Teacher Leadership Program
The M.A.T. in Teacher Leadership program supports educators who want to help build their school’s capacity for success, support a climate of professional growth or serve in leadership roles at the local, state or national level. Our Teacher Leadership program offers pathways for public and independent schools.
Our Three Degree Programs
The Public School Leadership Pathway is designed for mid-career and more experienced educators serving in public schools who would like to sharpen their skill set related to classroom, school-wide, district, state, and national practices. Candidates in this pathway enter from a variety of professional backgrounds, including teachers, instructional coaches, education consultants, and those responsible for curriculum and professional learning at all levels. This pathway offers educators the opportunity to rediscover their love for teaching while expanding their sphere of influence on students, colleagues, and the teaching profession while also preparing them for roles in coaching and mentoring, curricular work, administration, and consulting beyond the classroom.
Coursework provides a foundation in coaching and mentoring colleagues, designing professional development for adult learners, working with administrators to scale up classroom initiatives, and partnering with policymakers to ensure that education policy meets the needs of students, families, and teachers.
Courses in this pathway provide personalization of the course content to each teacher leader’s individual professional interests and context. It also has a strong focus on social justice and equity with an emphasis on how to meet the needs of diverse learners.
Our Independent School Pedagogy Pathway is designed for early career teachers in their first few years of teaching. The course of study includes a foundation in lesson planning, classroom management, and teaching in a way that respects the identities of every student in the class. While some courses are specific to teachers in this track, candidates in the Independent School Pedagogy track also have the opportunity in some courses to learn from and alongside more experienced teachers in our two leadership tracks.
Courses in this pathway provide personalization of the course content to each teacher leader’s individual professional interests and context. It also has a strong focus on social justice and equity with an emphasis on how to meet the needs of diverse learners.
The Independent School Leadership Pathway is designed for mid-career and more experienced educators serving in independent schools who would like to continue to make an impact inside their classrooms and expand their reach beyond their classrooms by leading colleagues and other educational professionals. Candidates in this pathway enter from a variety of professional backgrounds, including teachers as well as those responsible for curriculum, professional learning, and other student support services. This pathway offers educators the opportunity to rediscover their love for teaching while expanding their sphere of influence on students, colleagues, and the teaching profession while also preparing them for roles in coaching and mentoring, curricular work, and administration. Coursework provides a foundation in reflecting deeply and intentionally on classroom and school practices, coaching and mentoring colleagues, designing professional development for adult learners, and partnering with administrators to scale up classroom initiatives, specifically in the independent school context.
Courses in this pathway provide personalization of the course content to each teacher leader’s individual professional interests and context. It also has a strong focus on social justice and equity with an emphasis on how to meet the needs of diverse learners.
Our Professional Development
Online courses: powerful learning opportunities for busy professionals
Our online course formats are designed to accommodate your busy schedule and allow you to balance work, family and life commitments while engaging in professional learning for yourself. The flexible assignments are manageable and have immediate application to the work you are doing in your school.
Social-emotional learning for districts and schools
We work closely with you to create a social-emotional learning program tailored to meet your organization’s specific goals. Our facilitators are renowned and recognized Pre-K-12+ leaders, educators and researchers. We incorporate best practices to design programming that fits your unique needs and budget. Whether you are looking to build your teams’ knowledge and skills, advance their practices with feedback and coaching or cultivate lasting systemic improvements, we can help.
Social and emotional learning course
A collaboration with Mount Holyoke and Prince George's County Public Schools, explore how SEL advances educational equity and personal student growth by establishing affirming learning environments that feature trusting and collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction, and ongoing evaluation.
Our impact
Capstone projects are based on teacher's passions, needs and leadership goals.
Low/No Tech School Spaces
The number one benefit to low-tech or no-tech school spaces is to have the students step away from their ‘normal life’ and take stock of the choices they make and the impact those choices have on their lives.
Environmental Justice & Sustainability:
It’s cool for the kids, even though at this point a lot of these activists are in their late teens or early twenties, it’s cool for them to see that kids can do stuff and really make a difference.
Threat of the Triple Threat Model in Boarding Schools:
Fifty two percent of faculty and staff nationally believe that the triple threat model should be the model to stay. But also, there’s still the majority of the people that feel as though the triple threat model isn’t sustainable.
Women in a Men’s World:
How can an all boys’ school change to be a place where everyone feels respected, regardless of what gender they are and what role they have at the school?
Funding in Small Rural School Districts:
How much impact can small grants can have on small rural districts in the US? What could your school do with $10,000? What if the teachers decided how it was spent?
Brave vs. Safe: Creating Culturally Responsive Identity Affirming Classrooms with Em Ayres
When you're when you're thinking about a diverse classroom space and what that means, we need to invite our students to be brave as learners and build connection to each other.
School Culture Around Multilingual Immigrant and Refugee Students
There is a very unique way that we need to build relationships with our students and not just our immigrant and refugee students, but all students.
Education Advocacy Podcast: Teacher Retention with Eric Colwell
While teacher pay is a big topic when it comes to teacher retention, there are other issues that need to be addressed.
Arts Integration for Classroom Equity with Jessica Goodbred
Art is able to cater to different learning styles and abilities. Students are able to express themselves through multiple mediums and feel a sense of belonging and actually engage in the work because they have visual support, auditory support, and even movements. And art reaches students, especially those with special needs and even English language learners, which is something that we often have difficulties reaching.
Good Trouble with Leah McCarthy
It's really important for kids to understand at an early age that they do have some control and some say over their body and who is allowed access to it so that later in life it's not so difficult for students to say no or give consent.
Advocacy and Outreach: Diversity and Inclusive Classroom with Max Pfeffer
What does diversity and the inclusive classroom look like in private schools? It's more different than you might think.
Why it Matters: Teaching Biodiversity and the SDG’s Through a Social Justice Lens with Eliza Statile
One of the biggest things is teaching about biodiversity and sustainable development goals is promoting social justice by fostering awareness and action towards creating a more equitable and sustainable world.
Events & resources
The Ultimate Self-Care Podcast for Teachers Get ready to embark on a transformative journey. Charell G. Coleman hosts this podcast series brought to you by the Teacher Leadership program and Professional and Graduate Education at Mount Holyoke College.
The SEL Resource Guide is here! Check out the curated list of resources created by members of all the Teaching for Our Moment PLCs, who have each submitted resources and found them to be valuable in their practice.
John Arthur
Focus of his talk: Running for political office
Rich Ognibene
Focus of his talk: Strategies to support LGBTQ+ students
Maddie Fennell
Focus of her talk: Unions and organizational leadership
Michael Lawrence-Riddell
Focus of his talk: Curriculum work related to race and racism
Monica Washington
Focus of her talk: Advocacy through speaking and writing for students and the teaching profession.
Leadership and Service Learning: One Independent School’s Vision in Action
Unlocking AI's Potential in Education: Innovations, Ethics, and Practical Applications
Fostering Dialogue Across Differences
Professor Eric Schildge shares some specific and applicable tools and skills that work with students and adults to build community and foster dialogue across lines of difference, especially in those situations where conversations have gotten stuck and groups are experiencing division and conflict.
Creating a Comprehensive Social Emotional Learning (SEL) program: A Roadmap for Independent Schools
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 at 7 pm
Are you enthusiastic about Social Emotional Learning (SEL) but unsure how to create a cohesive plan tailored to your school’s unique needs? This engaging workshop will guide you through the essential steps for designing and implementing a unified SEL approach in an independent school setting. Discover how to build a shared vision among stakeholders, prioritize key SEL competencies, and explore effective pedagogical strategies. Learn how to integrate trauma-informed and equity-focused approaches while cultivating adult competencies to ensure a holistic, sustainable SEL program that benefits your entire school community.
Happening at Mount Holyoke
Stories from Teacher Leadership
A soon-to-be double alum reflects on teacher leadership
Naomi Brown 2021 undergraduate, 2025 graduate
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