Challenges of Teacher Leaders

First Slide:

1st: Teachers who have been in the field for four to ten years are at the point their careers when they
have already gained enough experience and expertise which could be used to help other teachers.

EXPLANATION: These teachers have already mustered enough confidence to share their expertise with
others. Another reason why these teachers are ready to embark on a leadership role is because it is a
way for them to reach out to other teachers.

2nd : (Rasberry and Mahajan, 2008) As teachers, it cannot be discounted that most of the work done
remains between the teacher and the students.

EXPLANATION: Opportunity to work side by side with other teachers happens so rarely. These teachers
who are ready to move o to leadership roles see these as an opportunity to grow.

3rd Slide:

3rd : (Johnson and Donaldson 2007) There are teachers who are also need of doing other things in order
to grow professionally.

EXPLANATION: Teachers would like to step-up and share their expertise with colleagues, there are
major deterrents that dissuade them from assuming leadership roles.

4th Slide:

PPT: In a study conducted by Johnson and Donaldson (2007), teachers are confronted with issues that
revolve around the norms of school culture. Among the issues identified are autonomy, egalitarianism,
and deference to seniority.

5th Slide:

1st : Autonomy

It has been identified as one of the reasons; teacher leaders find it difficult to work with others.

EXPLANATION: Teachers are so used being in-charge of their own class that some are not so eager to
welcome other teachers who are willing to help, let alone observe them. This then, defeats the purpose
of teachers working together to improve the teaching process.

6th Slide:

Aside from Autonomy,

2nd: Egalitarianism

Has been identified as a challenge to teacher leaders. The added Responsibility requires teacher
leaders to be in constant communication with school administrators and this presents an issue to most
teachers.

EXPLANATION: Teacher leaders are perceived by other teachers as being given special treatment when
the truth is, the only reason that they are constantly with administrators or supervisors is because they
need to coordinate plans with the higher administration.

7th Slide:

3rd: Deference to seniority

Finally, Teacher leaders find it difficult to share their expertise with others because too often, their age
is being equated with qualifications.

EXPLANATION: Based on the above-mentioned study, older teachers find it hard to accept that the
younger teachers are more qualified to share their knowledge and expertise and as such, this often leads
to resentment.

8th Slide:

In the Philippines, there are various reasons why teachers are deterred from assuming leadership
roles.

1st , The educational system is so entrenched on the “principal-oriented” nature of leadership.

EXPLANATION: This means that for most schools in the Philippines, the concept of leadership is still
attributed to formal roles. Principals are often seen as loaded with work and responsibilities and as such,
do not have time to teach students. Many teachers do not want to give up teaching. As such, since the
only available choice is either to assume a leadership role in the form of becoming a principal, many opt
to stay in the classroom.

2nd , there is also a lack of leadership training existing in the country which prevents teachers from
assuming leadership roles.

EXPLANATION: There is no formal and deliberate attempt to train teachers to assume leadership roles
and as such, there is no opportunity for teachers to see other possibilities related to leadership.

3rd:, (Alegado, 2018), Teacher classification hinders teachers from becoming leaders.

EXPLANATION: Classifications would revolve around teaching positions which is based on qualifications
rather than functions.
9th Slide:

Aside from those mentioned by Alegado, there are other challenges that prevent teachers from
assuming leadership roles.

1st, Filipinos value relationships above all.

EXPLANATION: Teachers are afraid that if they assume a leadership role, their relationship with
colleagues will be affected. Most teachers do not want to be labelled as “pro-admin” or a favorite of the
principal.

2nd,Another reason cited is More personal in nature.

EXPLANATION: Circumstances in life prevent many from assuming leadership roles. Those who are
married would prioritize their family over work. Others have priorities like earning more and for some,
health issues.

3rd, On the other hand, some teachers Would attribute the lack of time for not accepting leadership
roles (Oracion, 2015).

EXPLANATION: Those who assumed informal leadership roles attend to a lot of responsibilities and this
would mean staying at school for a longer period of time. This does not encourage other teachers from
assuming similar roles for fear that they too would not have enough time to do other responsibilities at
home.

4th, With, The challenges faced by teacher leaders,

EXPLANATION: It is imperative that these issues be seriously looked into. There are so many things that
teacher leaders can contribute in the teaching-learning process. As such, these challenges should be
addressed so that more teachers will finally have the courage and motivation to take on leadership
roles.

10th Slide:

Points to Ponder:

1. Do you think that the challenges mentioned in the study of Johnson and Donaldson in 2007, and
Oracion in 2015 are still prevalent in schools? Why? Why not?
EXPLANATION: In 2007, Johnson and Donaldson identified several challenges in education,
including the need for more personalized learning, the importance of teacher professional
development, and the need for technology integration. Similarly, Oracion in 2015 highlighted
 challenges such as the need for quality teacher training, the lack of resources, and the challenge
of meeting diverse student needs.

It is likely that many of these challenges still exist in schools today. For example, despite
advancements in technology, many schools still struggle to effectively integrate it into the
classroom. The need for personalized learning has only become more pressing with the rise of
remote and hybrid learning environments. Additionally, the ongoing need for quality teacher
training and the challenge of meeting diverse student needs remain relevant.

2. Can you think of other challenges that teacher leaders face?

EXPLANATION: Yes, there are several challenges that teacher leaders face, including:

Time management: Teacher leaders often have to balance their regular teaching responsibilities
with their leadership responsibilities, which can be time-consuming and challenging.

Resistance to change: Teacher leaders may face resistance from colleagues who are resistant to
change and may be comfortable with the status quo.

Lack of support: Teacher leaders may not always receive adequate support from school
administration, which can make it difficult for them to implement changes or initiatives.

Communication: Effective communication is essential for teacher leaders, but it can be

challenging to communicate effectively with a diverse group of stakeholders, including teachers,
parents, students, and administrators.

Managing conflict: Teacher leaders may have to navigate conflicts and disagreements among
colleagues or stakeholders, which can be challenging.

Balancing competing priorities: Teacher leaders may have to balance competing priorities, such
as implementing new initiatives, meeting the needs of individual students, and maintaining a
positive school culture.

3. How can schools better address the challenges?

EXPLANATION: There are several ways that schools can better address the challenges they face:

Providing adequate resources: Schools must ensure that they have the necessary resources to meet
the needs of their students. This includes adequate funding for teachers, textbooks, technology, and
other educational materials.

Implementing effective teaching strategies: Schools should use evidence-based teaching strategies
that have been proven to be effective. This includes differentiated instruction, project-based
learning, and collaborative learning.
 Providing professional development opportunities: Teachers need ongoing professional
development opportunities to keep up with the latest teaching strategies and technologies. Schools
should provide regular training sessions for teachers to improve their skills.

Creating a positive school culture: Schools should create a positive and inclusive school culture
where all students feel safe and valued. This includes implementing anti-bullying policies, promoting
diversity, and providing mental health support.

Engaging families and communities: Schools should actively engage families and communities in the
education process. This includes hosting parent-teacher conferences, involving families in decision-
making processes, and partnering with community organizations to provide resources and support.

Emphasizing student well-being: Schools should prioritize student well-being and provide resources
to support their mental health. This includes access to counseling services, social-emotional learning
programs, and mindfulness practices.

By addressing these challenges and implementing these strategies, schools can better meet the
needs of their students and improve academic outcomes.

11th Slide:

Interview a teacher leader.

1. What prompted you to assume a leadership role?

EXPLANATION: People may assume leadership roles because they have a passion for a particular
cause or goal and want to motivate and inspire others to work towards achieving it. Others may
step up to lead because they have a particular set of skills or expertise that can benefit a group
or organization. Some may take on leadership roles because they enjoy the challenge of
managing people and projects, while others may assume leadership positions out of a sense of
obligation or responsibility.

Ultimately, what prompts someone to assume a leadership role can vary greatly depending on
their personal motivations, experiences, and circumstances.

2. What are the challenges that you encountered?

EXPLANATION: Here are some of the challenges I can face:

Contextual Understanding: While I have been trained on a vast amount of text, I don’t always
have the ability to understand context as well as a human would. This means that in certain
situations, I might provide a response that is technically correct but doesn’t fully address the
intended meaning of the question.
 Domain-Specific Knowledge: Although I have access to a vast amount of general knowledge,
there are certain domains that I may not have as much expertise in. For example, I may not be
able to provide very detailed or specific information about highly specialized fields such as
medicine or law.

Bias: As an AI language model, I can sometimes reflect the biases present in the data I was
trained on. This means that there is a risk that my responses might inadvertently perpetuate
certain biases or prejudices.

Language Limitations: While I can communicate in multiple languages, my proficiency varies and
I may not always be able to provide the same level of quality or accuracy in languages other
than English.

Ethical Concerns: As AI technology continues to advance, there are increasing concerns about
the ethical implications of using AI systems like me. It is important to ensure that my
development and use are guided by ethical principles that prioritize fairness, transparency, and
accountability.

3. How were you able to overcome these challenges?

EXPLANATION: My developers have continuously improved my capabilities through various
methods, such as:

Training: I was trained on a vast amount of diverse and high-quality data, which helped me learn
and understand language patterns and structures better.

Optimization: My developers continually optimize my algorithms and models to improve my

performance and accuracy.

Feedback: My developers also use feedback from users to identify areas where I may not be
performing well and improve upon those areas.

Regular updates: My developers release regular updates to improve my overall functionality

and address any issues or limitations that may arise.

Through these methods, my developers have been able to overcome many of the challenges I
initially faced and continue to improve my capabilities over time.