ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

When I look back, it seems as if there were always people right there ready to inform, encourage, and inspire me to do what I could to make learning meaningful, even joyful, for my students. These were the teacher leaders, looking out for those new to the profession, providing support for colleagues, and contributing tirelessly to improving instruction and student learning. I’m indebted to the presenters at the Bay Area Writing Project and at Bard College’s Institute for Writing and Thinking who shared ideas and strategies—teacher to teacher—that helped me make English class feel like a “get to” instead of a “have to” for students. I’m indebted to colleagues in Newtown Public Schools who launched cross-grade and multidisciplinary initiatives that got me out of my own building to explore what education looks like from the perspectives of elementary and middle schools and the district office. And I am especially indebted to my colleagues in the English department at Newtown High School who inspired me to strive to be a better teacher and, as time passed, to be a teacher leader they could count on.

When the time came to become a teacher leader, and it seemed that every day brought a new challenge, I often turned to my husband, Charles Miller, for support and encouragement. I also turned to him as the ideas and structure for this book began to take shape. He is a good listener, has a knack for making apt comments, and is always ready to commiserate or celebrate.

I would like to add my thanks to the reviewers for challenging me to rethink and rewrite and encouraging me to make this a book that supports and celebrates leadership that originates in and is sustained by what teachers do every day in the classroom. I would also like to thank Miranda Addonizio for her insightful and incisive work as the production editor of this book, as well as the many members of the Solution Tree team whose collaborative efforts have resulted in Teacher Leaders, Classroom Champions. I am awed and grateful.

Solution Tree Press would like to thank the following reviewers:

Johanna Josaphat

Teacher-Leader

The Urban Assembly Unison School

Brooklyn, New York

Amy Kochensparger

High School Science Teacher, Science

Department Chair

Eaton High School

Eaton, Ohio

Josh Kunnath

High School English Teacher, Grading & Assessment Consultant

Kern High School District

Bakersfield, California

Shanna Martin Middle School Teacher & Instructional Coach

School District of Lomira

Lomira, Wisconsin

Nicole McRee

Science Instructional Coach

Kildeer Countryside District 96

Buffalo Grove, Illinois

Tara Reed

Fourth-Grade Language Arts and Curriculum Writer

Denton ISD

Denton, Texas Visit