International schools worldwide have adopted an organizational model which often includes grade level team leaders/year group leaders, heads of department and PLC leaders. These leaders are critical to student learning and continuous improvement, yet we often fail to provide specific, practical training for the job to be well done. This unique learning experience is designed to help teacher leaders in international school settings become more skilled at facilitating this impactful work. 

What will I learn?

During this learning experience you will explore the following questions:

• Why is teacher leadership so essential for student learning? 

• How can I be a highly effective teacher leader? 

• As a leader, what do I need to know about effective teams?

• How can I lead my team to focus on improving student learning? 

• What specific leadership strategies are needed to be an effective teacher leader in an international school?

You will learn and practice how to:

• Clearly identify what is and is not your role

• Identify the essential skills of effective teams and the stages of team development

• (Re)structure team meetings into collaborative sessions focused on improving student learning

• Lead the process of setting student learning goals

• Choose efficient decision making strategies to use in collaborative sessions 

• Recognize the stages of change and use strategies to support teams in the change process

We will also discuss how to apply and adapt these skills, as needed, in an online or hybrid learning environment.

The curriculum for all TLI courses is rooted in the ‘Standards for International Teacher Leaders’, which include an elevated emphasis on applying the practices associated with anti-racism and inclusion.

Who is this Experience for?

Heads of department, grade level/year groups leaders, instructional coaches and others who lead teams in international schools. Aspiring teacher leaders are also encouraged to attend. *We encourage teacher leader teams to take our online course together, ideally with their principal or director of teaching and learning. For more information about how we can support school teams, please contact Sue Easton, Director of Programs, at seaston@theptc.org.

What’s My Commitment?

This is an 8-week course with four asynchronous modules, released every 2 weeks. It begins with one mandatory introductory synchronous session from 7 - 9am EST. The remainder of the 8-week course is asynchronous though regional cohorts meet synchronously during each module at a time that works best for them. You should be prepared to spend approximately 3-4 hours per week, including individual and job-embedded tasks. This course can be used towards completion of your Certificate for International School Teacher Leadership. In order to earn your Certificate of Completion for this course and count this course towards your Certificate of International School Teacher Leadership you will need to complete ALL assigned learning tasks within each module within the time period for the course.