I can see clearly now:Teacher leadersInvoking Reaction

Abstract

A clear focus on capacity building is needed to sustain continuous school improvement and to manage change effectively. A recent research project conducted in schools that had adopted the IDEAS process for school revitalisation in an Australian education system has resulted in the development of a framework of capacity-building dynamics. The Invoking Reaction capacity-building dynamic allows for the creation of new knowledge to be critiqued through an ever-widening circle of internal and external networking, asserting advocacy for both ongoing school revitalisation and the power of the teaching profession. Networking, advocacy and organisational critique are the constructs of the Invoking Reaction dynamic: all of major importance in schools that have created significant new knowledge and wish to consolidate that new knowledge into the long-term future. This paper provides contextual detail supporting the research for the capacity building model and the Invoking Reaction dynamic in particular. It also provides questions to consider around the sharing and refining concept of the Invoking Reaction dynamic. This is an invitation for teacher leaders and aspiring leaders to develop clear pictures of what their school might achieve through networking, advocacy and organisational critique to consolidate newly created knowledge into the long-term future (Crowther et al., 2010).