Recruiting a Teacher Leader Corps

The First Step: Recruiting TLC Members

Teacher leaders play a vital role in building collaborative cultures where innovative technology use enhances Powerful Learning. They are passionate educators committed to improving teaching and learning for all students. A school-based Teacher Leader Corps (TLC) provides a platform for these leaders to come together, learn from one another, and share their expertise.

The first step to building a TLC is to recruit the right members. Who makes a good TLC member? It depends on what your school needs!

• Determine the gaps or goals a Teacher Leader Corps will meet on your campus. Do you know your school’s strengths and areas of opportunity related to Powerful Learning propelled by technology? Use classroom walkthroughs or teacher survey data to uncover trends. Identify competency areas for improvement and compare with your school’s mission, vision, and goals to determine a focus for the TLC. Once you know the focus, you can begin to identify members.
• Brainstorm teachers who could be considered experts in the digital competencies you’d like to build across your campus. A diverse team of teacher leaders ensures a variety of perspectives and experiences are represented. Ideally, your school’s TLC will have members that represent all grade levels, multiple subject areas, varying levels of technology experience, and a mix of new and veteran teachers. Using a tool like the Who to Recruit Worksheet will help identify a diverse group of teachers who will support the goals identified.
• Develop an incentive plan for participation. Providing opportunities for leadership honors the professionalism of teachers, and they should be rewarded or compensated for their efforts. Consider these as options to incentivize full participation in a Teacher Leader Corps:
  • Stipend for participation
  • Lunch provided during “lunch and learns”
  • Additional planning period
  • Excused from additional duties such as bus room, athletics gate, yard duty, etc.
  • Voucher for a period off
  • Graduate credit hours with a teacher credentialing agency
  • Recertification credits
  • Paid professional conference attendance

Advertise your school’s incentives for participating in a Teacher Leader Corps when recruiting: add them to your flyers, highlight them in your recruitment emails, share them at staff meetings, etc.

• Communicate the opportunity to teachers. Finally, it’s time to get the word out! Use this Sample TLC Recruitment Email to recruit specific members identified by your Who to Recruit Worksheet. An editable version is available in the TLC Toolkit 1-Pager. While you may focus special recruitment efforts on the teachers identified, there may be others who are eager to join. Print or post a TLC Recruitment Flyer to make the opportunity available to everyone.

Toolkit Recruiting Resources:

• Who to Recruit Worksheet
• TLC Recruitment Flyers
• Sample TLC Recruitment Email

Ready to get started? Download the TLC Toolkit 1-pager for a list of editable resources.