the Pantry has now led efforts in her district to shift their pedagogical approaches to serving children. As Sarah told said, with considerable humility:
“I hope my work at the pantry has elevated the issue of food insecurity in our community and its effect on our student population, further pushing the need forward to establish Trauma-Informed Care practices throughout our district.”
– Sarah McGlynn
Photo by Fancycrave.com from Pexels
Interested in learning a few details about the pantry? https://prezi.com/view/WTQ3ToZGlfMCjnPcgDy1/
More stories
Want to read more teacher stories from TLI participants? Check out the Massachusetts Teachers Association TLI site where you can find more detailed information.
Does your team have powerful educator stories that need to be shared? Are you interested in sharing the great work that is being done in your school or district? Visit this page to learn more the how CTQ can support your efforts to craft and share your stories of impact.
