Home » Programs » Teacher Leadership Concentration: Coursework
The Teacher Leadership program is structured to meet the needs of working educators and to build on and deepen their practice. Students attend classes once a week over the course of one academic school year. During this year, they design and pilot an action research project focused on an issue relevant to their classroom and/or school. This pilot project will set the stage for the Master’s thesis project students will undertake at their school of employment in their second year, with the support of their advisor and their colleagues in the Master’s project seminar. During the second year, students also engage in mentoring and coaching activities at their home school and return to the HTH village to present their Master’s project alongside their colleagues at the HTH Summer Institute.
Educators beyond the San Diego complete their coursework the first year in San Diego and then return to their schools of employment to conduct their Master’s thesis project, with the structured support of their GSE advisor and colleagues. They then return to the HTH village to present their Master’s project alongside their colleagues at the HTH Summer Institute.
Fall Semester, Year 1
Equity, Diversity, and Design Principles
Links Between Research and Practice
Action Research I: Design and Methods
Teacher Leadership I: School Reform from the Classroom
Advanced Project Based Learning
Spring Semester, Year 1
Action Research II: Application
Content Area Study
Teacher Leadership for Literacy
Implementing Inclusive Classrooms
Action Research Forum at the HTH Summer Institute
Fall Semester, Year 2
Master’s Thesis Project I
Inquiry and Applied Research IA*
or Mentoring Through Cycles of Inquiry IIA*
Spring Semester, Year 2
Master’s Thesis Project II
Inquiry and Applied Research IB*
or Mentoring Through Cycles of Inquiry IIB*
* Students take either the Inquiry and Applied Research I or Mentoring Through Cycles of Inquiry II series depending on their current participation in HTH’s teacher mentoring program.
Teacher Leadership Concentration: Courses for Resident Teachers
HTH 200: Equity, Diversity, and Design Principles 2
In this course, students will review major concepts in the sociology of education (equity, diversity, equality, stratification) and will connect those concepts to their classroom experiences and their work at HTH schools designed around the principles of Personalization, Common Intellectual Mission, and Adult World Connection. Students will explore how the sociological concepts manifest in their classrooms and where they complement and conflict with HTH design principles.
HTH 202: Links Between Research and Practice 1
Students will become skilled consumers of educational research by exploring the many types of educational research and resources available to them. Students will also reflect on the role of the research literature and other resources in their own research process.
HTH 210: Action Research I: Design and Methods 3
Participants learn about research methodology and design an action research project. In the process, they learn to value their own voices and the questions they generate about their professional practice. Learning about the action research process lays the foundation for using structured inquiry as a strategy for enhancing learning environments.
HTH 212: Teacher Leadership I: School Reform from the Classroom 1
Who says you can’t be a leader from the classroom? This course examines the many forms of formal and informal teacher leadership and explores the role that teachers must play in the reform of our nation's schools. It analyzes the barriers to teacher leadership created by the structure of schools and the culture of teaching and assesses teacher leadership in relation to the developmental needs of a rapidly changing workforce.
HTH 216: Advanced Project Based Learning 2
Led by nationally-recognized expert on project-based learning Robert C. Riordan, teachers will learn to deepen their project-based work by exploring issues of content, rigor, design, and student ownership. Using a consultancy model, teachers will have the opportunity to reflect upon past projects and plan and improve upon future ones.
HTH 220: Action Research II: Application 3
Using what they learned in Action Research I, students will conduct a pilot action research project based on a topic of their choosing relevant to their classroom or their school. They will also learn about various data analysis techniques and begin to link their findings to their essential questions and the relevant research literature. This pilot project will set the stage for the Master’s thesis project students will undertake in their second year of the program.
HTH 230: Content Area Study 2
In this course, students will delve deeply into a content-specific issue of their choosing that they feel will enrich their teaching and professional development. Students may pursue this topic through independent study, group study, collaboration with an expert, or by taking an extension course outside the HTH village. Students will propose a plan for their content area study – that includes a timeline, list of activities, and evidence of learning – to their advisor in the spring of their first year. The content area study plan must be completed before the end of the student’s second year.
HTH 208: Teacher Leadership for Literacy 2
This course begins with a brief review of promising approaches to literacy development. Participants will be expected to apply and reflect on their day-to-day experience with one of these approaches. They will share this approach with colleagues via presentation or consultation, and reflect on the results of this collegial interaction.
HTH 240: Implementing Inclusive Classrooms 2
High Tech High strives to embrace high standards for all students. Consistent with the design principle of common intellectual mission, HTH heterogeneously groups students in classes, including English learners and students with special needs. This course will address the wide range of modifications and accommodations teachers can make in their project-based classrooms to accommodate diverse student needs. Participants will apply these changes in their classrooms and reflect on the process and outcomes.
HTH 250: Action Research Forum 2
Students will present their pilot action research study at the High Tech High Summer Institute. They will also facilitate, and participate in, discussions among attendants as to the role of action research and teacher leadership in K-12 schools.
HTH 280: Master’s Thesis Project I 6
In this course, students will work on their Action Research thesis project, with the support of their advisor and their teacher research group via a regularly scheduled seminar.
HTH 262: Inquiry and Applied Research IA & IB 6
This year-long course is designed for students who are currently being mentored through HTH’s structured mentoring program. Through participation in this program, students will complete cycles of inquiry focusing on the following elements: Core Academic Content and Subject-Specific Pedagogy, Creating a Healthy Learning Environment, Using Technology in the Classroom, Supporting Equity and Diversity, Supporting English Learners, and Supporting Students with Special Needs.
HTH 264: Mentoring Through Cycles of Inquiry IIA & IIB 6
One of the most important roles of a teacher leader is that of peer coach and mentor. This year-long course provides students with training and experience in mentoring colleagues through complete cycles of inquiry focusing on the following elements: Core Academic Content and Subject-Specific Pedagogy, Creating a Healthy Learning Environment, Using Technology in the Classroom, Supporting Equity and Diversity, Supporting English Learners, and Supporting Students with Special Needs. Students will explore the best practices in mentoring across content areas. In addition, students will become adept at conducting classroom observations and providing feedback to novice and experienced teachers with an emphasis on supporting teachers as reflective practitioners.
HTH 282: Master’s Thesis Project II 6
In this course, students will work on and complete their action research thesis project, with the support of their advisor and their teacher research group via a regularly scheduled seminar.
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