AWAKENING TEACHER LEADERS: A NEW PARADIGM IN EDUCATION FOR SCHOOL AND STUDENT SUCCESS

For decades, teachers have fulfilled many leadership roles from serving on committees to functioning as department chairs and grade-level leaders in selecting instructional materials and designing curricula. Advocacy for expanded leadership opportunities has become increasingly important in the United States. In response, state policy-makers have established advanced degrees to promote teacher leadership. Research has further shown that when teachers function in leadership roles, the results are positive for school reform, student achievement, and the profession. Because teachers are on the frontline and interact daily with students, teacher leadership is grounded by a set of principles that acknowledges teachers are positioned to make informed decisions and promote needed changes concerning the improvement of the teaching and learning process. While teacher leadership is often viewed as a set of knowledge and skills that enhance the teaching profession, the writer believes teacher leadership is an optimal strategy for school and student success. Teacher leadership is a win-win strategy for public education in states that have endorsed the teacher leadership principle. This contribution aims to bring awareness to teacher leadership. Based on a university advanced degree course the writer has developed, the paper provides a research-based framework for promoting teachers as leaders and ultimately leading to school improvement and student success

\u3cb\u3eReader\u27s Response\u3c/b\u3e: Responsibilities of Teaching

A response to “Transformative Education in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: An Analysis of SoTL Literature” by Lorraine Gilpin & Delores Liston, International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning, Volume 3, Number 2 (July 2009)

Voices from the Field

This research study sought to determine the impact from participation in a practicum field experience on teacher candidates’ perceived professional dispositions for effective teaching. A further intent was to describe what teacher candidates perceived to be the necessary professional dispositions for effective teaching as they reflected on their experiences in their particular preparation contexts. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design was used to examine and understand the development of dispositions from pre-service teachers’ perspectives. The participants consisted of seventeen middle grade undergraduate students who completed over 200 hours of field experience while attending a mid-size university in the Southeastern region of the U.S. The results of a paired-samples t-test showed there was a statistically significant difference on perceived dispositions for effective teaching before practicum experiences and after practicum experiences. From qualitative data analysis, three categories emerged to understand what the pre-service teachers perceived to be professional dispositions for effective teaching: the context for learning, student advocacy, and professional practices. The voices of the seventeen participants in this study provide valuable insights and implications for other teacher education programs who are involved in the planning and development of professional dispositions

GJR Volume 41 Number 1 Spring 2018

The Georgia Journal of Reading\u27s Spring 2018 issue includes: Letter from the Editor by Lina B. Soares (pg. 4) President’s Page by Ron Reigner (pg. 5) Give the Neurological Impress Method Another Chance for One-to-One Fluency Interventions by Melissa M. Mitchell and Dr. Vassiliki Zygouris-Coe (pg. 6) Building Comprehension through Explicit and Organic Vocabulary Instruction for English Learners by Marisa Gonzalez and Dr. Robert A. Griffn (pg. 13) Children’s Literature to Develop Awareness and Advocacy for Social Justice by Dr. Katie Kelly and Dr. Lindsay Yearta (pg. 22) Maximizing Learning: Embedding Phonological Awareness throughout the Day by Dr. Shawnna Helf, Dr. Lindsay Yearta and Dr. Kavin Ming (pg. 30)https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/gjrarchive/1008/thumbnail.jp

GJR Volume 41 Number 2 Winter 2018

The Georgia Journal of Reading\u27s Winter 2018 issue includes: Letter from the Editor by Lina B. Soares (pg. 4) President’s Page by Davetta Grigsby (pg. 5) Teaching to the Test from a Parent’s Perspective by Amy Kettle and Melinda Miller (pg. 6) Reimagining the Traditional Pedagogy of Literacy by Virginie Jackson and Kinsey Shrewsbury (pg. 11) Engaging Strategies for Developing Reading Competencies by Renee Rice Moran, LaShay Jennings., Stacey J. Fisher and Edward J. Dwyer (pg. 24) Taming the Beast: How I Took Back Guided Reading by Laura Sandling (pg. 30)https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/gjrarchive/1007/thumbnail.jp

GJR Volume 42 Number 1 Summer 2019

The Georgia Journal of Reading\u27s Summer 2019 issue includes: Message From the Chair by Davetta Grigsby (pg. 4) Message from the Editor by Lina B. Soares (pg. 5) Diversity in Literacy Education: How Are Literacy Teacher Educators Preparing Teacher Candidates? by Rebekah E. Piper, Laurie A. Sharp and Roberta D. Raymond (pg.6) Exploring the Reading Motivation of Less-Motivated Adolescent Latinx English Learners by Robert A. Griffn (pg. 18) Ready, Set, Grow: Exploring the Readiness and Preparation of Kindergarten Students within a Title 1 School by Morgan Mitchell, Sybil Keesbury and Vicki Luther (pg. 31)https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/gjrarchive/1009/thumbnail.jp

GJR Volume 35 Number 1 Fall 2012

The Georgia Journal of Reading\u27s Fall 2012 issue includes: Message From the Editors by Lina Soares and Christine Draper (pg.4) President’s Page by Lynn C. Minor (pg. 5) Integrating Mathematics and Reading Fluency Instruction in the Primary Grades by Ryan Nivens, Lori Meier, Michael Brikell, and Edward J. Dwyer (pg. 6) Visual Literacy: A Picture Can Be Worth Ten Thousand Words by Stacy Delacruz (pg. 12) Using Interactive Whiteboards to Enhance the Writing Process by Laura Ely and Jerilou Moore (pg. 18) Teacher Influence on Book Selection of Third Grade Students by Shelia Delony and Katie Hathorn (pg. 24) Schema and Scaffolding: Testing Advance Organizers’ Effect on Secondary Students’ Reading Comprehension by Joshua Cuevas (pg. 29)https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/gjrarchive/1002/thumbnail.jp

GJR Volume 37 Number 1 Spring 2014

The Georgia Journal of Reading\u27s Spring 2014 issue includes: Message from the Editors by Lina B. Soares and Christine A. Draper (pg. 4) President’s Page by Loleta Sartin (pg. 5) Quantum Shifts by Gerald Boyd (pg. 6) Literacy Coaching: Providing Leadership and Support for the Next Generation of Teachers by Katie Stover and Crystal Glover (pg. 8) Significance of Prior Knowledge Activation: A Close Look at a Bilingual Kindergarten Student’s Response to a Poem by Alma Stevenson (pg. 14) The Effect of Explicit Instruction with Writing Conventions Among Preservice Teachers by Laurie A. Sharp (pg. 18) Tacky and a Tambourine: Enhancing First Grade Literacy Through Music by Nancy McBride Arrington (pg. 23) Reading the Visual: An Introduction to Teaching Multimodal Literacy (Book Review) by Shannon Howrey (pg. 27)https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/gjrarchive/1005/thumbnail.jp

GJR Volume 36 Number 2 Fall 2013

The Georgia Journal of Reading\u27s Fall 2013 issue includes: Message from the Editors by Lina B. Soares and Christine A. Draper (pg. 4) President’s Page by Loleta Sartin (pg. 5) Helping Strugling Readers Track Their Own Learning Growth by Susan Szabo (pg. 6) The ABCs of Literacy: Creating Excitement About Learning Through Reading, Writing and Poetry in an Early Learning College Literacy Session by Anne Katz (pg. 11) Close Reading of Informational Texts: Assessment-Driven Instruction in Grades 3-8 by Lina B. Soares and Christine A. Draper (pg. 17) Teaching Academic Vocabulary K-8: Effective Practices Across the Curriculum by Christine A. Draper and Lina B. Soares (pg. 20)https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/gjrarchive/1003/thumbnail.jp