Every school has a unique power dynamic. Some work, some do not. The power dynamic at my school is not typical. In most schools, power is held by the administration and everyone beneath them must follow their rules. Essentially, it is there way or the highway. It is not like this at my school. My school has a very open line of communication between administration and teachers. The fact that my administration keeps these lines open does not make them any less powerful. Unifying the staff as a whole enables more power to be shared amongst all. This sharing of power and open communication makes our faculty stronger.
I can use this information to implement change at my school because I know that if I am interested in doing something, I can always ask and I will be heard. I do not fear that my voice gets lost or silenced by administration, in fact it is just the opposite. Change is something all faculty, regardless of their position, is searching for and working towards, and that open communication helps us achieve it. The fact that as a teacher, I have a significant amount of power means I also have the ability to implement change when necessary.
Christina, It sounds like your school administration has effective leadership skills. Most school administration "talk teamwork" ,but they do not include themselves as part of the team. If more schools would listen to the thoughts and ideas of teachers; teacher morale would be higher than it is. Effective leadership would lead to less teacher strikes. Maybe on day the power dynamics will be equal and collaborative. Just as teachers are remembered by how effective their classrooms operated, teacher leaders will be remembered the in the same manner.
ReplyDelete