Embracing Literacy 2025 Events

Introduction

You don’t need a title to be a leader, but you do need skill. Today’s teacher leaders are not just content experts; they’re agile thinkers, system-aware collaborators, and trusted influencers who know how to lead up, across, and within their schools. In this session, you’ll sharpen the mindset and tools needed to navigate complexity, read the room, and move ideas forward, even when you don’t have formal authority. Learn how to advocate for what matters, build trust with decision-makers, and become the kind of leader your school system needs, right from where you are.

Session Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Define the characteristics of agile teacher leadership and explore how influence can be exercised without formal authority.
2. Apply strategies for navigating complex school systems, including how to read organizational dynamics and lead from the middle.
3. Develop approaches to effectively advocate for instructional priorities, build trust with decision-makers, and contribute to systems-level change from the classroom.

Credit Reflection Questions: Applying Learning to Practice

• What new insights did you gain from the presentation, and how did they connect to your existing knowledge or experience?
• In what ways did the presentation deepen or enhance your understanding of the topic?
• How do you plan to apply what you learned in your work? Who will benefit from it, and what changes or improvements do you expect to see?