On the Edge of the Dark Side: Self-Concept and the Teacher-Leader

Teaching is more than a career. In many ways, it is an identity. Teachers who choose independent schools value independent thinking, a focus on the individual, and recognition of context and complexity. But when teachers who deeply value autonomy and question hierarchical control become teacher leaders--as department chairs, grade level team leaders, instructional coaches, and so on--they face practical, intellectual, and emotional challenges. What makes them value independent schools can make it hard to orient leadership within their self-concept. In this article, the author discusses the challenges of teacher-leadership in independent schools.