Thinking about taking a leap into education leadership? WILL network founders, Dr Kathryn Corbett & Rachel O’ Connor, highlight those leadership skills we use as teachers every day.
Every great leader is a great teacher, and the greatest leaders seize every opportunity to teach well.
Albert Mohler
Teaching and leadership are interconnected. You will use a wide range of leadership skills in your classroom every day. Read below for a list of skills, and consider how often you use them as part of your work as a teacher.
If you are interested in learning more about pathways into leadership, check out our OTY (Over To You) section at the end for links and ideas.
Communication
Perhaps the most important leadership (and teaching) skill of all!
There are lots of different audiences that teachers need to communicate effectively with as part of their job; pupils of different ages with a broad range of learning needs and styles, other teachers and education professionals to collaborate and share information, and parents to inform, support and reassure. For each interaction, words, body language and context all matter.
Decision-making
Classroom routines and procedures, teaching methodologies, resources, and pupil questions all involve lots of decision-making. According to data from busyteacher.org, teachers make an average of at least 1,500 educational decisions each school day. This means that in a six-hour day, teachers make four educational decisions every minute. Four decisions every minute!
Goal & Target-setting
Setting goals or targets for your class and for individual pupils is a key part of teaching. Curriculum planning involves making choices about how to achieve these goals/targets and communicating them, guiding what teachers do in their classrooms. Reviewing for progress, adapting, changing and updating is part of the process in responding to pupil/class needs.
Emotional Intelligence
A core part of teaching is creating and maintaining good working relationships, both with pupils, parents and other staff members. Teachers lead by example in both their actions and in their words. Self-awareness, regulating emotions and empathy are key emotional intelligence skills teachers need in order to respond (rather than react) to the highs and lows of school life.
Motivation and Positivity
When a teacher is highly motivated about learning, it is more likely his/her class will be too. Being passionate and positive are infectious. From lesson design, to exploring new topics and pupil interaction, a teacher’s way of working has a big impact. Leadership is about instilling a belief in others that they can achieve to their potential. Teaching is the same!
Creativity & Flexibility
Creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment for pupils requires a lot of preparation. Using creativity for lesson content, differentiation and assessment makes learning interesting and memorable. In a school day, anything can happen! Flexibility to change direction both in and outside the classroom is a much needed skill for all teachers.
Over To You…
Consider yourself as a teacher leader:
- Jot down one example of how you used each leadership skill in your classroom today.
- Rate yourself on a Scale 1-10 for each skill. What skill are you most/least effective in? What challenge could you set yourself for developing your least effective leadership skill?
- Read about LAOS (Looking At Our Schools) quality framework and check out the reflection tool, created by CSL (Centre for School Leadership): https://reflectiontool.cslireland.ie/
If you are interested in taking a leap into education leadership then consider subscribing to the WILL network newsletter or follow the WILL network on X (formerly Twitter) for ideas, inspiration and event news
Leave a Comment