The Group Leader

Typically a Teacher Research Team (TRT) will consist of three or more teacher-researchers. At least one of the group's members should have had experience with teacher research conducted in his or her own classroom (MacLean & Mohr, 1999, p.20).

The success of a TRT depends on the leadership and organizational abilities of its team leader who takes responsibility for the group's management. The group leader's role is to:

• send out timely reminders of group meetings
• publish contact lists of information such as email addresses, phone numbers, etc.
• locate meeting locations other than school(some place where the group can meet without the distractions and interruptions that often occur in a work setting)
• set up schedules for the meetings and coordinate refreshments
• establish the group's agenda
• serve as the group's facilitator during the meetings
• provide guidance to group members such as helping them determine research methodology, etc.
• be responsible for publishing the group's collection of teacher research working draft papers

The leader helps make the connection between teaching and research by facilitating group discussions as members challenge each other's assumptions, propose alternative interpretations, offer suggestions about research methodology, and respond to drafts as well as other professional support. For example, when providing guidance to group members, "the leader should be alert to seeing the daily stuff of classrooms as data and should be able to help pinpoint ways in which teaching practices and research methods connect" (MacLean & Mohr, 1999, p.20-21).

See also:

Hubbard, Ruth Shagoury & Power, Brenda Miller (1993). The Art of Classroom Inquiry. Portsmouth, NH: Heineman Publishers,p.131-136.

MacLean, Marion S. & Mohr, Marian M. (1999). Teacher-Researchers at Work. Berkely, CA: National Writing Project, p. 19-24.

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