1. True collaborative teams focus on clarifying essential outcomes by class course or grade level. They spend time developing common formative assessments and establishing targets and benchmarks for their students. They come together to analyze assessment results and they use the data to plan appropriate interventions and instructional improvement strategies.
2. Students and teachers benefit when teams of teachers focus on clarifying what students should know and be able to do.
3. Principals should forget about what a team is called and focus instead on creating the conditions that maximize the effectiveness of existing teams.
- At Ustach, has the term PLC been given a negative connotation? The term professional learning community can sound like a hoax or a trend if not backed by meaningful and purposeful action.
- If so, should we stop calling it a PLC and just refer to it as team meetings? Would this help others buy-in or at least entertain some of the above mentioned practices prior to closing off?
- By this article’s definition, is Ustach truly collaborating as a site?
I found this article very interesting...it is quite funny as Lisa and I have talked so much about just the idea of changing the name. By the way, anything that uses a quote from Romeo and Juliet makes me smile!
ReplyDeleteI definitely think the name "PLC" has a negative connotation at our site. Some see it as a new wave in education that will pass...some see it as a brand new process that will cause hours and hours of work placed upon the teachers. When I have spoken about PLC's to my fellow teachers, I try and describe them as a department meeting that is structured and focused on student learning not the busy work of a typical department meeting. It is the most simple way I can put it. After doing the training this last year, I see the benefits of this type of work ahead of us and what a difference it could make at Ustach...I do believe just referring to the groups as teams is a much better idea though and gives us a chance to start over. There are times we will be in grade level teams, department teams, honors teams, writing teams and so on. I think we just continue presenting this as a way of working together to improve our students' learning and a chance to really focus in on that. From that, teachers hopefully will see the power that gives us in our classrooms.
I believe that some of our teams are starting a collaborative process as well as even moving forward to the beginning stages of looking at students' undertsanding and learning. Some have created common assessments and goals for specific levels...it is the "what now" they are looking for. I think our staff needs an overview of what a successful team meeting looks like and what a successful team's goals look like as well as a time period for these goals. Then a successful team's action plan once they have the results. A real hands on approach. There are some teams on our campus that really need the basics in starting their team...I hope that came out right. Just like our students, we are all at different levels with some much farther in the process and some very far behind.
This is just one humble opinion though.
Hope summer is treating everyone well:)
I just got back in town after two weeks on the east coast, so I am just now catching up on the blog and the articles. I agree with Melanie that we should drop the term "PLC," mainly because it intimidates. The focus should be on what occurs in existing team meetings, so that teachers don't feel like they are having to start a whole new program or process, but instead they are just "tweaking" what what they already do. That seems a lot more doable to most.
ReplyDeleteJeannie
Yes, I agree with Melanie in that the term PLC has been given a negative connotation on our campus. Surely a heated debate will arise if mentioned in some circles.
ReplyDelete"What something is, not what it is called, is what matters." If people don't understand what PLC means or the ultimate purpose I am not sure that a name change will do anything. Although a name change with more direction and focus could be helpful at this stage of the game.
I can only speak for my department and we are implementing many of the things mentioned in the article. Perhaps because I don't know what is going on in other departments that may be a sign that we are not where we should be as a site.
From Nick Stever:
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the Blog Jeannie and Elizabeth. Great insight in your comments. I hope that you are having a great summer!
comment from Linda:
ReplyDeleteI agree with previous blogs, but I also still wonder if even changing the name will really change resistance. On a very basic level, I think whatever we call PLCs, teachers and administrators have to want to invest the energy and time, and I do not think many want to do this. Many teachers state that they already collaborate with other teachers, especially within their department, therefore their is no need to spend any additional time working on a PLC at Ustach. Big hurdle to overcome.
It seems much of what PLC is about is just good teaching. The specific practices will require training and time. Some of us need help in creating appropriate "common formative assessments". This will be very different from what some are currently doing. Meanwhile, there are huge pieces to this puzzle that are still missing. I am curious how PLCs have been implemented in other schools. How big were those schools or their classes? What about their demographics? We seem to be trying to squeeze this in while we have not made any attempt to deal with other issues. 160 students, 30+ per class, no interventions, no formal behavior modifications (teachers hold their own detentions, no in-school suspensions, no student accountability etc). These other schools are using time during the school day while we are taking away prep time. Collaborating with my coworkers wont help me grade papers, make copies, format tests, quizzes or assignments, update web pages, contact parents, assess grades etc. Don't get me wrong. I fully embrace the concept and I am committed to making myself a better, more effective teacher. However, now that the year has started I am swamped. I am working harder than ever and STILL I am staring at students who are not being held accountable and are not doing the things I set before them that will put them on the path to success. I have a hard time believing these other schools implemented their PLC process without addressing these other very real issues. Until that is done I feel some will have the impression that PLC is just a phase... and it wont matter what it is called.
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