School Leadership

Program Description

Teacher Leadership Strand

Kitty Boles, coordinator of the Teacher Leadership strand

Do you love teaching? Are you passionate about your subject area? Do you feel ecstatic when you see the light of understanding in a student’s eyes?  Are you intrigued by new teaching strategies and curriculum that you’re implementing in your classroom?  But, at the same time, do you want more out of teaching than you’re currently getting? Do you want to find a way to work effectively and collaboratively with committed colleagues while you continue classroom teaching? Do you dream of combining classroom teaching with roles outside your classroom in curriculum writing, or research, or teacher education?  Do you want to be part of an exciting movement to reform schools and teaching?

If you’ve answered yes to any (or all) of these questions, the Teacher Leadership Strand of the School Leadership Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education is the place for you.
The Teacher Leadership Strand of the School Leadership Program is designed for teachers who wish to extend their influence beyond the classroom's four walls without leaving classroom teaching. The strand introduces participants to a variety of new leadership roles and perspectives and provides them with the curricular, pedagogical, political, and organizational skills necessary for implementing school reforms.
Participants in the strand will have the opportunity to:

• develop a deeper understanding of teaching and learning;
• enhance their understanding of school culture;
• assess the barriers to school change and develop strategies to overcome them;
• learn to utilize networks and coalitions;
• analyze new models of leadership and collegiality;
• learn to promote collaboration with parents and school administrators; and
• reconceptualize the role that teachers, working together, might play in reforming schools.

View Teacher Leadership Strand Frequently Asked Questions