ProfessionalCapitalHandout

Chapter1-ACapitalIdea
When the vast majority of teachers come to exemplify the power of professional capital, they
become smart and talented, committed and collegial, thoughtful and wise. Their moral purpose is
expressed in their relentless, expert-driven pursuit of serving their students and their communities,
and learning, always learning, how to do that better (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012, p 5).

Important Messages:

1. Taking a business capital approach to education is not the right way to attract long-term
and driven teachers. In fact, the teachers it does attract are typically temporary.
2. Professional capital recognizes the importance of the long-term investment: educational
spending is a long-term investment in developing human capital from early childhood to
adult life, to reap the rewards of economic productivity and social cohesion in the next
generation (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012, p. 2). Also, this approach to education attracts
thoroughly prepared and driven teachers.
3. Working with others is imperative to making change. Tina Rosenburg, author of Join the
Club: How Peer Pressure Can Transform the World, coins the term social cure, providing a
stance through her research that groups are more powerful than the individual (as cited in
Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012, p. 8).

AS A LEADER, this chapter defined and mapped out the importance of Professional Capital, the idea
that authors Andy Hargreaves and Michael Fullan have coined. Hargreaves and Fullan have
provided almost a formula for their term: Professional Capital is the sum of human capital, social
capital and decisional capital. Learning about how business capital, a top-down structure that is
popular in the United States, can lead to teacher burn-out and very little progress helped me to
realize the importance of power with rather than power over, an idea introduced by Mary Parker
Follett. This is where Professional Capital comes in. When educators work together (power with)
rather than in a top-down structure (power over), we have the chance to promote meaningful
change in education. Learning about the factors that compose professional capital has helped me to
become a better leader because I am beginning to understand the importance of a group dynamic
rather than an individualized approach. In fact, Margaret Mead once said never doubt that a small
group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world (as cited in Hargreaves & Fullan,
2012, p. 8).

Chapter2-CompetingViewsofTeaching

Importantmessages:
 Focusonimprovingthequalityofteachingofindividualteacherswillnot
resultinthewidespreadchangesnecessarytoimprovethecultureofa
schoolordistrict.
Teachersmustworktogetherandsupportoneanotherinordertoraisethe
qualityoftheeducationalexperienceinourschoolsforbothstudentsand
teachers.
Effortmustbemadebyschoolleadersandteacherstoimprovetheoverall
qualityoftheentireprofession.

ThischapterhelpedmetorealizethatasaleaderIwillneedtofocusonbringing
aboutchangewithinmyownbuildingaswellasthroughoutthedistrict.Inmy
buildingitwillbenecessaryformetosupportandencourageteachersandto
fostercollaborationamongthemtocreateapositiveschoolculture.Iwillneedto
educatethosewithinmybuildingandthroughoutthedistrictaboutthebenefitsof
teachersdistrict-wideworkingtogethertobringaboutchange.

Chapter 3 - Stereotypes of teaching

Important Messages:

- Teaching is NOT one dimensional. Its more complicated than people think.
- If you want to change teachers, you have to change the job that teachers do and then bring in good and
well-prepared people to do it. pg 31
- Education has came such a long way already. Just imagine how many more positive changes we can
make if we empower others!

As a leader this helped me to reflect on stereotypes in teaching and reminds me to see the bigger picture. There
are many aspects that play a role in teaching.

Chapter4(p.4677)

ImportantMessages:

Effectiveteachingcannotbecarriedoutinascripted,line-by-line,model.Teachersneedsome
degreeofautonomywithintheirclassroomsinordertothrive.
Whenteachersfeelasenseofaccomplishment,orcapability,theirconfidenceandcommitment
risesandmakesthemmorewillingtoembracechangeandimplementnewteachingpractices.
Teachercommitmentislinkedtoeffectivenessandinfluencedbyamultitudeoffactorswithin
theirpersonallives,professionallives,andtheoverallschoolenvironment.
Asaleader,thischapterprovidedinsightintoteachercapabilitiesandcommitment.It
outlinedthenecessarycomponentsofteacherengagementaswellasthefactorsthat
contributetoautonomyandjobsatisfaction.IthelpedmereflectonwhatIcandoin
mycurrentpositiontosupportandretainstaff.

Chapter4(p.63-75)

ImportantMessages:
Youcantunderstandtheteacherortheirteachingwithoutunderstandingthepersonthe
teacheris.
Tounderstandateacher,youmustfirstunderstandwhatstageoflifeandcareertheyarein(six
careerphases,p.64).
Theteachersinmid-career,arethemostoverlooked,butmostdesireableduetotheirhighlevels
ofcapabilityaswellascommitment.

Asaleader,Idevelopedabetterunderstandingofwhyteachersactinthewaysthattheydo.Career
stagesplayadramaticroleintheeffectivenessofateacher,accordingtothissection.Thedifference
betweennewteachers,mid-yearteachers,andveteranteacherswerediscussed.Thisdiscussion,helped
togainanewperspectiveonthelevelsofcommitmentandcapabilitiesthatpeopleineachagebracket
contributetomakeforanenvironmentofwideculture.

Chapter6(pgs.103-126)-ProfessionalCulture&Communities
ImportantMessages:

-Collegiality can provide a starting point and a necessary first step toward building collaborative cultures
with focus and depth.
-We should not eradicate individuality. Individuality generates creative disagreement and risk.
-Talk together, plan together, work together.

*Asaleader this helped me know how to examine individuals, their own culture and how it impacts
professional learning communities. When teachers work together professional capital increases and
student achievement becomes more successful.


Chapter6(pg.127-147)ProfessionalCulture&Communitiescontd
ImportantMessages:
PLCsneedanarchitectureandorganizationinordertosucceed.
Finlandallocatestimeduringtheschooldayforteacherstomeetandcollaborate.
Teammeetingsneedacommonlyagreedpurposeandagenda.
TheseareNOTprofessionaldatacommitteesorprofessionaltestscorecommittees.
Collectiveresponsibilitythatgoesbeyondsimplycommitment

Pushvs.Pull
PLCs,collaboration,andchangeareasmuchaboutpullingpeopletowardsinterestingchange
throughexcitement,inspiration,passion/purpose,opportunitiestocollaborateoutsideof
classroomresponsibilities,andpositiveenergy.
Occasionally,peopleneedpushedoutsidetheircomfortzone.
Excessiveamountsofpushingcanbeperceivedasbullyingbytheadministration.

Co-opetition(page141)
Competitionishumannature.
Competitioncanbeanobstacleifnotregulated.
Healthyandpurposefulcompetitionthatcanbecapitalizedonoccurswhencollective
responsibility&collaborativecompetitioncometogether.

Asaleader:Thischaptersupportedthetheorythatprofessionalslearnfromandperformbetter
whengiventheopportunitytocollaboratewithotherprofessionals.Aprofessionallearningcommunity
(PLC)connectsthewayteachersimplementtheirworktotheactualpeoplethattheyare,thegoalthey
arestrivingfor,theircolleagues,andwhetherornottheyareimproving.Professionalculturesneedto
becollaborative,notjustamonggradelevelsbutamongbuildingsandevenacrossdistricts.For
example,ahighperformingdistrictcanhelpalowperformingdistrict.

 Chapter7-EnactingChange
Threetakeaways:
1. As a school or district leader, if you grow your professional capital, your
job can actually become easier and more powerful.
2. Unless principals stay connected to teachers and students learning, their
own professional capital will atrophy over time.
3. We need to declare that testing has gone too far, that technology is not the
easy answer, that a great society is built on truly great teachers who exude
professional capital...that if we want to be among the worlds best, we must
start to behave like the words best.

Howthischapterimpactsmeasaleader:
I think my chapter does a great job at laying out specific steps for change. I also
appreciate how they tweak the steps based on who is performing them. Its clear
through this chapter that teachers enact change in a very different way than
principals and school leaders. I benefit from this because I am beginning to learn
the differences in a teachers daily responsibilities and that of a school leader.