This book gathers a range of contributions from researchers and practitioners across borders with an emphasis on theoretical arguments and empirical data concerning teacher empowerment. It propels readers to explore powerful teaching practices that can further advance the profession as a continuing priority in the system when appropriately utilized. Further, it strives to capture teachers’ readiness to improve their professional skills and responsive practices as a form of accountability for their teaching and students’ learning, two aspects that are increasingly being judged by various stakeholders. The book argues that teachers’ autonomous participation and engagement in relevant decision-making activities and equitable access to continuing professional development opportunities are and should remain major priorities.

"What is teacher empowerment? It's not just some formal administrative position exercised from above. It starts with expanding our professional roles in small everyday actions that make our jobs more fulfilling and less difficult. And then we can take on larger school-improvement tasks as we become ready to tackle them. . . . This book, then, is about extending one's professional role in small ways and large in the school community, in order to improve one's teaching, one's work life, and the school as a whole--and that is what we mean by teacher empowerment." Steven Zemelman and Harry Ross Experts talk about teacher empowerment, but this is the first book with direct, easy-to-take steps for teacher self-empowerment. Drawing from research, the experiences of practicing teachers, and the principles of community organizing, Steven Zemelman and Harry Ross prove that school leadership isn't just for those at the top of the ladder. Whatever your position, use the 13 Steps to Teacher Empowerment to deepen your professionalism and achieve: more effective teaching and deeper job satisfaction more enjoyment in your work more exciting collaboration with your colleagues more resources and professional opportunities. Listen to a podcast where Steve Zemelman and Harry Ross interview two teachers who used the principles in the 13 Steps to get the teaching life they wanted. Take one step at a time or pick and choose the strategies you most need right now. Or use the study guide with colleagues in PLCs or teacher study groups and together bring the 13 Steps of Teacher Empowerment to life. You'll not only develop your own professional power--you'll help make your school community more supportive and productive. "As I sat down and began to read this book, the voice in my head first whispered, then spoke a little louder, and finally screamed--Where have you been all my life?...I can't overemphasize the importance of this book. We need this book and we need it now. It is a road map to a vibrant, thriving, long-lasting teaching life." Stephanie Harvey Coauthor of Comprehension & Collaboration

In Pursuing Greatness, five leading thinkers, consultants, and writers on teaching and learning have organized two dozen of the most common teacher problems of practice into six pathways and provided self-reflection guidance and tools to solve them. You'll gain research-based insights into why each strategy works, tips for how to apply it, and an opportunity to reflect on how it affects your own teaching and learning.

This book explores how school leaders—both formal and informal—can create a supportive culture that leverages teamwork and empowers teachers to become leaders. By focusing on three foundational principles—empowerment, collegiality, and risk taking—schools can develop and enhance educators' capacity for success. With this practical resource, you will learn intentional and actionable strategies that empower participation in leadership at all levels through peer observation and team action planning. The book’s chapters explore how to create systems that support trusting relationships, inspire distributed leadership, provide a vehicle for teachers to learn from each other and take risks, and develop informal and formal teacher leaders. This book provides a positive and proactive approach to collaborative school leadership that will invigorate your school community to work together more effectively for improved student outcomes. Rich reflection questions in each chapter help readers conceptualize the information presented and take actionable steps toward improvement Additional tools are available online for easy download here: www.routledge.com/9781032040554.

"I love, love, love this book! This smorgasbord of professional development strategies maximizes time and on-site expertise. From the perspective of educators hungry for cost-effective, proven ways to promote ongoing, job-embedded professional learning, this is an à la carte menu for building healthy professional development ′meals′ based on specific needs and available resources." —Gail Ritchie, Instructional Coach Fairfax County Public Schools, VA "This book offers a menu of practical, integrated, research-based tools and processes that engage and empower teachers and administrators in co-constructing a powerful form of job-embedded professional development that is relevant, focused, and organic, and allows schools to transform themselves into a self-sustaining learning organization." —Pedro R. Bermúdez, Professional Development Support Ready Schools Miami, FL Achieve effective, on-site teacher development without breaking the budget! This essential guide to job-embedded staff development helps schools and districts move away from reliance on outside expertise, instead drawing on and developing the experience and skills of their own faculty. The authors provide a complete toolbox of school-based professional development (PD) strategies, with recommendations on which tools to use for different times and settings, guidelines for implementation, and extended examples of each tool in action for a full spectrum of proven, cost-effective PD models, including: Book study and lesson study Action research and professional learning communities Coaching and co-teaching Webinars, podcasts, Open Space Technology, online communities, and much more

Abstract: This qualitative study explores the empowering practices in teacher professional development programs held by an NGO development project for community school teachers. The literature review is divided into two main sections. The first section provided insights of the conceptual frameworks of professional development and empowerment along with international best practices. The second section focuses on the concept of community based learning, and the historical background on community schools in Egypt. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and observations. The participant were 35 composed of facilitators/teachers, project manager, students, and mentors. The findings showed that while teachers where empowered in some dimensions, they are other aspects in which they were not fully empowered in yet. The paper concludes with practical implications, future recommendations, and limitations.