Science Teacher Leadership Institute
Developed for:
High school teachers who serve part-time or full-time in leadership roles in their schools or districts, and who are implementing science education reform in schools. It is assumed they bring with them experiences with and viewpoints about science education reform.
Format:
A five-day residential retreat. Days will include six hours of whole-group discussions as well as informal but planned and productive interactions for several hours each day.
Goal:
To work with case studies of teacher-leader experiences and interact with other teacher leaders to improve the effectiveness of approaches to changing science education in participants’ schools or school systems.
Content:
- Day 1: Teachers spend the day reminding themselves of the “it” of the reform and the nature of good science teaching and learning by engaging in and reflecting deeply on science learning from curriculum materials similar to those they use in their classrooms.
- Day 2: Teachers consider the characteristics of a school that supports or impedes their work, and make a realistic assessment of the role they can play in that environment
- Day 3: Teachers investigate the various roles they can play in assisting individual colleagues and identifying the strategic options available to them in that work.
- Day 4: Teachers investigate the various roles they can play in their work with teachers in groups.
- Day 5: Teachers devise actual work plans for themselves with the assistance and advice of facilitators and teacher leaders in the institute.
Features:
The retreat will provide opportunities for participants to:
- Confer with each other about their experiences and plans.
- Have discussions that troubleshoot issues related to colleague resistance, availability of time and funds, access to classrooms and school leaders, administrative support, and other concerns.
- Reflect on their own strengths and needs, and consider knowledge and strategies being offered by the institute.
- Consider such strategies as one-on-one mentoring or coaching, and the various structures for working with groups.
- Examine leadership case studies.
- Receive models for formulating leadership work plans.
To learn more about this opportunity, contact Joe Flynn at highschool@edc.org or 617-618-2684
