The teacher drives students; the leader coaches them.
The teacher depends upon authority; the leader on good will.
The teacher inspires fear; the leader inspires enthusiasm.
The teacher says ‘I’; the leader says ‘we.’
The teacher assigns the task, the leader sets the pace.
The teacher fixes the blame for the learning breakdown; the leader fixes the breakdown.
The teacher knows how it is done; the leader shows how.
The teacher makes work a drudgery; the leader makes it a game.
The teacher says, ‘Go’; the leader says, ‘Let’s go.'
This all comes from some unknown source about bosses and leaders, but as I read it, I saw all sorts of connections with teachers. The title to the post: Am I teacher or a leader, presents a hard question to answer. I know what I want to be, I know that I manage to be the leader at times, but I also know that at other times I am falling back on known teacher/student paradigms.
How about you?
1 comment:
Maybe this should be the first thing read in teacher credentialing programs? In education, there are many pressures that I believe some teachers are only teachers. I strive to be the best leader that I can be because in that experience I find that my best teaching emanates.
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