Abstract:

In the past, a teacher leader was restricted to a formal role within a specific committee related to students’ achievement and school improvement. However, nowadays a teacher leader takes part in developing curricula, facilitating the professional growth of teachers, sharing best practices of teaching pedagogies, and mentoring or coaching other teachers. Today, teachers demonstrate leadership in many ways - some are formal, in which the teachers’ roles are assigned by the administration; while others are informal, mostly related to interaction with students and colleagues. The perception of teacher leadership has become increasingly embedded in the educational development of many schools. Its significance is seen when teachers efficiently lead their classroom, when they collaborate with others, and when they develop their own learning. The purpose of this research is to unpack current thinking about teacher leadership and how it is integrated into the teaching and learning process. Interviews were conducted with teachers from one K-12 school in the United Arab Emirates. Four themes emerged. They were categorized in four different questions that explored how teachers exercise leadership and the way it is reflected in their teaching strategies within the classroom. The research concluded with recommendations to the schools to engage teachers with formal leadership opportunities which allow them to ensure quality of teaching and learning in the classroom as well as enhance the quality of relationships within the school.

Keywords:

Teacher leadership, school leaders, leadership development, teacher development.