Spring 24 TLC Teacher Leadership Newsletter

Teacher Leader Highlight

Michelle Velez at De Diego, Team Director (now named Instructional Team Coach)

Being a CPS Team Director has offered me the opportunity to work alongside both new and veteran teachers in my school community and invest in their teaching practice as they invest in their students. The joy of the teacher leader journey has always been in seeing other teachers sharpen their practice, build meaningful connections with students, and ultimately love what they do!

Over the last 6 years, under CPS’ Distributed Leadership model, I have seen how this work can transform a school community. As a teacher leader who has remained in the classroom, I’ve seen the advantages of leading as a peer. Trust is built quickly when teachers see that I’m doing the same work with them, rolling out new strategies together, or modeling practices that they can then integrate into their own classroom. We are even free to make mistakes together! I’ve learned that when teachers trust you, they are eager for feedback and collaboration that makes them better with each lesson. If I have learned anything from the CPS Distributed Leadership team it is that relational trust is the foundation for impactful coaching work that reaches both teachers and students. Some of the ways I spend time building and maintaining that trust with teachers is with collaborative goal setting, well-prepared co-planning sessions, formal and informal check-ins, options and choices in professional development, and intentional coaching cycles with clear benchmarks that make space for reflection and flexibility. I have learned that I can honor teacher needs without sacrificing positive student outcomes, because a well cared-for teacher is always better for their students.

While I hope that my work as a Team Director is having a lasting impact on teaching school-wide, I know for certain that my role as a teacher leader has had a tremendous impact on my own teaching practice. I’m a better teacher because of the things I learn from the teachers I coach and the teams I lead. While I didn’t expect that kind of return on the investment, it has made this work all the more worthwhile.

Opportunities to Learn

There are also some fantastic opportunities for teachers to continue their education. To help teachers and staff continue learning, CPS has partnered with universities to provide opportunities to earn college and graduate-level degrees, certifications, and endorsements at a significant discount. Explore all the continuing education options to find the right fit for your qualifications, interests, and schedule (in person and online). For CPS SPED Cohort questions, please see this FAQ. If you have additional questions email keeplearning@cps.edu.

Thank you for reading, we look forward to sharing more Teacher Leader news!