As an elementary school principal, I recognize the importance of teacher leaders.  Teacher leaders play multiple roles in a school and they serve in leadership positions outside the school. Harrison and Killion (2007) described ten roles for teacher leaders in Educational Leadership.  In the past month, I have observed multiple teachers serving in leadership roles. 

Car Rider Duty
At an elementary school, it takes several adults to help students during the morning and afternoon car rider line.  While this may not seem like leadership, it is an important role.  Standing in 28 degrees or the rain is not a skill that you learn as a student teacher. Any role that supports the school and student safety falls under the category of leadership.

Connector
In the national best-selling book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell (2002) described the importance of ‘Connectors.’ Gladwell says that Connectors have the gift of bringing the world together.  Connectors are important on grade level teams, in faculty meetings, during crucial conversations, during times of change, and on a daily basis.  Teacher leaders who are connectors bring out the best in their co-workers.  They help connect the school with families and community leaders.  They can be very important in securing grant money for a school.  Who are the ‘Connectors’ in your school?

Curriculum Leader
“Curriculum development is the essential function of school leadership.  Whether this role is carried out by a principal, an assistant principal for curriculum, a team leader, a department head, or by leading classroom teachers, the curriculum defines all other roles in a school” (Wiles, 2009).  Curriculum leaders have played an important role as our school has transitioned to the Common Core State Standards.  They have the ability to create curriculum individually and with a team of teachers.  I have witnessed teachers from our school share strategies with teachers across the district and state.  Curriculum mapping, alignment, and revision require strong curriculum leaders.  When teacher leaders are involved in designing and revising curriculum, you will have a strong product. High performing schools have multiple curriculum leaders.

District Leadership
Recently, I have observed teachers from our school serving on district teams such as ELA Curriculum Mapping, Science Curriculum Mapping, and Math Curriculum Mapping.  Serving on a district leadership team gives teachers a voice in the process and the opportunity to impact student achievement across the district.  In The 360 Degree Leader (2005), Maxwell wrote, "You will develop the ability to be a 360-Degree Leader by learning to lead up (with your leader), lead across (with your colleagues), and lead down (with your followers).” High performing school districts have teacher leaders who have the ability to lead up, down, and across. 

Inner Circle Leadership
As a principal, you need to have an Inner Circle.  In The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (1998), Maxwell described The Law of the Inner Circle. The Law of the Inner Circle states, “A persons potential is determined by those closest to him.”  In some schools, this group of teacher leaders serve on the School Improvement Team.  Sometimes, the inner circle consists of a group of individuals who carry out the role without a title or committee.  A teacher leader can make or break a principal.  If you are a school administrator, you cannot lead alone.  You need the input and feedback from one or more teacher leaders.

Maxwell (1998) gives us five questions to ask when considering who should be in our Inner Circle:

1. Do they have high influence with others?
2. Do they bring a complementary gift to the table?
3. Do they hold a strategic position in the organization?
4. Do they add value to me and to the organization?
5. Do they positively impact other inner circle members?

If you have this type of teacher leader in your organization, then you will see his/her impact throughout the school.  Teacher leaders are critical to a school’s success.  By reviewing the five questions above, you can see that a principal needs this type of leader. The principal who tries to lead without teacher leaders will fail.

Leader as Facilitator
This year, teacher leaders have led professional development (PD) at our school.  They have developed PD related to the Six Instructional Shifts outlined in the Common Core State Standards.  It is difficult to plan and lead staff development in front of your peers.  One thing that makes this such a difficult task is the different needs of a kindergarten teacher and a fifth grade teacher.  Our teacher leaders have developed PD which meets the needs of all teachers.  We have also had a series of technology integration sessions, led by teacher leaders.  When a school has multiple teacher leaders they feed off the creativity and experiences of each other.  Having multiple teacher leaders also allows each person to utilize their strengths.

Technology Leader
Technology leaders can wear several different hats.  A technology leader could be the best one on the team at developing technology integration units.  The technology leader that I am describing is the teacher leader who uses Google Docs, serves as the note taker, develops an online discussion thread, starts a school wiki, or reminds the group that planning can take place online.  The technology leader is similar to a ‘Connector.’  The teacher leader who connects others through online tools is valuable to a school district.  Face-to-Face meetings are still important.  The teacher leader who connects others understands that communication never ends in the online world.  Wesley Fryer (2005) wrote, “Technology has broken down communication barriers connecting teachers and students around the world and supporting collaboration in ways that would have seemed impossible even a decade ago” (p. 27).

Website Developer
Most teachers have developed a teacher website.  However, some teacher leaders are more skilled than others.  Google, Weebly, WordPress, and other sites are used to create websites.  Teacher leaders utilize websites to share curriculum updates, post videos about how to help your child with mathematics, share links to videos related to the topics being studied, and more.  Some teachers have designed a blog within their teacher website.  A blog allows teachers and families to have two-way communication.  Teacher leaders are leading the way and the product is much more elaborate than a wrinkled letter in the bottom of a third grader’s backpack.  Teacher leaders understand the importance of communicating with families in real time.

Conclusion
Who are the teacher leaders in your building?  What are you doing to develop teacher leaders?  What are you doing to help leaders grow?  “Teacher leaders are most often the missing piece of education reform” (Ratzel, 2012).  If you don’t have teacher leaders in these roles, there may be one or more teachers waiting for you to recognize their talents.  Maxwell (2008) wrote, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”  I would argue that everything rises and falls on Teacher Leadership.