Gaining Confidence, Managing Conflict: Early Career Conceptions of Teacher Leadership During Graduate Coursework

Abstract

Increasingly, graduate programs in education are promoting the development of teacher leadership. Yet the discussion on how to prepare teachers for leadership roles and responsibilities is only beginning. In this article, we draw on the written reflections of early career teachers enrolled in a curriculum and instruction master's program so that we might better understand their conceptions, experience, and interest in leadership. Study findings highlight the promise and challenge of preparing early career teachers for a range of leadership roles and responsibilities. Although I feel proficient in most areas of my teaching, I am still working on becoming a teacher leader in my school community. As I discovered through my reading and critical reflection, I frequently fear taking on the role of teacher leader because I attempt to avoid conflict with more veteran teachers and I have not embraced my confidence in teaching to be willing to share my ideas with others. While I believe I am a successful teacher, and my principal and teaching partner frequently compliment my teaching style and ideas, I still am not quite ready to expect others to value my teaching. – Early Career Teacher (Written Reflection, Fall 2008)