Teacher leadership is not a matter of titles or egos; rather, it is fundamentally rooted in how we conduct ourselves and engage with others. In this discourse, we elucidate the essential do's and don'ts of effective teacher leadership, emphasizing the significance of authenticity and perspective. I share pragmatic illustrations of exemplary practices and common pitfalls, underscoring that the essence of leadership lies in fostering positive relationships and advocating for both educators and students alike. We explore the imperative of maintaining one's individuality while navigating the complexities of influence within a school environment. Ultimately, our goal is to inspire educators to lead with purpose, integrity, and a genuine commitment to uplifting their communities.

Ultimately, this episode serves as an essential guide for educators aspiring to lead with integrity and authenticity. Kleve encapsulates the essence of teacher leadership by encouraging educators to embrace their individuality while navigating the challenges of leadership. He underscores that the path to effective leadership is paved with humility, inclusivity, and a steadfast focus on the well-being of students. The episode concludes with a resonant declaration that leadership is not synonymous with perfection; rather, it is a continuous journey of growth, reflection, and the unwavering commitment to inspire greatness in young people. As we engage with these insights, we are reminded that to be a 'funky' teacher is to lead with both passion and purpose, creating a vibrant educational community that uplifts and empowers all stakeholders.

Takeaways:

• Effective teacher leadership necessitates a focus on how one carries oneself and treats others.
• Avoid leading with ego; true leadership is about humility and fostering a collaborative environment.
• Listening to others before making decisions promotes inclusivity and strengthens team dynamics.
• Self-care is crucial for sustaining energy and effectiveness as a teacher leader over time.

Links referenced in this episode:

• beafunkyteacher.com

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• Be a Funky Teacher

Yeah, he's Mr. Funky.

He's Mr. Funky Teacher.

Mr. Funky Teacher inspires greatness, makes you feel good.

Like your favorite playlist.

Keeping that fresh and funky.

Yes, he does.

He got some funky cool ideas to share for all you teachers.

He can empower others, students and teachers.

It's all about hard work and creativity.

He brings out the kindness in everyone.

He's got the passion to teach.

You hear it when he speaks.

He knows how to build strong relationships.

If you're seeking the best, funkiest, he is it.

He will empower you to improve.

He'll be helping others and loving it too.

He's Mr. Funky Teacher.

Yeah, he's Mr. Funky Teacher.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

This is Mr. Funky Teacher with Be a Funky Teacher dot com.

I'm coming to you with another Be a Funky Teacher podcast.

Welcome everyone to today's episode.

We're going to get into is teacher leader Do's and don'ts leading without losing your funk.

That's what we're going to be focusing on.

But before we get into it, we have three things that I'm thankful for that I'd like to share with you.

First thing I'd like to share that I'm thankful for is headlamps.

I love a headlamp.

One that like mounts on the head.

It's so I can work later hands free and still see clearly.

I am a big fan of headlamps.

The next thing, toothbrushes.

I love clean teeth and teeth that feel fresh.

It's so underrated, but it's so important to me.

So I'm thankful for toothbrushes.

And then the third thing is connecting with old friends.

Even if it's just for a few minutes in passing or a couple minute phone call or a few minute text exchange, reconnecting with with old friends means a lot.

All right, well, let's get into it with the main event.

Teacher leader Do's and don'ts leading without losing your funk.

The first thing that I want to talk about is around.

It focuses all around how you carry yourself.

Y' all do lead by example.

Things like showing up on time, preparing, making sure you're prepared, having a positive attitude.

Those things matter.

I work really hard to be a positive example to make sure that I'm not being a part of gossiping or spreading negativity or or putting toxic energy into the workplace because I don't want to be a part of it.

I make sure none.

I either show up on time or actually I'm early.

I. I also make sure that I'm prepared for things.

Now we know that with teaching that sometimes when we teach a lesson that sometimes, sometimes things change, right?

We know that sometimes the lesson changes.

But still nonetheless, like we're prepared, we got copies made, we have things ultimately the things that we need to be successful, we have done.

So that way we can go into a lesson and be the best, do the best that we can though in terms of how we care ourselves.

Don't, don't lead with ego leadership.

Teacher leadership isn't about ego spotlight or recognition.

It's it's, it's not about ego.

It's not about us at all.

But you can take a leader who, or like a teacher leader who, who can get a big ego or think that they're big stuff and it's all about them.

And that really can be very damaging I think ultimately for the students and other staff if we approach it where we carry ourselves, where we have a big ego or we think we're hot stuff.

I mean confidence, don't get me wrong, confidence is important, but that's different than ego or we, we think it's all about us teacher.

So teachers respect consistency and kids notice humility more than if there's like a hierarchy type of approach in teachers or if teachers walk around think with like almost like a mentality, they're better than other teachers.

Ah, that's, that's not going to turn out good for that teacher leader.

So how we carry ourselves as teacher leaders is such an important thing.

If you're a teacher leader, you know, I hope that that's something that you'll be aware of.

I hope everyone out there who's a funky teacher, I hope part of that is seeing yourself as a teacher leader.

I don't care if you're a brand new educator or a veteran educator.

Being, being a teacher, being a funky teacher.

For me, part of that is being a teacher leader.

Big part of that because it's influential, I think in a positive way.

And part of being influential is carrying ourselves in a certain way.

The next thing is how you work with others.

Let's talk about how you work with others.

Do build relationships with others.

Trust grows through empathy.

Trust grows through consistency when working with others.

So, so because of that, I want you, I want everyone who considers themselves a funny teacher to share credit, lift others up and highlight their contributions to the work that's being done, to the project, to the, the efforts of a team.

That's huge.

Lifting others up in work that we do.

So do share credit, share credit with what's being done and celebrate others.

That is a huge opportunity to build relationships, to grow that trust, to build the, the empathy and consistency when working with others.

But I've said it, don't play favorites.

We got to be really careful by this here.

Consistency builds fairness.

I mean if we're playing there might, obviously there might be some educators that we get along well with others more or we more have more of a teacher attraction to just because maybe they're more like minded like us.

I don't mean attracted to in, in like a unprofessional way or you know, like a romantic way.

I mean it more in terms of.

There are some teachers that, that I, I'm attracted to for, for professionally speaking just because they're, they're all about kids and they, they're all about uplifting kids.

And that's very appealing to me and I can, that's something I can get behind and I love celebrating with other teachers and there's some teachers that maybe that's a little bit harder for them.

But me as a teacher leader, I have to be really careful to not, not come at it from a way of like where I'm isolating people and playing favorites when interacting with others.

That's something that I have to be really careful about making sure that I'm not doing now.

Teams thrive when you're working with a team.

Teams thrive when leaders bring people together, not divide them.

I want to be known as a teacher leader who brings people together, who wants to hear everybody, who wants to build, build a strong team.

Why?

Because when we're a strong team, united team, students benefit from that.

I think the teachers are happier.

Ultimately the overall happiness of the teacher, teacher, the team of teachers that are working together are better off for it.

And so while we might have people that we, we are drawn to more and there might be more people that kind of, for lack of better terms, repel us a little bit just because maybe they got some growth that they have to work on.

It's still important that we're not giving that playing favorites type of, type of energy as a teacher leader.

Building, building a team.

Third thing is let's look at how, how we make decisions.

Do listen more than you talk.

Strong leaders gather voices before moving.

It's, it's not, oh, it's, it's not just about speaking and getting other people to listen to us.

It's not, that's not that.

It's, it's not about just hearing ourselves talk.

It's about bringing voices together and doing a lot of Listening, unifying those, not unifying those voices, where they're all the same, but unifying the.

The voices.

Like uniting them is, I guess, what I'm trying to say, uniting the voices where the shrewd collaboration could come in, where there's.

The team can gel together through the power of discussion, even disagreements.

But in a way, as a teacher leader, I want to hear those disagreements because I don't have to have everybody listen to me or agree with me.

And in fact, I want to do more listening and take information in.

As a teacher leader, that's one thing I should be doing.

And then with making decisions, if I'm kind of leading up making some decisions for a team, I'm advocating for students.

It always should come back to students if I'm.

If, you know, I'm not 100% sure how a decision is going to be made.

Force.

Listening to different teachers, listening to the team.

But then it ultimately comes down to looking at the students and what.

Advocating for this for students and advocating for teachers.

It doesn't be able to meet student needs.

Because if I can advocate for students all I want, but if it involves, if it involves we're going to do something as a team, that's going to be really, really hard for teachers to implement.

My fellow educators, my fellow team, and we're going to struggle to get that done.

It doesn't matter how great the idea is for students.

If we as educators are getting overwhelmed and can't implement it, it's got to be logistically manageable and reasonable.

And so if I'm in a position where I can help influence the decision, I'm advocating for students, but I'm advocating for how realistic is it and how can teachers get it done?

Because if we are trying to do something that is not realistic or not sustainable for us to implement as teachers, then students are going to suffer.

So it ultimately always comes back to the students through decisions, through decisions that are made, through things that I bring into my classroom, through things that I recommend for other teachers to do, for using my voice as a teacher leader, I'm always thinking about what ultimately it always ends with the students and what decisions need to be made, what influence needs to be done through the eyes, through the lens of impacting students.

And credibility, y'.

All, credibility comes when people, people know you'll listen to them and you'll be fair and reasonable for them and that you're focusing on students.

And as a teacher leader, I'm not like a principal, I'm not an administrator.

As a teacher Leader.

I'm just a fellow educator, a fellow teacher.

A lot of times on a team.

And it's not just what I say goes.

Not that a principal should necessarily do that either.

You know, sometimes a principal has to make some tough decisions.

However, as a teacher leader, I think there's a little bit more.

Not sure if leeway is the right word.

There's a little bit more.

More gray area in that where I have to.

If I'm trying to get a team on board with doing something for students, I almost have to sell the idea more.

But it goes back to once again making decisions.

If I need to do some list, I need, you know, I need to do more listening than talking.

I can share an idea and then I need to dial it back and do some listening and then look at it through the eyes of advocating for students.

So it ultimately always if I'm making decisions constantly.

But that listening is something I do quite an awful lot, awfully lot with when collaborating and working with a team.

And then.

So the fourth big idea y' all here is, okay, so how do you.

How do you sustain yourself?

Do keep perspective.

Being a teacher leader is a marathon.

It's not a sprint.

It's not something where you just kind of push through and knock it out and you're done.

It is, it is a marathon.

It's an ongoing.

It's like a marathon that never stops.

That's not a bad thing.

That is just kind of the nature of it.

Whereas it's just an ongoing marathon where we don't want to do it all at once, where we can burn ourselves out.

If we're.

We as teacher leaders burn ourselves out.

We're not good for anybody, y'.

All.

We're not going to be impactful.

So t. So remembering that teacher leadership is about.

About approaching it from a marathon type of view.

Not a, Not a sprint that's going to benefit us.

When I'm making.

Making the work we do sustainable and then don't forget to do the self care.

Y' all definitely can seem almost cliche, you know, just, you know, self care, take care of yourself.

However burned out teacher leaders, they.

They.

They can't sustain teacher influence.

They can't sustain the work that they do.

And they're not good for anybody then.

And so we as teacher leaders have to.

Have to bring in that self care, whatever that looks like for us individually.

I have a whole lot of things that I do for teacher self care I'm looking at tonight.

Going out, stand up, paddling on the water.

That's part of my self care that, that I'm doing because I believe it's so important to take care of my myself.

I feel like I've been going non stop and I just need a break where I'm gonna go paddling in, in a beautiful area.

I gotta drive a little ways to it and meeting up with a paddling club but boy it's gonna be beautiful and, and it's going to be quite amazing.

I'm so excited for it.

And that's going to be a part of my self care.

So how do you sustain yourself?

You know, don't forget the self care stuff, right?

Steady leaders outlast flashy leaders.

Write that down.

It's going to be in a test.

Steady leaders, steady teacher leaders outlast flashy ones because they pace themselves.

They, they keep perspective.

They, they do that self care stuff.

They don't forget the self care.

And finally how to keep your funk do bring humor and creativity.

Leadership doesn't have to be stiff.

Now I'm the Mr. Funky Teacher but there's been times I've been kind of stiff and you know, just very button down sometimes just very.

A matter of fact sometimes I'm just taking stuff in.

I try not to stay that way for very long.

Sometimes I just need to process stuff and take stuff in and I sometimes come off as very serious sometimes and then, but then once I dial myself in then I can really bring in my humor, my creativity, my playfulness and so bring in that humor and creativity and playfulness into your collaboration with others in of course working with students.

Bring that stuff in.

But don't become so professional that you lose your personality or you lose a personality where you're just, you're so serious that you're not even approachable or you're.

You, you, you have an ice cold warmth to you.

Ice cold warmth where, where students don't want to talk to you, teachers don't want to talk to you.

Have some warmth, have that, that warmth that we bring batters y'.

All.

And so sure, being professional matters.

I try to always bring professionalism into everything I do, but I also try to do it where, where I have my personality and I have my energy and I try to bring those together.

It's so important that we do that because it makes us approachable and it makes us more enjoyable.

Enjoyable to be around.

I always think of it, I always think about am I easy to work with or hard to work with and, and being part of, you know, being professional I think makes me easier to work with.

As long as I don't lose my.

My personality and.

And lose my.

Just my.

My easy going, not easy going.

I want to be easy to work with.

I want to be easy going.

That doesn't mean advocating or standing up for what you believe in, though.

Sometimes teachers think that easygoing teachers will.

Don't really stand for anything, you know, And Alexander Hamilton in the musical taught us.

Hey, you know, he'd get so frustrated with Aaron Burr because Aaron Burt seemed like he didn't stand for anything.

And Hamilton.

It made Hamilton mad.

Right.

Well, we can be easygoing, but still advocate for kids, advocate for our fellow educators.

That's okay.

I. I always want to think about.

And I'm very passionate and very intense, but I also want to be easy to work with, not hard to work with, not a big pain in the butt to work with.

And that's so being professional.

We don't want to lose ourselves in trying to be so professional.

All right, y'.

All.

Leadership isn't about perfection.

Ultimately.

These are some takeaways here.

My takeaway reflections here.

Leadership is not about perfection.

It's about direction.

Focus, y', all on how you carry yourself, how you treat others, how you decide, how you make decisions, how you sustain yourself.

I kind of babbled that a little bit.

How you sustain yourself and how you keep your funk.

Y' all get those do's, right?

And avoid those don'ts.

And you will lead with impact and authenticity.

And of course, remember always to inspire greatness in young people.

And don't forget to be a bunky teacher.

Bye, now.

He's Mr. Bunky Teacher yeah he's Mr. Bunky Teacher, yeah, yeah, yeah.