ABSTRACT
This chapter describes some of the predictable causes of tension between principals and teacher leaders. It also describes some of the various informal and formal teacher leader roles, with emphasis on the emerging formal instructional teacher leader role. The chapter explains some areas of skill development critical to teacher leader success. It examines three categories of skills needed for decision-making: meeting leadership, problem solving, and consensus building. Building relationships with teacher leaders is the first step to providing supportive conditions for them. Regardless of the path teacher leaders followed to their roles, their relationship with the principal is important. The principal holds power and governs access to resources such as information, opportunities for professional learning, and fiscal support. Most schools have formal teacher leaders who assume a variety of roles focused on governance, student activities, managerial or leadership tasks, or instructional leadership.
