Learning With Teacher Leaders: Takeaways From a Course Facilitator

When I completed the Certificate of International School Leadership in July of 2023, I knew I wanted to remain involved with the Principals’ Training Center (PTC). Its mission to serve the unique needs of international educators and school leaders is something I’ve valued since I started teaching in 2006. I was beyond excited to receive an invitation to facilitate the Leadership Tools course, part of the Teacher Leader Institute for the first time. In this article, I wanted to share some of my reflections from this experience, particularly with those in educational leadership roles or aspiring to them. The insights here offer a nuanced, human-centered approach to leadership in international schools, challenging readers to think critically about the importance of empathy, flexibility, and ongoing professional growth in navigating the complexities of leadership.

Sonder

Coined by John Koenig in 2012, sonder is yet to find its way to the likes of the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Regardless, it describes the notion that everyone has a full life filled with untold stories unknown to others. These, in turn, shape perspectives, ways of working, and approaches to leading in international schools. In the context of education, sonder means that no two people approach challenges and opportunities in their school in the same way. The fact that sonder is invisible makes it even more important to approach collaboration with empathy and curiosity. As the nearly 70 participants navigated the same course, it became apparent that reflection, identification of next steps, and the recognition of sonder in others is essential for the success of teams. 

Differentiation and Growth

Just like differentiation in our learning spaces is key to meet students’ zone of proximal development, professional learning needs to follow suit. Teacher leaders who joined the course (and those in our schools) are in different places in their careers, from aspiring to seasoned international school leaders. Outside of their formal roles, they bring a diverse wealth of knowledge and expertise. 

Participants in this eight week cohort-based course were given choice in a biweekly job-embedded practice of course material, in the articles and resources they engaged in as part of online discussions, and in the modes of expression when sharing their learning. For any given “Go Deeper” section, designed to extend thinking in the module, participants engaged in reflection and conversations for each of the six to eight options. This shows the variety of priorities and interests in the cohort. 

Based on this diversity, it is an unrealistic expectation that all will meet Standards of Practice for International Teacher Leaders by the end of the eight weeks. The course, instead, focuses on growth and differentiation, allowing teachers to engage with these standards in a way that recognizes their interests, sonder, and relevance for their work. “Growth, reflection, and continuous learning”, that’s the name of the game! My biggest takeaway from this is the perpetual need to refine this flexibility in professional learning in my own organization.

V.U.C.A.

Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) as a concept has existed since the 1980s, and has been making its way into the lexicon of organizations since. In education, even if often used in connection to specific events that disrupt the operations of schools, it never really goes away. 

Participants shared, either subtly or explicitly, all of its influence in the work of international educators. Interestingly, participants who work in the same schools and even the same teams view these characteristics differently. Both because their perspectives might differ, and because the circumstances are changing, unpredictable, have multiple moving parts, and aren’t always clear. In a sort of addition to the Indian fable of the blind men and the elephant, the animal itself keeps evolving, just as our understanding of the challenges continues to change. 

It made me think of the need to prepare teams to respond to school contexts that don’t always feel urgent but are always in flux. Cue the modules in the Leadership Tools course, which included exercises on goal-setting with SMART(IE) goals, team function and impact, and strategies for getting to know each other.

Tie-Ing It All Together (pun intended)

The International Baccalaureate (IB) workshops I lead focus largely on technical aspects of teaching subjects in the Diploma Programme - rubrics, assessments, syllabi. It was just as fascinating and rewarding to support teacher leaders in a different facet of international education – to develop their empathy skills and embrace the complexities of school leadership, rather than attempt to reduce it. Our strengths lie not in having all the answers, but in our ability to learn, adapt, and grow together. 

References

‌David. “The Fable of the Blind Men and the Elephant.” Engagement - a Point of View, 8 Oct. 2017, ozroamer.wordpress.com/2017/10/09/the-fable-of-the-blind-men-and-the-elephant/. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

“The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.” Thedictionaryofobscuresorrows.com, 2024, www.thedictionaryofobscuresorrows.com/concept/sonder. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

The PTC. “Principals’ Training Center.” Principals’ Training Center, 2014, www.theptc.org/standards-for-intl-teacher-leaders. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.‌