Leveraging Teacher-Driven Growth—The NOW | Origin: EC119
This is a general discussion forum for the following learning topic:
Professional Learning Communities (PLC)—How to Reach Transformative Change --> Leveraging Teacher-Driven Growth—The NOW
Post what you've learned about this topic and how you intend to apply it. Feel free to post questions and comments too.
I believe the biggest factors to success in PLC's are the belief in collaboration and transparency in dialogue. It's also important to focus on what's working as we tend to look at what doesn't work very often in education. Further, making the work time feel like extra moments with colleagues is also highly valuable. The sense of having 'one more thing' to do weighs heavily in educational culture. This also supports trauma informed approaches to education as discussions of self-care can be woven into the fabric of meetings periodically as well.
Leveraging Teacher Driven Growth ( The now):
Flexibility within a framework is most critical.
Knowing what Literacy means in your particular field.
- What does Text meanin your field ?
- How do experts in your field think about the author of a source or text?
- How do experts in your field approach problems ?
- What are the norms of communication ?
Critical issues – team considerations
Autonomy & Motivation
- To reach strategic & extended thinking & love of learning is key !!!
- Challenges must be “just right” for the student to motivate them.
Why PLC’s groupings matter:
- More than 5 to 7 people will lose input.
- No more or less than around 30 to 45 min per session to give adequate time but not too much time to lose focus.
- Gets more meaningful responses.
Assess team members strengths by asking questions.
- Who are the strongest teacher-leaders to lead each team ?
- Who are the high flyer teachers?
- Who is strong with data?
The vicious cycle of mediocrity & how to avoid it.
- Identify how you spend your time.
- Regain focus
- Keep saying no to distractions
- Give yourself tools to insure growth.
The signs of successful implementation.
- You have created & sustained a culture of discipline.
- You have implemented & sustained your tenacity & focus on the group.
Where PLC’s can go wrong.
- Having weak leadership
- Not keeping the purpose at the forefront.
- Not listening to the staff
- Not finding the influencer in the group
- Not celebrating each success
- Not rewarding good behaviors
- Your group needs a project champion
- A weak culture of inquiry
- Poor communication
I think it is important for the members of the PLC to show have respect for their fellow collegues. Also it is important to dedicate time and effort into making it successful.
Developing strong and effective PLCs relies upon utilizing the strengths and passions of those within the community. That is, some teachers have a greater passion for data informed content than others. We should utilize these strengths and passions in selecting leaders for critical segments of productive PLC goal meeting.
For leaders, knowing their staff and getting buy in from the right staff members can make PLCs more successful. It can be stressful for teachers and feel like another thing added to their plate so knowing and communicating effectively to teachers can make it easier for admin to get buy in from teachers.
