Teaching As Leadership: The Highly Effective Teacher's Guide to Closing the Achievement Gap

by Teach For America; Steven Farr; Foreword by: Jason Kamras (National Teacher of the Year, 2005); Afterword by: Wendy Kopp (CEO and Founder, Teach For America)

• ISBN13: 9780470593059
• ISBN10: 0470593059
• Format: eBook
• Copyright: 2010-01-01
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

A road map for teachers who strive to be highly effective leaders in our nation's classroomsTeach For America has fought the daunting battle of educational equity for the last twenty years. Based on evidence from classrooms across the country, they've discovered much about effective teaching practice, and distilled these findings into the six principles presented in this book. The Teaching As Leadership framework inspires teachers to: Set Big Goals; Invest Students and Their Families; Plan Purposefully; Execute Effectively; Continuously Increase Effectiveness; Work Relentlessly. The results are better educational outcomes for our nation's children, particularly those who live in low-income communities. Inspires educators to be leaders in their classrooms and schools Demystifies what it means to be an effective teacher, describes key elements of practice and provides a clear vision of success Addresses the challenges every teacher, in every classroom, faces on a daily basisAn accompanying website includes a wealth of tools, videos, sample lessons, discussion boards, and case studies.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Set Big Goals

Foundations of Effective Goal Setting

Inspiring Strong Results with Measurable Outcomes

Inspiring High Performance with High Expectations

Leading with Students' Needs and Interests

The Qualities of Effective Big Goals in Action

What Measurable Academic Progress Should My Students Achieve?

What Traits and Mindsets Will Best Serve My Students?

What Pathways to Student Opportunity Should Inform My Big Goal?

What Student Interests and Motivations Could Shape the Big Goal?

Conclusion: Key Ideas and Next Questions

Key Ideas

Next Questions

"Why Do People Set Big Goals?" from Ms. Lora's Story

Invest Students and Their Families

Key Elements of Investment

Shaping Students' Mindsets

Collaborating with Students' Families and Influencers

Strategies for Investing Students

Creating a Welcoming Environment to Increase Student Investment

Developing a Culture of Achievement

Investing Students Through Instruction and Learning

Conclusion: Key Ideas and Next Questions

Key Ideas

Next Questions

"What If You're Wrong?" from Ms. Lora's Story

Plan Purposefully

Foundations of Purposeful Planning

Developing Your Vision of Success

Translating Your Vision into a Well-Designed Assessment

Mapping Out a Vision-Aligned Plan by Imagining Yourself Implementing It

Three Forms of Classroom Plans

Long Term Plans

Lesson Plans

Classroom Management Plans

Conclusion: Key Ideas and Next Questions

Key Ideas

Next Questions

"It Still Tastes Good." from Ms. Lora's Story

Execute Effectively

Key Elements of Effective Execution

Doing Well What Must Be Done

Insisting on Seeing Reality

Adjusting Course as Circumstances Change

What Effective Execution Looks Like in the Classroom

Effectively Communicating Key Ideas

Coordinating Student Practice

Checking for Understanding

Tracking Progress

Maximizing Efficiency with Organization and Routine

Asserting Authority

Conclusion: Key Ideas and Next Questions

Key Ideas

Next Questions

"Light Monitor. Form Collector. Plant Manager." from Ms. Lora's Story

Continuously Increase Effectiveness

Foundations of Continuous Improvement

Effective Teaching Is a Learnable Skill

"Data may not tell us the whole truth, but it certainly doesn't lie"

We Drive Our Own Improvement

No Teacher Is an Island

A Cycle of Reflection That Leads to Increased Effectiveness

Phase One: Analyzing Outcomes

Phase Two: Discerning Causes

Phase Three: Identifying and Implementing Solutions

Conclusion: Key Ideas and Next Questions

Key Ideas

Next Questions

"This Was My Summer School Seat." from Ms. Lora's Story

Work Relentlessly

We Control Our Students' Success and Failure

Key Elements of Working Relentlessly

Persistence

Maintaining High Expectations

Expanding Time and Resources

Expanding Your Influence

Sustaining This Work Over Time

Conclusion: Key Ideas and Next Questions

Key Ideas

Next Questions

"You Are Going to Be Totally Handsome in Them." from Ms. Lora's Story

Conclusion

Afterword: T eaching As Leadership and the Movement for Educational Equity

Teaching As Leadership Rubric

About Teach For America

Our Approach to Teacher Development

How We Learn from Our Teachers

Teacher Biographies

Notes

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Index

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