Q: I’ve been in the classroom for more than five years now and I’d like to dip my toe in the leadership pond. How can I start gaining leadership experience as a classroom teacher without leaving my job?
A: Long before we realize we are leaders, we practice leadership, especially in the classroom. When I worked at a small school, its size and limited staff capacity made it possible for many of us to have our hands in important leadership opportunities, including committee work, hiring, the union, or even professional organizations outside the building. Some of the most powerful leadership in a school comes from teachers who stay close to students while influencing practice, culture, and systems one step at a time. The trick is to think of leadership less as a title and more as expanded impact — on colleagues, on instructional quality, and ultimately on student learning.
Below are practical, low-risk ways to “dip your toe in the leadership pond” while keeping your current job — and keeping your credibility as a practicing classroom teacher.
Reframe leadership as a set of roles, not a job change
One helpful way to begin is to choose a leadership role you can try on, rather than chasing an official position. There are many roles teacher leaders can take — some formal, many informal — such as resource provider, instructional specialist, learning facilitator, mentor, data coach, catalyst for change, and more (Harrison & Killion, 2012).
If the word “leader” makes you picture a clipboard and meetings all day, this is your permission slip: You can lead by doing real work that makes other people’s work easier and student learning stronger. I’d start by redefining leadership as a pathway to impact. What does that look like for you, and who will you be working with to lead the charge?
Pick one “leadership lane” to start with
The National Education Association’s Teacher Leader Model Standards outline seven domains of teacher leadership: collaborative culture, research use, professional learning, instruction improvement, data use, family/community partnerships, and advocacy. Select one domain you can work on. Choosing one lane to start prevents “trying leadership” from turning into “doing everything.”
There are many ways to work in these domains from the classroom. My first classroom leadership opportunity came when I was the newspaper faculty adviser. I had many opportunities in this role to learn about budgeting, collaboration, conferences, and elevating student voices, just as I wanted to elevate my own.
Six classroom-compatible ways to build leadership experience (without a new title)
- Become a “resource provider” who saves colleagues time: This is one of the easiest entry points. Curate and share what’s working for you: templates, rubrics, routines, short exemplars, pacing guides, or tools you’ve tested. Choose one recurring pain point (late work policies, feedback workload, small-group routines, parent communication) and build a one-page “what I’m doing + why + materials” that you can share. I’ve also found success building a shareable document that offers up a variety of resources for work we’re doing as a professional learning community (PLC) or grade-level team.
- Mentor (even informally) and build leadership through relationships: Mentoring is a classic teacher-leader pathway. It can be formal (an assigned mentor) or informal (a colleague who helps a new teacher thrive). Offer one new teacher a monthly 20-minute “swap and solve”: Each of you brings one challenge, you share one concrete move, and you follow up with a quick check-in. Having the opportunity to mentor can be both rewarding and fascinating. As a mentor, I found that I learned just as much as my mentee, and I developed a keen eye for what to notice in the classroom, which helped me when I moved into my leadership position.
- Facilitate learning in your PLC — without becoming “the boss”: Teacher leaders can plan professional learning that connects directly to classroom practice. For example, you might run a 10-minute micro-PD in a team meeting that highlights effective routines you have tried, or demonstrate a quick template, or share a video of your students doing the learning. Keep it small, optional, and classroom-grounded.
- Be a “data coach” who turns information into action: A data coach doesn’t just show numbers; they help teams interpret and respond. Teacher leaders can guide colleagues to look at results, identify strengths/needs, and plan next instruction. In my latest book with Michael McDowell, Actionable Assessment, we go deeply into how you can use data to make a larger impact in the classroom. Lead one 30-minute team conversation using this tight protocol: What do we notice? What could be the root cause? What’s one instructional response we’ll try? What evidence will we collect next?
- Be a catalyst for change — by asking the questions everyone avoids: Leadership is often about posing the right questions and surfacing what matters (equity, engagement, access, discipline patterns, assessment consistency). Bring one “curious question” to a meeting that moves practice forward. I used to ask questions all the time about ways to elevate practice, shifting from teacher-centered paradigms to learner-led ones. I tried to ask the questions that some of my colleagues may have been afraid to ask. When we approach change with curiosity and positive intent, it doesn’t come off as accusatory.
- Lead beyond the building through professional contributions: Teacher leaders can be spokespeople, authors, action researchers, committee facilitators, and advocates. My first outside leadership role was with the Journalism Education Association (JEA). After attending their conferences and presenting, I wanted to do more. First, I took over the state director position, which put me in touch with other journalism teachers and allowed me to share resources. I also held roles on their certification team. If you aren’t ready to go outside your school, start by volunteering to work on a school newsletter or by asking to present at your district’s professional learning day.
Protecting your credibility
As you begin leading, you’re walking a relationship tightrope. You’re still “one of the teachers,” but you’re also stepping into influence. Here are some practical reminders: Learn to communicate professionally with both administrators and teachers, stay connected to students, teach others how to lead, avoid getting stuck in lounge negativity, and don’t push colleagues faster than they’re ready to go (Vilson, 2012). This last one is really important. I made this mistake a few times because of my excitement about sharing what was happening before my colleagues were interested or ready, and it resulted in some backlash. Learn from my mistake.
A helpful personal rule: Aim to be a bridge, not a messenger or a martyr.
Consider a structured growth path: National Board Certification
If you want leadership experience that’s recognized and skill-building (without leaving teaching), National Board Certification is designed to develop and recognize accomplished teaching and drive ongoing improvement in schools. This experience absolutely changed the way I taught. It is a deeply reflective experience, and much of the work I grew into came out of the learning I did. National Board is one professional growth path, but you can also consider certifications that are smaller commitments, like JEA’s Certified Journalism Education program or one of Google’s certification programs, if tech is your interest.
Even if you don’t pursue it immediately, explore whether your district supports it — many systems treat it as a leadership pathway because it sharpens practice and positions you to mentor others.
References
Harrison, C. & Killion, J. (2007). Ten roles for teacher leaders. Educational Leadership, 65 (1).
Vilson, J. (2012, November 7). Three dos and don’ts of transformative teacher leadership. Edutopia.
If you have an issue that you would like me to address, please email me at ssackstein@educatorsrising.org. You will be kept anonymous.
This article appears in the Summer 2026 issue of Kappan, Vol. 107, No. 5-6.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Starr Sackstein
Starr Sackstein is the Massachusetts state coordinator for PDK’s Educators Rising program, COO of Mastery Portfolio, an education consultant, instructional coach, and author. She was a high school English and journalism teacher and school district curriculum leader. She is the author of more than 15 educational books, including Hacking Assessment (Times 10, 2015), Making an Impact Outside of the Classroom (Routledge, 2024), and Actionable Assessment (Routledge, 2026).
Visit their website at: https://www.mssackstein.com/
