This article reports findings from a small-scale qualitative study conducted in partnership with a group of secondary school English Language teachers in China. The study explored the teachers' perspectives of the role of teacher autonomy in the teaching of English as a foreign language. Using semi-structured interviews, nine teachers from three…

This paper aimed at identifying the dimensions for teacher leadership model. The instrument used to measure the dimensions was adapted from Teacher Leadership Self-Assessment (TLSA) by Katzenmeyer and Moller (2009). This measurement tool consists of 47 items distributed into seven dimensions namely: (1) self-awareness; (2) leading change; (3)…

Two related case studies of secondary mathematics teachers examine the roles and conditions helpful in initiating, directing, and/or supporting teachers' own professional development. Using multiple data sources from school-based and professional settings, we applied analytic induction to identify patterns of similarities and differences in…

Discusses how critical others can enhance teachers' roles. Critical events all have a critical agent plus critical others who provide significant input but have no formal role within the institution. They enhance teachers' roles by providing a charismatic quality and contributing toward the authenticity of teachers' work in many ways. (SM)

Describes the experiences of a successful high school English department that illustrate how teacher collaboration and interdependence can support teacher-driven growth and new instructional behaviors. Some of the department's guiding principals include destratifying, empowering, collaborating, unfettering, and recognizing. Important elements that…

Provides a case study of Fixed Role Treatment devised to help change the construct systems underlying classroom problems of two high school English teachers. Their professional self-characterizations were analyzed and they were encouraged to adopt new roles. The nature of the classes and need for change affected improvement. (Author/JAC)

How should district and school leaders improve education for students traditionally underserved by public education: by increasing control over teaching and curriculum, or by empowering groups of teachers to have more collective autonomy, responsibility, and opportunities for professional learning? The second approach--promoting multiple…

This paper describes how teacher portfolios could be used to provide teachers with the opportunity to grow professionally in concert with other teachers and in ways that promote school, district, and professional student performance standards. An opening section discusses the lack of progress in developing effective teacher evaluation and…

Presents suggestions for staff development efforts to encourage teachers and administrators to write for publication. The article discusses reasons to write, then explains the steps to consider when writing for professional publication: prewriting and freewriting, creating the manuscript, fixing and polishing, and selecting a journal. (SM)

Workplace factors that affect teacher commitment include teacher autonomy and efficacy, participation, feedback, collaboration, learning opportunities, and resources. The paper details five strategies to help teachers enhance their personal level of commitment (being responsive, getting involved, seeking feedback, developing a plan to maximize…

Discusses the state of leadership education for teachers today, focusing on the needs of teachers who wish to be more influential in their schools. A successful teacher leadership program (University of Redlands, California) is outlined as a promising way to promote the skills necessary for teachers to become confident leaders. (SM)

Describes a project that looked for new forms of inservice training that would be more in line with teachers' own ideas about developing their method of teaching. The process emphasizes letting teachers control their own inservice training and letting the problem, not the method, guide teacher development. (SM)

The 20 essays in this book provide diverse perspectives on the professional development of teachers and include: (1) "Attracting the Best and Brightest to the Teaching Profession" (James R. Hutto); (2) "Attracting Talented African-American High School Students to Careers in Education" (Rita G. Greer); (3) "A Grassroots…

Describes a partnership among English-education faculty members and secondary English teachers, arguing that a multisite, discipline-based professional-development faculty provides an alternative for secondary-level Professional Development School principles-in-action. The paper discusses reform, departmentalization of high school and college…

Every year, more than 15,000 teachers vie for the chance to become certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Although the process is voluntary, National Board Certification is a widely recognized mark of distinction and is increasingly tied to leadership opportunities for teachers, salary increases, and improved student…