A new academic year is almost upon us and there is much to contemplate. So many of the recent changes would have seemed inconceivable even three months ago, but there is at least a sense that we may begin September with some sense of normality. 

It is with this in mind that many teachers will return to the thoughts they had before lockdown. Many will contemplate changing schools or may have been swayed by the extraordinary leadership shown during the pandemic. Others will have been contemplating making the move into leadership themselves.

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But how do you know when you are ready? Here are five of the main signs that you are ready to take the leap:

You’re an outstanding teacher

There is much debate about teachers being branded with an Ofsted grade, and even more debate about whether an excellent teacher will make an excellent leader. What is certain, is that being an excellent practitioner is a prerequisite for any leadership role. This can be defined in many ways (achievement, progress, classroom management, relationships with students, all of the above), but before starting the journey to leadership, it is vital that a practitioner’s teaching craft has been honed.

Experience

American educator, author and businessman Stephen Covey once asked: “Do you have 20 years of experience or a year’s experience repeated twenty times?”

Although slightly exaggerated, there is some truth in Covey’s quote. Experience does not simply mean time spent in the classroom, schools or in education in general, experience is what you have achieved in that time and the challenges you have faced and conquered.

Do you have the experience to deal with and give insight into the challenges you would face as a leader? If you are unsure, seek these challenges out and better prepare yourself for the leadership role you want.

There are those in teaching who lack confidence due to their experience (or even their age). As the great Sir Matt Busby once said, “If you’re good enough, you’re old enough.”

Resilience

Resilience is a vital part of any leaders skill set for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is important for your team to know that they can count on you for support and guidance during challenging times. Secondly, owing to the nature of leadership in education (hugely rewarding, but a challenging workload and highly demanding), you will be tasked with guiding your team through challenges while facing the very different ones placed on you by senior leaders.

As no man is an island, this is not to say that current and future leaders should hold the weight of the world on their shoulders. Resilience is about finding the right support networks and groups (inside and outside of school, with family and friends as much as with collaborators in other settings) and compartmentalising wherever possible to support those around you.

Reflective

A vital component of becoming an effective teacher and leader is the ability to reflect on all aspects of your practice. From looking at individual interactions with students to evaluating a decision that will impact hundreds of students, it will mean you make more informed decisions and that you can continually refine your decision-making process. It will also allow you to support others in a variety of ways from giving feedback on planning and assessment to classroom management and everything in between.

The ability to reflect and admit fault is not only an admirable trait but also one that will gain the respect of your colleagues and your team. This can also help to facilitate more fruitful collaboration throughout a department, and develop relationships between colleagues.

Your advice is sought

There’s a knock at the door. It’s the third of the day. This time it’s a colleague from two doors down who’d like you to take a look at an observation lesson they are planning for next week. You discuss the strengths of the lesson and discuss some potential alterations which might help with the challenging girls in that class. This is a regular occurrence, and there will be three more knocks on the door throughout the week.

One of the best unspoken compliments in teaching is regularly being asked advice on a range of topics. It shows you are trusted, approachable, reliable, build good relationships and (perhaps most importantly) you are viewed as an excellent practitioner. Interactions like this are the foundation of good leaders.

The writer is a FE leader in England