Middle level instructional teams that have a focus on coordinating the curriculum and improving teaching strategies to increase student learning are in the enviable position to harness the power and advantage identified so clearly by Lencioni in his leadership fable.  Their ability to succeed at their multiple tasks hinges on a number of critical factors, not the least of which is ongoing development and support of team leaders.

 

Together with the principal, team leaders share the responsibility for transforming schools from educational organizations to true learning communities.  Through school wide weekly team leader meetings and at other opportune times, team leaders should be co-leaders of the school involved in school-wide goal setting and decision-making. As learning-centered leaders, they are potentially strong collaborators in the creation of successful schools for young adolescents.

 

In the day-to-day operation of the teams, team leaders should act as facilitators responsible for maintaining the focus on team and school-level tasks related to the most important goal of improving teaching and learning.  Due to the nature of a team and unlike some other school organizational models, their learning-centered leadership must be asserted without compromising the equal status nature of teachers as colleagues.

 

Simply put, in addition to subject matter knowledge, knowledge of the learners, and instructional skills, these teacher leaders require expertise in a variety of areas. These include, but are not limited to, communication, group decision-making, goal setting and evaluation, time management, team building,

Team Leadership:

Helping to Make Team Leaders Effective

By Marcia Ross and Robert C. Spear Ed.D

 

Marcia Ross is Principal of the award winning Oyster River Middle School in Durham, NH

Robert C. Spear is the Executive Director, New England League of Middle Schools

problem solving and use of an inquiry process. Team leaders should also have a working knowledge of group norms and operating procedures that will enhance each team’s ability to function effectively.

 

The ability of team leaders to be effective is determined to a great extent by their opportunities to develop the skills necessary to their school-wide and team specific responsibilities and the support of school and district leaders. Team leader training must be an important part of the professional development plan of middle level schools.  The middle school movement is a well-researched reform initiative.  We need to continue to develop the learning-centered leaders needed to create and sustain successful schools for young adolescents.

 

Resources Cited:

Anfara, V.A. and others (2003). Research and resources: In support of This We Believe. National Middle School Association.

 

Jackson, A.W. and Davis, G.A. (2000) Turning points 2000. New York: Teachers College Press.

 

Lencioni, P. (2002). The five dysfunctions of a team.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

 

Sergiovanni, T.J. (1992).  Moral leadership: Getting to the heart of school improvement. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

 

This is another in a series of articles created by The New England League of Middle Schools on a variety of middle level topics.  For more information about specific practices and answers to your questions, please contact the New England League of Middle Schools by email at nelms@nelms.org or phone (978) 887-6263.  Information is also available on the NELMS web site at www.nelms.org.  We welcome your inquiries!