Teacher Leadership: Growing Your Impact In or Beyond the Classroom [Podcast]

Teacher Leadership: growing your impact in (or beyond) the classroom.

It is always a joy to spend time with folks I respect! So when Angela Watson asked me to be on her podcast, Truth for Teachers, I said yes without hesitation.

It was a joy to speak with Angela about our impact and what teachers can do to be

intentional about their impact.

Here is a link to the show notes.

Angela said, "I wanted to talk with Starr for those of you who want to create change in your local schools, either in addition to a classroom teaching position or through a full-time leadership role. As Starr underscores, you don’t need to leave the classroom to be a leader, and there are lots of ways to build your capacity as a leader while you’re in the classroom."

Here's a highlight from our conversation about impostor syndrome:

"Overcoming self-doubt and imposter syndrome

A lot of educators struggle with imposter syndrome when stepping into leadership. It can be intimidating to start over as a beginner, especially after being an expert teacher. What advice do you have for overcoming self-doubt during this process?

First, accept that it’s going to be there. Give yourself grace and know you’re not alone. I struggled a lot with imposter syndrome and often wrote about it. Back when blogging was more common, I noticed many people only shared the good things happening in their spaces. But we all know education has plenty of challenges, even for the best teachers. Normalizing that and focusing on how you recover from mistakes is crucial.

If your district doesn’t provide a mentor, find one yourself. I was lucky to have mentors within and outside my district who offered different perspectives. They kept me grounded and reminded me that making mistakes is part of the process. The weight of leadership mistakes can feel heavier because they’re more visible, but grace and humility are essential."

I encourage you to listen and share your thoughts and questions below.