Teacher-led reforms have a big advantage — Teachers 

The experiences of three teachers show that a reform effort gets a boost when it is supported and spread by teachers.  

 

When I first heard about the push for discussion-based teaching, I was not thrilled. Rhonda, our professional learning community leader, was really passionate and kept talking about how it’s going to be wonderful, and it will change your classroom. I was one of those people who sat back and said, ‘It’s just the flavor of the month. The next thing will come along before I even start. It’s a lot of work. I’m not doing it. My class is working fine.’ But through Rhonda constantly pushing and constantly telling us, ‘Yes, you want to try it. This is what it can do,’ I slowly gave in. She did a guest lesson for my class, and my kids just loved it. They took off with it. So, I was like, ‘Wait a minute. You may be on to something here. Let me try that.’ Now, I have seen a huge improvement in my class. Discussion-based teaching allows students to talk, it allows them to be heard; the kids feel like they have a say. To see them explain ideas to each other and get it, to communicate with that respect, that evidence, and have that academic talk, to help each other, it is amazing. 

— Amanda M. Johnston, coauthor  

 

Who is best positioned to improve teacher quality in schools when many teachers believe things are working fine, and reforms are simply “the flavor of the month”? Who and what will make a veteran teacher try something new — really try something new? We argue that the answers to these questions rest in teachers themselves. That is, teachers improve teachers — themselves and one another — by engaging in teacher-led reform driven by teacher leaders (Margolis & Huggins, 2012).  

Becoming a better teacher by learning and implementing new ways of teaching requires time, effort, persistence, and a belief that new strategies will enhance student learning. But when educational leaders try to improve teachers and teaching from the outside by bringing in reformers to transform how teachers engage in the core business of teaching, reforms rarely stick because the first transformation that must occur is in the perspective of initially resistant teachers like Amanda. This transformation in perspective comes in part from teachers working to improve the quality of teachers and teaching in their own schools by developing a common vision, trust in teacher leadership, and openness to learning. Teachers who promote change can have a lasting effect because the power of teacher leadership comes from helping teachers come together to improve “for their own reasons and in their own ways” (McGhan, 2002, p. 539). 

Teacher leadership is garnering recognition as a successful reform approach, and more teachers are stepping forward to lead. 

Leading change from within is complicated work. Research shows that teacher leaders must build professional and respectful relationships with colleagues through ongoing communication and feedback that demonstrate their trustworthiness and instructional expertise (York-Barr & Duke, 2004). Teacher leaders also must develop agency to work with the principal, build community, support teachers, and determine, implement, or make manifest a schoolwide vision for instruction (Margolis & Huggins, 2012). But teacher leaders typically have their own classrooms to run and are less likely to press forward if their colleagues resist changes.

Teacher leadership is garnering recognition as a successful reform approach, and more teachers are stepping forward to lead. The stories of those stepping up to the challenge illustrate how and why teachers are best positioned to improve the quality of teaching, and they show what it takes to improve teaching through teacher-led reform. In this article, five Michigan-based educators — two university professors and three teacher leaders — share our stories.  

Randi & Kristy: Capacity building  

We are part of a team working with high-poverty urban charter schools in Detroit to enhance use of discussion-based teaching, an approach that puts student conversation at the center of classroom interactions (Stanulis, Little, & Wibbens, 2012). Discussion-based teaching provides students across grade levels and content areas with regular opportunities to talk about their learning. Discussion-based teaching involves deliberate teaching of norms, including participation norms (active listening, turn taking, respect for everyone’s ideas) and norms for productive talk. Productive talk includes helping students learn to clarify and share their own thoughts, listen and link to other’s ideas, deepen their reasoning skills, and engage in actively reasoning with others (Anderson, Chapin, & O’Connor, 2011). A strong culture of classroom talk also contributes to increased comprehension and a sense of shared power and voice. Tasks that require analysis, synthesis, and evaluation enhance discussion-based teaching.  

In Amanda Johnston’s 2nd-grade classroom in Detroit, students regularly practice norms of productive talk. The following excerpt involves Keisha and Randall (pseudonyms) participating in a class discussion about the characters in a story. 

KEISHA: The main characters in the story are Poppleton and Hudson, and I know that because on page 53 and page 57 there is a picture of Poppleton, and there are basically a lot of pictures of Poppleton. And on page 57, there are more pictures of Poppleton and Hudson. 

TEACHER: What do you think? Do you agree with her, or do you disagree with her? 

(Randall shakes his head “no.”) 

KEISHA: Randall, why do you disagree with me? 

RANDALL: Because there’s one more character in there. 

KEISHA: Well, Uncle Bill is not really a main character because he just shows up on one or two pages. A main character is when they show up on more of the pages. 

TEACHER: What do you think, Randall? Do you agree with her? 

RANDALL: Yes. 

TEACHER: I like how Keisha used her proof and evidence. She didn’t attack Randall or say, ‘I don’t think so,’ right? She used her proof and her evidence. 

So how do teachers develop discussion-based teaching? Our model involves preparing teacher leaders — professional learning community leaders (PLC leaders) and mentor teachers — to lead this change among colleagues in their schools. To understand how effective teacher-led reform works, we asked three teacher leaders who have successfully led reform around discussion-based teaching to share their stories.  

As an organizing framework to make sense of these narratives, we present our model on the core of teacher-led reform. In this model, we extend Cohen and Ball’s (1999) concept of the instructional core in classrooms (which examines interactions among teachers, students, and content) to consider the dynamics of successful teacher-led reform.  

The three circles in Figure 1 illustrate: 

• The teacher leaders supporting the reform;
• The teachers expected to implement the reform; and
• The reform initiative itself.

We theorize that successful reform requires attention to all three relationships. First, the relationship between teacher leaders and the reform is critical; teacher leaders must have full knowledge of the reform and a vision for how to align it with the notion of “good teaching at this school.” Second, the relationship between reform leaders and teachers must be strong, including reciprocal trust and communication. Third, the relationship between teachers and the reform initiative is also vital; teachers must be open to the reform and see value in it.  

Below, our teacher leader colleagues share their reflections on implementing discussion-based teaching as a reform to improve teaching throughout their schools. Each story illuminates one of the relationships in the core of teacher-led reform and demonstrates how that relationship improves teaching and teacher quality.  

BENITA: Expanding vision and knowledge 

Being a 6th-grade math teacher is my second career. I agreed to mentor new teachers because I believed I had ideas to share; I didn’t realize that as a result I would become a better teacher myself. I tried ideas from the PD on discussion-based teaching in my own classroom and saw my kids participate in ways they hadn’t previously. Before this project, I did most of the talking, and students did the listening. It’s not like that anymore. Through discussion-based teaching, I have become more aware of what I’m doing in the classroom. It is more planned. I really think about what I want to accomplish. I have a whole host of strategies now to facilitate student-centered learning.  

I also participate on the leadership team that plans monthly whole-school PLC meetings and helps to promote a schoolwide vision for discussion-based teaching. Before the reform, our staff was interacting, but we weren’t necessarily talking about student growth or how we could work together to move students forward. Now we have a school goal, and we have a better understanding of how we can collectively help students benefit from our conversations. Our conversations are now about students, student work, and student data, and that is different from when we first started. I think it is useful that our school has a common, agreed-upon vision. In our building, we all understand that discussion-based teaching is what we are supposed to be doing. It has proven to be beneficial for teachers as well as students; it gives us a common place to launch our teaching. 

RHONDA: Inspiring trust and communication 

I was a 4th-grade teacher who was very excited to be our school’s first PLC leader. I tried discussion-based teaching in my classroom and was amazed by the benefits for my students and for the rejuvenation I felt as a new teacher leader. I began to advocate for schoolwide change and did not give up until everyone in the building had tried discussion-based teaching. Getting people to talk and consider change wasn’t easy. When the project began, we were closed-door teachers. A lot has changed in the years we have been working on this reform. We talk more, we share more, we ask questions more, and we are better teachers. At the beginning of the project, we started with a focus on strengthening professional talk and classroom talk.  

I developed my own way of talking about improving talk in classrooms. I coined and used the term “bridging the system” as a way to inspire development of schoolwide norms for student discussions that would build as students moved across grade levels. We remodeled our staff lounge and designed an interactive board to share discussion ideas across grade levels and content areas so, even when we do not see each other, we communicate at all times. The monthly PLC meetings gave us an opportunity to come together, to build relationships, and to learn with and from each other. As a teacher leader, I learned so much. I believe that talk is huge; obviously it ties in with student achievement. When we know more, we do better, and when we build a relationship where we trust each other and know each other, we all do better. 

AMANDA: Developing openness, valuing reform 

As highlighted in the opening of this article, I was initially resistant to discussion-based teaching. A veteran teacher, I saw this reform as another flash in the pan. When Rhonda was persistent in persuading me to give discussion-based teaching a chance, I was willing to have her model in my classroom. I then saw how much my 1st graders enjoyed participating in structured ways to talk about ideas. I saw a huge improvement in my class last year. It was amazing! Using discussion-based teaching in an urban setting allows the kids to feel like they have a say. To give them that chance to take ownership is empowering. It takes time and commitment to see that these ideas about discussion-based teaching have a greater outcome. 

Not only did I change my practice, I then became a mentor teacher and began to participate in the PD with other teacher leaders from my school. My goal now is to help all teachers in my school have shared norms, sentence stems, and activities so all students in our K-8 building can build to more complex discussion participation. As a school, our lower elementary now uses the same hand signs for agree, disagree, and great idea. Our middle school has implemented color codes. So, when my students go from 1st to 2nd grade, they can jump right in to having discussions. That has been our big focus as a school this year. 

Because Rhonda persisted in asking me to give discussion-based teaching a chance, I eventually came to help lead this reform. Seeing the change in my students propels me forward. To see them become able to explain things to each other, to communicate with respect, with evidence and proof is amazing. I had a substitute come in and I came back, and the kids were in tears. I said, “What happened?” They said, “She wouldn’t let us help each other; she wouldn’t let us talk.” They were crushed. That tells me something is working. 

Becoming a better teacher by learning and implementing new ways of teaching requires time, effort, persistence, and a belief that new strategies will enhance student learning.

Lessons 

These three teacher leaders have been responsible for improving teacher quality at their schools. They have inspired changes in practice by implementing a reform, seeing improvement in their own teaching, and by empowering urban youth. As they spread the word about what they were experiencing, they strengthen their own conviction that this reform is worthwhile and necessary for the whole school. What we learned from the experiences of Benita, Rhonda, and Amanda is that teacher leaders are best positioned to improve teacher quality in schools.  

But why are teacher leaders best positioned to improve teacher quality? 

#1. Familiarity and trust. 

With so many mandates and reforms, teachers are often leery about new initiatives. But when the teacher down the hall is trying the new reform and experiencing success, other teachers begin to trust that making a change might be worthwhile. Teacher leaders need to be credible personally and professionally to inspire trust (York-Barr & Duke, 2004). The respect Benita, Rhonda, and Amanda commanded as effective teachers who cared deeply about their students led other teachers to consider their new methods. 

#2. Collegial resources. 

To really change practice, teachers need more than a few lesson ideas. Teachers need a community to learn with and from, share ideas, and share resources that help them make and maintain change. Amanda attended PLC meetings on discussion-based teaching for years before opening up to the change. By that point, she had resources from Rhonda and others — including ideas for partner/group/whole-class talk, questioning, choosing rigorous texts, and tasks. She also had colleagues to troubleshoot with as she made significant changes in her teaching. Amanda was not left alone to make the change. In addition, the multiple teacher leaders in each school were resources for one another as they collectively attended PD and collaborated to lead reform around discussion-based teaching. This collegial effort propelled the reform’s momentum.  

#3. Knowledge and belief in the reform. 

The promise of teacher leadership is that it uses first-person experience to promote reforms. Benita, Rhonda, and Amanda developed knowledge and experience implementing discussion-based teaching in the local context, and they saw improved results in their students’ motivation and learning. As a result, they could passionately convey their beliefs in the potential of the reform to reach to colleagues. Their willingness to take time as full-time teachers to model discussion-based teaching for others underscored their belief in the reform. 

#4. Motivated persistence. 

Given their personal experiences with the reform and their belief that it was good for students, Rhonda, Benita, and Amanda were persistent in their efforts to open doors and build schoolwide visions for discussion-based teaching. Rhonda’s persistence led her to undertake the clearest form of communication for instructional reform: a demonstration using Amanda’s students. Further, the institutional support for implementing this reform persisted for four years because multiple teacher leaders led the effort at each school. There was a consistent message: This reform was no flash in the pan!  

#5. Visibility.

The principals in both schools promoted and supported the work of teacher leaders by giving them space to try new ideas, developing a schoolwide agenda for discussion-based teaching, and celebrating their successes with colleagues. In these ways, they valued and recognized teacher leadership (York-Barr & Duke, 2004), and the reformers were highly visible to teachers whose practice they were seeking to strengthen.  

Conclusion 

As illustrated in our model on the core of teacher-led reform (Figure 1), improving teacher quality from within schools is not just about the characteristics of teacher leaders, teachers, and reforms. The interactions among these three facets are equally important. Our experiences suggest that efforts to implement teacher-led reform rely on vision and knowledge from teacher leaders, trust and communication between teachers and teacher leaders, openness, and a sense of value from teachers considering the reform. With these components, teacher-led reform can truly help build better teachers who empower students.  

• Related: Defining teacher leadership: A framework

References 

Anderson, N., Chapin, S., & O’Connor, C. (2011). Classroom discussions: Seeing math discourse in action. Sausalito, CA: Scholastic Math Solutions. 

Cohen, D.K. & Ball, D.L. (1999). Instruction, capacity, and improvement. (CPRE Research Report No. RR-043). Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania, Consortium for Policy Research in Education.  

Margolis, J. & Huggins, K.S. (2012). Distributed but undefined: New teacher leader roles to change schools. Journal of School Leadership, 22 (5), 953-981. 

McGhan, B. (2002, March). A fundamental education reform: Teacher-led schools. Phi Delta Kappan, 83 (7), 538-540. 

Stanulis, R.N., Little, S., & Wibbens, E. (2012). Intensive mentoring that contributes to change in beginning elementary teachers’ learning to lead classroom discussions. Teaching and Teacher Education, 28, 32-43. 

York-Barr, J. & Duke, K. (2004). What do we know about teacher leadership? Findings from two decades of scholarship. Review of Educational Research, 74 (3), 255-316. 

 

Citation: Stanulis, R.N., Cooper, K.S., Dear, B., Johnston, A.M. & Richard-Todd, R.R. (2016). Learning on the job:  Teacher evaluation can foster real growth. Phi Delta Kappan, 97 (7), 53-57.