Your Teacher Leadership Journey: A Blueprint for Growth and Success

228 Pages·2022·6.376 MB·English

by  Melissa Collins

Your Teacher
Leadership Journey
Build your success as a teacher leader with the practical advice
in this book. Award-winning educator Melissa Collins shows
how you can grow in your role by fostering relationships with
colleagues, organizations, and mentors. She also spotlights rock
star educators. She offers thorough advice on a wide variety of
topics such as finding the right support, building your reputation,
reinventing yourself, knowing your purpose, and developing
leadership mindsets. She also explains how to manage your time
wisely, build a network, enact purposeful practice, and, most
of all, dare to dream. Appropriate for teachers at any level of
their career who want to take on a larger role in their school or
beyond as well as for administrators, district leaders, and teacher
organizations to learn how to support or develop teacher leaders.
The book’s honest anecdotes and step-by-step suggestions will
put teacher leaders on the right path, so that teacher leaders can
develop in their careers and help their students thrive.
Melissa Collins is an elementary school teacher in Memphis, TN,
where she is constantly amazed by her students’ curiosity about
the world around them. Melissa has been the recipient of several
awards and honors, including Amazon Future Engineer Teacher
of the Year, National University Award, Harriet Sanford Award,
National Board Fellowship Program, the Global Teacher Prize
Finalist (Top 50), the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science
Teaching, the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA)
Sylvia Shugrue Award, and the NSTA-Shell Urban Development
Award. She was inducted into the National Teacher Hall of Fame
in 2020.

Your Teacher
Leadership Journey
A Blueprint for Growth
and Success
Melissa Collins
Cover image: © Getty Images
First published 2023
by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
and by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 Melissa Collins
The right of Melissa Collins to be identified as author of this work has
been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Collins, Melissa (Elementary school teacher), author.
Title: Your teacher leadership journey : a blueprint for growth and success
/ Melissa Collins.
Description: New York, NY : Routledge, 2022. | Identifiers: LCCN
2022000832 (print) | LCCN 2022000833 (ebook) | ISBN
9781032134963 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032117355 (paperback) | ISBN
9781003229537 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Educational leadership. | Teachers--Professional
relationships. | Teaching--Vocational guidance.
Classification: LCC LB2806 .C535 2022 (print) | LCC LB2806 (ebook) | DDC
371.2/011--dc23/eng/20220310
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022000832
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022000833
ISBN: 978-1-032-13496-3 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-11735-5 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-22953-7 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003229537
Typeset in Palatino
by KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd.
Dedication
To my son, Devon. I love you forever! You are and will always
be my baby!
To my mom (rest in love) and dad, Patricia and Stanley Collins.
You have been inspirational to my teacher leadership journey.
To my sisters, Pam and Jennifer. You are both beautiful inside
and out!

Contents
Acknowledgments ...................................... ix
Meet the Author .......................................xii
PART 1: What Is a Teacher Leader? 1
1 The Road to Teacher Leadership .......................3
2 The Goal, Not the Role ..............................16
3 Teacher Sighting ....................................24
PART 2: Becoming a Teacher Leader 47
4 Mentor Matchmaking: How to Find the Perfect
One for You ........................................49
5 Navigating Key Relationships in Your School
and Community ....................................62
6 Building a Reputation of Positive Transformation ......76
7 Growing into Teacher Leadership .....................86
8 Why Reinventing Yourself Will Elevate
Your Career to New Heights ..........................98
PART 3: Evolving as a Teacher Leader 113
9 Dare to Dream .....................................115
10 Moments That Transform Teachers’
Lives and Careers ..................................126
viii ◆ Contents
11 Creating Your Own Opportunities ...................144
PART 4: Thriving as a Teacher Leader 153
12 Thriving Throughout the Journey ....................155
13 What We Need: Nine Things to Help Teacher
Leaders Thrive .....................................167
14 What to Do When You Don’t Have Enough Time ......176
PART 5: Developing Teacher Leaders 183
15 How to Champion Teacher Leaders ..................185
16 How to Educate Teacher Leaders .....................194
17 How to Reward Teacher Leaders .....................200
18 How to Lead by Example ...........................205
Afterword ............................................210
Acknowledgments
On my road to teacher leadership, it took a collective effort from
family, friends, my school community, district, state department
of education, and educational organizations to guide me on
my journey. They provided me with a tremendous amount of
support, encouragement, and guidance.
Teachers around the world, you are special, and I am so
excited that we are working together to change the world. I
appreciate each of you!
The team at Routledge and Lauren Davis, I am so thankful
that you gave me the opportunity to share my story and the
stories of several teacher leaders. You truly believe in building
the capacity of teacher leaders.
Mom (Patricia Collins-rest in love), you are my hero! You
showed me how to walk in faith while looking for a brighter day.
Your strength and courage were contagious! I love you so much
and I will live forever by your affirmation “keep it moving.” Dad
(Stanley Collins), thank you so much for pushing me to strive
for greatness. You have both been my biggest cheerleaders! I am
very grateful for your love and support.
My son (Devon Robinson), I truly love you! I have enjoyed
watching you develop into an amazing human being. I soar
to new heights because of you. Keep showing the world your
unique talents. Devon’s sister, Kathryn Campbell (my bonus
daughter), I am so proud of all your accomplishments.
My sisters (Jennifer and Pam Collins), you are both so
encouraging. Whenever I need you, you are always there for me.
Thanks for your continuous support and love!
My Godchildren (Destinee Delaney, Colton Benjamin
Stephens, Isabella Chrisette Stephens, and LeNorah Antoinette
Stephens). I love you very much!
My sister-friends (Dr. Doretha Piper Allen, Shannon Allen,
Chelsea Brown, Monica Brown, Ariel Nevilles-Gray, Latosha Guy,