MA TESOL Students, Teacher Leadership, and Investment in the Imagined Other.

This article examines second-language teacher leadership (SLTL) through the perspectives of six MA TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) students from diverse cultural backgrounds, focusing on their investments in leadership and self-positioning within imagined future professional communities. The study finds that while these educators actively engage in leadership practices—such as empowering students and collaborating with peers—they often resist the formal label of "leader" due to associations with hierarchical authority and managerial roles. Instead, their conception of leadership centers on relational, collective actions that serve the interests of students and colleagues rather than organizational status or career advancement. The findings suggest a potential generational shift toward more participatory and service-oriented forms of teacher leadership, highlighting the need for professional development that supports collaborative leadership practices aligned with educators’ identities and values.