Constructing Teacher Leadership Through Mentoring: Functionality of Mentoring Practices in Evolving Teacher Leadership

Exploring Cross-Cultural Perspectives of Teacher Leadership Among the Members of an International Research Team: A Phenomenographic Study

“…Frost and Durant (2003) challenged the orthodoxy of school organization and argued teacher leadership is part of distributed leadership. Others have challenged the notion of viewing teacher leadership as an individual empowerment 56 phenomenon and advocated for an organizational or system development approach to teacher leadership (Gul, Demir & Criswell, 2019;Smylie & Denny, 1990).…”

Fostering Teacher Leadership in K‐12 Schools: A Review of the Literature

“…Teachers who are involved in leadership roles also report improved confidence in the classroom and better problem‐solving skills, likely due to the increased professional learning opportunities they are provided as well as what they have learned by working with other teachers and school administrators (Allen, 2017; Berg & Zoellick, 2019; Criswell et al, 2018; Jacobs et al, 2016; Lee Bae et al, 2016; Lee et al, 2014; York‐Barr & Duke, 2004). Teacher leadership can even improve the instructional confidence and problem‐solving skills of teachers who are not in leadership roles, as they likely are involved in a school with a more supportive culture, have fellow teachers they can turn to for coaching or support, and have mentors on their campus who they can learn from Gul et al (2019). Finally, teacher leaders may receive financial rewards for their efforts or elevated status at their school, in their district, or in local professional communities (Allen, 2017; Berg & Zoellick, 2019; York‐Barr & Duke, 2004).…”

“…In addition to formal professional development, teacher leaders often lead informal professional learning activities such as coaching, mentoring, and supporting other teachers (Allen, 2017; Berg & Zoellick, 2019; Gul et al, 2019; Helterbran, 2010; Smulyan, 2016; Visone, 2020; Wang & Ho, 2020). Teacher leaders might engage in formal coaching cycles or collaborative planning with their fellow teachers.…”

“…The teacher leader can support this teacher by planning together or assisting outside of class time, modeling, co‐teaching, or observing the other teacher and providing feedback. Teacher leaders also often serve as mentors for new teachers (Allen, 2017; Berg & Zoellick, 2019; Gul et al, 2019; Smulyan, 2016; Visone, 2020; Wang & Ho, 2020). Being a new teacher is very difficult and the attrition rate for new teachers is extremely high, so providing a caring mentor who is more knowledgeable about classroom management and instruction can be a very successful way to support new teachers.…”

“…Even if a teacher is not in a formal leadership role, teachers often support one another in areas where they have strengths and other teachers need assistance. Since teaching can often be an isolated job where you are alone in your classroom, fostering this type of collaborative and supportive environment is important and can lead to improved teacher retention and better outcomes for students (Allen, 2017; Berg & Zoellick, 2019; Gul et al., 2019; Helterbran, 2010; Smulyan, 2016; Visone, 2020; Wang & Ho, 2020) (Table 1).…”