Roles

toc The following roles are taken from Harrison & Killion's (2007) ASCD [|article], "Ten roles for teacher leaders."

//**Which role(s) do you need to use to provide the best support as a teacher leader for the colleague(s) in your case study? How do you use this role to build capacity?**// 

Resource Provider
... helps their colleagues by **sharing instructional resources**. These might include **Web sites, instructional materials, readings, or other resources** to use with students. They might also share such **professional resources** as **articles, books, lesson or unit plans**, and **assessment** tools.

Instructional Specialist
... helps colleagues implement **effective teaching strategies**. This help might include ideas for **differentiating instruction** or **planning lessons in partnership** with fellow teachers. Instructional specialists might study **research-based classroom strategies** (Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001); **explore which instructional methodologies** are appropriate for the school; and **share findings** with colleagues.

Curriculum Specialist
... understands **content standards**, how various components of the **curriculum link together**, and how to **use the curriculum in planning instruction and assessment** is essential to ensuring **consistent curriculum** implementation throughout a school. Curriculum specialists **lead teachers to agree on standards, follow the adopted curriculum**, use **common pacing** charts, and develop **shared assessments**.

Classroom Supporter
... works **inside classrooms** to help teachers **implement new ideas**, often by **demonstrating** a lesson, **coteaching**, or **observing** and **giving feedback**. Blase and Blase (2006) found that consultation with peers "**enhanced teachers' self-efficacy** (teachers' belief in their own abilities and capacity to successfully solve teaching and learning problems) as they reflected on practice and grew together, and it also **encouraged a bias for action** (improvement through collaboration) on the part of teachers. (p. 22)"

Learning Facilitator
... **facilitates professional learning opportunities** among staff members is another role for teacher leaders. When teachers learn with and from one another, they can **focus on what most directly improves student learning**. Their **professional learning becomes more relevant**, focused on **teachers' classroom work**, and aligned to **fill gaps in student learning**. Such communities of learning can **break the norms of isolation** present in many schools.

Mentor
... serves as a **role** **model**; **acclimates teachers** to a new school; and **advises teachers** about instruction, curriculum, procedure, practices, and politics. Being a mentor **takes a great deal of time and expertise** and makes a **significant contribution** to the development of a new professional.

School Leader
... **serves on committees**, such as a school improvement team; **acts as a grade-level or department chair**; **supports** school initiatives; or **represents** the school on community or district task forces or committees. A school leader **shares the vision of the school**, **aligns his or her professional goals** with those of the school and district, and **shares responsibility** for the success of the school as a whole.

<span style="color: #666644; font-family: Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 20px;">Data Coach
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">... Although teachers have access to a great deal of [qualitative and quantitative] data, they do not often **use that data to** **drive classroom instruction**. Teacher leaders can **lead conversations that engage** their peers in **analyzing and using this information to strengthen instruction**.

<span style="color: #666644; font-family: Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 20px;">Catalyst for Change
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">... are **visionaries** who are “**never content with the status quo** but rather **always looking for a better way**” (Larner, 2004, p. 32). Teachers who take on the catalyst role **feel secure in their own work** and have a **strong commitment to continual improvement**. They **pose questions to generate analysis** of student learning.

<span style="color: #666644; font-family: Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 20px;">Learner
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">... Among the most important roles teacher leaders assume is that of learner. Learners **model continual improvement**, demonstrate **lifelong learning**, and **use what they learn** to help all students achieve.

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Harrison, C., & Killion, J (2007). Ten roles for teacher leaders. //Educational Leadership, 65// (1), 74-77. Retrieved from []