As a teacher, you don’t have to wait for an official administrative title to start developing crucial leadership skills. In fact, your classroom is the perfect proving ground to cultivate the qualities and competencies needed for future roles. Here are five strategic ways to develop your leadership skills right where you are:
Spearhead Instructional Initiatives
Look for opportunities to lead instructional improvement efforts within your teaching team or department. This could involve researching and presenting on an effective new pedagogical approach, developing common assessment tools, or facilitating data-driven discussions about student learning. Stepping up to lead this important work demonstrates your initiative and ability to guide colleagues in enhancing practice.
Seek Teacher Leadership Roles
Is there a grade-level chair, department head, or instructional coach role you could take on? Pursuing these teacher leader positions provides valuable experience in leading peer groups, facilitating collaboration, and providing coaching and feedback. Even leading smaller efforts – like a curriculum committee or staff social – builds your skills in project management, delegation, and team motivation. Don’t wait to be asked – seek out leadership roles proactively.
Design Professional Learning
Work with your principal or instructional coaches to design and lead relevant professional development sessions for colleagues. Share your expertise on effective strategies you’ve used in your classroom. Lead a book study on the latest education research. Facilitating adult learning is a key part of being an effective school leader, so you should start honing this skill set right now. You’ll build confidence in your ability to lead staff development and foster continual growth.
Engage in School Initiatives
Raise your hand to be part of school-wide committees or initiative teams tackling high-priority issues. This allows you to impact school improvement beyond your individual classroom walls. It provides front-row insight into the complexities of whole-school change and stakeholder collaboration. You’ll learn to navigate diverse perspectives while working toward collective goals. The best piece of advice I can give here is if your campus has a guiding coalition, you need to be part of it. That’s where the magic happens when it comes to leading the instructional program of your campus.
Reflect and Seek Feedback
Developing your leadership skills requires self-awareness and openness to growth. Regularly reflect on how you’re applying and strengthening your leadership in the classroom. After a particularly challenging situation, consider how you might approach it differently as a leader. Seek feedback from your principal or trusted colleagues on your leadership development areas and potential. Their outside perspective will help you identify strengths to leverage or gaps to address.
In Conclusion…
Remember, strong leadership is honed through experience, not granted by a title. By intentionally seizing leadership opportunities while teaching, you build the necessary skills and credibility to eventually take on more formal administrative roles. Start cultivating your leadership in the classroom today – your future self will thank you.
Looking for more resources for aspiring assistant principals?
Click here to access a collection of resources just for aspiring assistant principals.
🏆 Visit our Gumroad store now and discover:
Unlock your leadership potential with our comprehensive suite of preparation resources! Whether you’re just starting to consider the leap into administration or you’re gearing up for interviews, we have the tools you need to succeed.
- Tailored packages for every stage of your journey
- Expert-crafted guides and templates
- Resources to help you stand out in interviews
- Tools to define your unique leadership philosophy
The absolute best resource we have to offer for aspiring assistant principals:
If you are ready to up your game in preparation for assistant principal interviews, you should check out our flagship course: The Assistant Principal Interview Bootcamp. When you enroll in the Assistant Principal Interview Bootcamp, you will receive LIFETIME access to the course as well as any future updates. In this course, we will show you how to:
- Set yourself apart from the other candidates by identifying your “differentiators”
- Use stories as a way to build trust and leave a lasting impression on the interview committee
- Prepare for the questions the interview committee is most likely to ask
- “Do your homework” on the campus or district before showing up for your interview
- Have more confidence than you have ever had going into an assistant principal interview
You can also sign up for our newsletter to have insights, tips, and resources delivered straight to your inbox!