Running head: EDUCATION AND CHANGE

Education and Change

Catherine Fahey
George Mason University

Education and Change

2
Education and Change

Teacher leaders lead within and beyond the classroom; identify with and
contribute to a community of teacher learners and leaders; influence others toward
improved educational practice; and accept responsibility for achieving the outcomes of
their leadership (Katzenmeyer & Moller, p. 6). After reading Margaret Wheatley's ideas
about being disturbed, being an educator has changed my thinking about what surprises
or confuses me and how we learn to meaningfully examine our views. Wheatley said,
We can't be creative if we refuse to be confused. Change always starts with confusion;
cherished interpretations must dissolve to make way for the new. Of course it's scary to
give up what we know, but the abyss is where newness lives. Great ideas and inventions
miraculously appear in the space of not knowing. If we can move through the fear and
enter the abyss, we are rewarded greatly. We rediscover were creative (p. 35).
Throughout the George Mason University ASTL program, I have been challenged to
reflect in a deeper, more meaningful way that will inspire change in me as a teacher
leader. The coursework, related readings, and experiences in EDUC 615 have led me to
think about myself as a change agent and teacher leader in my school and beyond.
Throughout this course, I have grown to see myself as a leader, experienced teacher,
and team member on a mission to not only inspire education, but bring change in a
positive way.
The George Mason University course Education and Change, EDUC 516, has
inspired me to be confused and make changes in my beliefs as an educator. At the
beginning of the course I participated in a survey that questioned my views on different
ideas in the education system. I was embarrassed when I first took the survey and had
my first nights class because I felt ignorant to the subject. I did not know much on the
different subjects asked about to either agree or disagree. After participating in the pre
and post survey, I found that my confusion and ignorance turned into knowledge and
strength. Most of my agree and disagree responses turned into strongly agree or
strongly disagree. The two responses that stood out the most were the questions that
talked about equity.
In the pre-survey, I responded unsure about it being my job to make sure my classroom is equitable.
Now I believe that it is my job to ensure I make differences throughout my classroom for each student. There
are inequities and it is my job to question and change the processes to be able to make a difference. Within
every school there is a sleeping giant of teacher leadership that can be a strong catalyst for making changes to
improve student learning (Katzenmeyer & Moller, p.2) Now, I believe the sleeping giant is me and my ability
to help create teaching capital throughout my building starting with my team. Hargreaves and Fullan discuss in
Professional Capital that obstacles are expected, but they inspire determination rather than inflicting defeat (p.
151). They continue on saying that change can occur through action guidelines. Guidelines for Teachers
(Hargreaves and Fullan, p. 154) include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Become a true pro.

Start with yourself: examine your own experience
Be a mindful teacher
Build your human capital through social capital.
Push and pull your peers.
Invest in and accumulate your decisional capital.
Manage up: help your leaders be the best they can be.

Education and Change

8. Take the first step.

9. Surprise yourself.
10. Connect everything back to your students.
My ability to be the sleeping giant in making a change in education starts with these steps. Taking care of my
confusion and understanding my belief system in education will help push and pull my peers. Self-reflection
and the drive to push my peers with knowledge of education policy will help aid in my influence to help make
my school more equitable.
Not only is it my job to make my classroom more equitable but it is my job to inspire change in my
administrators to make my school more equitable. When I first answered these questions of it being my job to
do this, I was unsure. How could I, one person, make a difference in changing my school to make it more
equitable? After doing the Equity Audit, I found many inequities in my building that the community and staff
are unaware of because of lack of knowledge to the policies and population of our students. I learned that the
notion of the principal as the only leader is evolving into a clearer understanding of the leadership roles that
teachers must take if our schools are to be successful (Katzenmeyer & Moller, p. 2). It is the jobs of teachers
to advocate for the students. There are inequities in our schools and we, the teachers, need to help create the
balance for the future of our students no matter where we are.
Going forward and having the knowledge and drive to inspire change, I plan to change my thinking to
generate more positive peer power and lead to partnership (Hargreaves and Fullan, p. 151). Co-teaching will
become an idea I plan to explore to give better opportunities to my students education. Co-teaching provides
the joy of working with a colleague to create a wonderful place of learning (Murdock, Finneran, and Theve,
2016). By team teaching and exploring new teaching methods, the human capital will be expanded and
achieved through making each person matter in the complex community of education.

Education and Change

References
Hargreaves, A., & Fullan, M. (2012). Professional capital: Transforming teaching in every school. New York,
NY: Teachers College Press.
Katzenmeyer, M., & Moller, G. (2001). Awakening the sleeping giant: Helping teachers develop as leaders.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Murdock, L., Finneran, D., & Theve, K. (2015-16). Co-Teaching to Reach Every Learner. Education
Leadership, 73(4), 42-47. Retrieved from
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/dec15/vol73/num04/CoTeaching_to_Reach_Every_Learner.aspx
Spring, J. (2012). American Education. (15th ed.) New York. NY, McGraw Hill.
Wheatley, M. (2009). Turning to one another: Simple conversations to restore hope to the future. (2nd ed.) San
Francisco, CA. Berret-Koehler Publishers.