“What is teacher empowerment? It’s not just some formal administrative position exercised from above. It starts with expanding our professional roles in small everyday actions that make our jobs more fulfilling and less difficult. And then we can take on larger school-improvement tasks as we become ready to tackle them. . . . This book, then, is about extending one’s professional role in small ways and large in the school community, in order to improve one’s teaching, one’s work life, and the school as a whole—and that is what we mean by teacher empowerment.”
Steven Zemelman and Harry Ross
Experts talk about teacher empowerment, but this is the first book with direct, easy-to-take steps for teacher self-empowerment. Drawing from research, the experiences of practicing teachers, and the principles of community organizing, Steven Zemelman and Harry Ross prove that school leadership isn’t just for those at the top of the ladder. Whatever your position, use the 13 Steps to Teacher Empowerment to deepen your professionalism and achieve:
- more effective teaching and deeper job satisfaction
- more enjoyment in your work
- more exciting collaboration with your colleagues
- more resources and professional opportunities.
Listen to a podcast where Steve Zemelman and Harry Ross interview two teachers who used the principles in the 13 Steps to get the teaching life they wanted.
Take one step at a time or pick and choose the strategies you most need right now. Or use the study guide with colleagues in PLCs or teacher study groups and together bring the 13 Steps of Teacher Empowerment to life. You’ll not only develop your own professional power—you’ll help make your school community more supportive and productive.
“As I sat down and began to read this book, the voice in my head first whispered, then spoke a little louder, and finally screamed—Where have you been all my life?...I can’t overemphasize the importance of this book. We need this book and we need it now. It is a road map to a vibrant, thriving, long-lasting teaching life.”
Stephanie Harvey
Coauthor of Comprehension & Collaboration
