By: Lauren Pfeffer Stuart
Did you know that there are ways to lead while maintaining your position in the class? I did not do it ! In 2014, I felt exhausted, as many educators often feel. I loved being with kids, but felt I wanted to impact education on a larger scale and needed a change of pace. As teacher burnout is on the rise, it is critically important to find ways to keep our most effective educators in the classroom. Finding opportunities that allow you to continue teaching while developing your leadership potential is one way to avoid burnout. Here are 4 of my tips.
Open the first door
Finding that first opportunity can seem difficult. Believe it or not, I did a basic internet search for “non-teaching jobs with a teaching degree” and came across a national teacher scholarship offered by Hope Street Group. It ticked all the boxes: kept me in the classroom, involved me in teacher leadership nationally, and took me out of my daily grind. This experience changed everything for me. I met with other teacher leaders from across the country and we worked together on the issue of teacher preparation. I received training in telling my story, working with legislators, and the art of networking. What I didn’t realize is that there is a whole ecosystem of teacher leadership. Once that door opened, there was a constant stream of doors waiting to be opened.
After Hope Street Group, I became Teach Plus California Scholar. In that position, I traveled to Sacramento, California, and met with lawmakers around the issue of teacher tenure. We worked with a member of the Assembly to draft legislation to extend the time period for teachers to obtain tenure, while ensuring mechanisms were in place to support struggling teachers .
Turn to your passions
Are you not interested in politics? Look for opportunities in your content or passion areas. As an English teacher, the National Council of Teachers of English has been a place of growth for me linked to my expertise in the field. They offered the Kent B. Williamson Fellowship, which brought me to DC to advocate on issues related to English language arts education. Although this scholarship is no longer offered, the organization offers leadership opportunities for members, as well as opportunities to engage with the NCTE Advocacy and Leadership Summit.
Get involved at the national level
This year, I am on loan from my school district to the United States Department of Education as a School Ambassador Scholarship. This one-year or part-time experience allows educators to bring their knowledge to the Ministry and lend their voice to the national dialogue on education. During this experience, I co-hosted the Teach to Lead Summit in Atlanta, led data collection for the annual State of Education Survey, worked with the Office of Education Technology to share stories about digital equity and created a capstone project to take back to my neighborhood.
Lend your voice
Finally, there are always organizations that seek to hear from teachers and use our knowledge. Ed reports is a non-profit organization that provides reviews of educational materials created by teachers. If you are passionate about the curriculum, you can become a reviewer. In 2019, they created the Klawe Fellowship as an opportunity for examiners to develop their leadership skills through advocacy. I currently sit on the board of EdReports and help guide the organization in its mission.
What are you waiting for? See what’s out there aligned with your interests. It exists, go knock on the door.
Lauren Pfeffer Stuart is a Middle School English Language Arts Intervention teacher. She holds a Masters in Education from Pepperdine and has been teaching for 16 years. She currently works as a School Ambassador Fellow for the US Department of Education.