Teaching As Leadership framework

For nearly two decades we have studied what distinguishes the most effective teachers and have learned that great teachers exhibit many of the characteristics of great leaders in any context. This knowledge forms the basis of the Teaching As Leadership (TAL) framework, the foundation for how we train and support corps members.

The framework has six main pillars:

• Set an ambitious vision of students' academic success

  Teachers who succeed in leading students in low-income areas to two to four years’ worth of academic progress in a single year set an ambitious, measurable goal for where they want their students to be academically at the end of the year. These big goals, when aligned with established learning standards and coupled with effective investment strategies, energize both teachers and students with the motivation and focus they will need to overcome the inevitable obstacles on the path to academic achievement.

• Invest students and their families in working hard toward the vision

  The most successful classroom leaders break the cycle of self-fulfilling low expectations that often characterizes their students’ sense of self-worth and perspective on school. These teachers change students’ belief that intelligence is a fixed characteristic and show them that if they work hard enough, they will “get smart.” They maintain high expectations for their students at all times, while still meeting them where they are academically to ensure their students can succeed.

• Plan purposefully to meet ambitious academic goals

  To succeed in the challenging environments where the achievement gap is most prevalent, teachers must be strong at backwards planning. They must begin every endeavor, from individual lessons to year-long calendars, with the key questions, “Where are my students now versus where I want them to be?” and “What is the best possible use of time to move them forward?” Highly successful teachers infuse their goal-driven efficiency into every aspect of instruction and classroom management.

• Execute those plans thoroughly and effectively

  Strong classroom leaders are effective executors, making good judgments about when to follow through on their plans and when to adjust them in light of incoming data. They offer their students consistent, caring, demanding leadership, and constantly seek to maximize the time students have to work hard toward their goals.

• Work relentlessly to meet high academic goals for students

  In many low-income communities, schools with the least capacity serve children with the greatest need. To make significant academic progress with students, highly effective teachers go above and beyond the traditional role of “teacher” and do whatever it takes to lead their students to academic success. Our successful corps members refuse to allow the inevitable challenges that they face to become roadblocks. Instead, they see these as obstacles to be overcome on their path to achieving ambitious goals.

• Continuously reflect and improve on leadership and effectiveness

  Strong leaders are their own toughest critics, constantly seeking ways to improve their skills. Our most successful corps members use data to reflect and improve on their teaching and ensure that they maximize their impact.