all things
PLC
Winter 2020
M A G A Z I N E
Features A Professional Learning Communities Approach to Teacher Preparation Heather Dillard and Terry Goodin
10
A look at the power of community.
Getting SMART Michael M. Ford
A year-by-year look at implementing a PLC.
2 2 The Unfamiliar
Tr
The Unfamiliar Truth aboutConflict Management When groups of people are involved, conflict is inevitable. To circumvent conflict Resistance to Change in Schools becoming a negative event, we again stress the importance of establishing and mainLuis F. Cruz
30 I
have is spent the past 11 working in a PLC district t taining team norms. The concept of norms explained to years the teacher candidates
How to dialogue with team members who are resistant as a school administrator at Randolph Howell Elemenfirst. Using a template provided by the National Staff Development Council (2006), tary School in Tennessee. We did PLC wrong for the to change. teacher candidates develop norms for how they will listen to one another, encourage first years, skimming the literature and following district
n t s a s
About34 Resistanc
participation of each member, make decisions, and icts. Theymeetings also cremandates leftdeal and with right.confl Collaborative would ate a norm for what they will do if someone the norms. drag breaks on for hours with book study after book study and A PLC Journey in the District Office no conversation aroundand student learning. Each time the groups begin a meeting, little theytoread over their norms agree to abide Phillip Page and David Chiprany by them or change them if they recognizeAsa district leadership so did the our teams perspective y need to do so. changed, Additionally, on how the PLC framework should be impleExploring the implementation of a PLC at the district level. are periodically asked to reflect upon and discuss how well they are individually and mented. At the start of my sixth year, collectively maintaining the norms. Consequently, theasteams are able to avoid many I realized that the instructional situations where conflict may arise. When confl arise, leader of ict our does school, I wasteacher going candidates are to have to nd a waypositive to help intentions of one encouraged from the beginning of the semester tofiassume teachers unlearn what they another and to approach one another respectfully. Candidates are taught the value had been doing incorrectly of productive conflict and are encouraged to work through dissention in opinion by for the past five years and bringing research to their meetings. Thisrelearn empowers teacher candidates to speak up in the right way to do the team meetings.
they must
Opportunities for Collaborative Work
To o l s & R e s o u rc e s fo r I n s p i ra t i o n a n d E xce l l e n ce
First Thing
4
Chris Jakicic discusses learning together as a team.
ICYMI
7
In case you missed it.
FAQs about PLCs
9
Creating time to meet.
Learning Champion
16
Kim Bailey makes it happen.
PLC Clinic
29
Test corrections.
Data Quest
33
The fist-to-five strategy.
Skill Shop
40
Teacher-directed versus student-directed learning.
Words Matter
43
The difference between collective commitments and team norms.
Classic R&D
44
Dimensions of organizational culture.
Contemporary R&D
46
Implementing PLC at WorkÂŽ concepts and practices.
Why I Love PLCs Ensuring every student learns every day.
48
all things
PLC M A G A Z I N E
2
8
SOLUTION TREE: CEO Jeffrey C. Jones
12
PRESIDENT Edmund M. Ackerman SOLUTION TREE PRESS:
18
PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER Douglas M. Rife ART DIRECTOR Rian Anderson PAGE DESIGNERS Abigail Bowen, Laura Cox, Kelsey Hergül, Rian Anderson
AllThingsPLC (ISSN 2476-2571 [print], 2476-258X [Online]) is published four times a year by Solution Tree Press. 555 North Morton Street Bloomington, IN 47404 800.733.6786 (toll free) / 812.336.7700 FAX: 812.336.7790 email: info@SolutionTree.com SolutionTree.com POSTMASTER Send address changes to Solution Tree, 555 North Morton Street, Bloomington, IN, 47404 Copyright © 2020 by Solution Tree Press
First Thing Does Your Team Learn TOGETHER?
Chris Jakicic
T
he foundation of any school or district that calls itself a professional learning community is the overwhelming focus on student learning as its mission. Teams work collaboratively to make sure that every student is learning at grade level or beyond. They shift the focus of their work from teaching to learning to make this happen. But, the L in PLC means that teams, schools, and districts must also focus on their own learning so that they are able to ensure continuous improvement for students. Is this the case for your school or district? This learning may come in the form of traditional professional development by keeping up with research, learning from consultants, or paying attention to the recommendations of professional organizations. In two recent articles, well-known reading thought leaders make the case that, as a profession, we already know what good reading instruction looks like from the research but that teacher practitioners don’t always use the strategies we know work (Pimentel, 2019; Shanahan, 2019). These researchers raise the question about whether individual practitioners are even aware of what the research suggests, and if so, why they may be reluctant to move toward more research-based instructional strategies that require changes to how reading instruction is being delivered. Whatever the case, PLC schools believe teams should study the research and make consensus decisions about how to apply this new learning to their work. It’s no longer acceptable to stick with things we’ve done in the past if they aren’t aligned with what we know works best. When teachers have a collaborative team to support and encourage these changes, they learn together. Even more importantly, when collaborative team members engage in the right work, they are also learning together. Answering the four critical questions provides the structure teams need to do the right work together and learn as they do so.
different strategies they used: looking for key words, seeing 1. What do we want students to know and do? how the content differs for each, and sharing several examples 2. How will we know if they can? written from each point of view. By discussing these different 3. What will we do for those who can’t? instructional strategies, they are able to better plan how to sup4. What will we do for those who already can? Teams often realize that there isn’t one right way to teach a port students who weren’t yet proficient. This collaboration also learning target or one right way to respond to a learning issue. helps the team build the capacity to respond to learning issues Instead, the team members recognize that their shared expe- for this standard. Teams often relate that the fourth question is the most difriences and expertise can lead to better solutions than when they work alone. For example, when a collaborative team works ficult one to answer. When the team identifies students who together to choose essential standards, unwrap those standards, have learned an essential learning target, they need to extend the learning for those students. They do this by and allow this work to impact their current pacing building scales for the targets that reveal what it guide—that is, they answer the first question— “Learning would look like if these targets were expected at they are learning together. Prior to engaging in a level of higher cognitive demand. Finding mathis work, teachers may have each interpreted for both terials and planning instructional strategies that the meaning of the standards differently and had students and would be overwhelming for individual teachers completely different beliefs about what proficiency looks like for the learning targets and overall teams is the becomes much more manageable for a collaborative team. Beyond that, the team is getting a standard. The discussions teachers participate in heart of a clearer understanding about what the extended help all team members see their differences and learning target looks like. They are learning towork toward a common understanding that will professional gether how to better support students who have help them move forward so that all students are reached proficiency and can benefit from enrichcommonly prepared for the next course or grade. learning ment and extension. Consider also how teams learn together when community.” As teams mature and become high performing, they develop common formative assessments their learning may move from specifically answeraround their essential learning targets to answer the second question. Writing items that are clear and that will ing the four questions around the standards for their course or produce information about not just which students haven’t yet grade level to looking at problems of practice they are encounlearned a target but also what misconceptions got in the way is tering. For example, a middle school science team may want more difficult than it first appears. To be valid, the item must to investigate how to better teach their students to read science match the learning target in terms of content as well as rigor. articles and materials. The team may start by reading articles Often the item requires a stimulus (piece of text, graph, map, about disciplinary literacy and how scientists read differently etc.) for students to read and analyze before answering the ques- than historians. As they learn more about disciplinary literacy, tion. This material must be new to the students so that they aren’t they have a common understanding of how they can use their just remembering classroom discussions. When the team sets science expertise to connect to the skills needed to effectively about writing good questions and choosing the right stimulus, read science content. The team may then set some short-term they are learning what proficiency means. They agree on what goals about improving comprehension of text. They can plan correct answers will look like for each of their items and collab- lessons and develop common formative assessments to monitor and guide student learning. oratively build rubrics to describe various levels of proficiency. Continuous improvement for collaborative teams relies on When teams bring student work from their common formative assessment to the table to discuss how best to respond, members consistently seeking out new ideas, staying current with they are answering questions 3 and 4. They study the student research, and moving away from practices that no longer produce work for each essential learning target to identify students who effective student achievement. Learning for both students and aren’t yet proficient. Even more importantly, they use students’ teams is the heart of a professional learning community. answers to dig deeply into where the learning stopped for each student on that target. All students who aren’t yet proficient REFERENCES on a particular target don’t have the same misunderstandings Pimentel, S. (2019). Why doesn’t every teacher know the reor misconceptions. Diagnosing these specifics allows teams search on reading instruction? Education Week. Retrieved to provide the best response. Consider, for example, a fourthfrom www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/10/29/whygrade team that has assessed whether students can compare and doesnt-every-teacher-know-the-research.html. contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event Shanahan, T. (2019). I’m a terrific reading teacher, why should or topic. Looking at student responses, the team may find that I follow the research? Shanahan on Literacy. Retrieved some students can’t differentiate the firsthand account from the from www.shanahanonliteracy.com/blog/im-a-terrificsecondhand account after initial instruction. The team shares reading-teacher-why-should-i-follow-the-research. Winter 2020/AllThingsPLC Magazine
5
Sustain Professional Development Throughout the Year Build collective teacher efficacy and reach higher levels of student achievement with the support of Global PD. Through our web-based learning platform, you and your team will receive targeted, goals-oriented training from acclaimed experts.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY SolutionTree.com/Goals-OrientedTraining 800.733.6786
the state-change that comes with accomplishing a major stretch goal.”
Boston Saves Every kindergartener enrolled in Boston Public Schools received $50 in a savings account to be used for college or other career training, available upon graduation. And to help keep the ball rolling, matching incentives are in place for families to add to the account. Research shows that a child who has at least $499 in savings prior to graduation “is more than four times more likely to enroll in college than a child with no savings account.” Read more: “Boston Is Giving Every Public School Kindergartner $50 to Promote Saving for College or Career Training,” by Amir Vera. CNN. https://cnn .it/2kEqz1Z
Read more: “How to Help Young People Transition Into Adulthood,” by Betty Ray. Greater Good Magazine. https://bit.ly/33Yomjf
concentration. Others, such as cinematic music, boost your motivation and give you feelings of empowerment. Even video game music—sure to be a hit with students—keeps you engaged as you overcome obstacles or solve puzzles. But if you don’t like classical, cinematic, or video game music, don’t despair; your favorite music is on this list, too! Read more: “These 6 Types of Music Are Known to Dramatically Improve Productivity,” by Deep Patel. Entrepreneur. https://bit.ly/2FjsrW1
Rites of Passage
Gain by Listening Research has determined that there are six types of music that can dramatically increase productivity. Some, such as classical music, are known to increase
ACT Retakes Starting in September 2020, ACT will allow students to retake single sections of the test to improve their scores. Prior to this change, students who wanted to improve their scores would have to retake the entire test, risking lower scores in sections they previously scored well on. In addition, ACT is providing a “superscore,” which combines the highest subscores from the sections each time the test was taken. Read more: “ACT Change Will Allow Students to Retake Individual Sections,” by Anemona Hartocollis. New York Times. https://nyti.ms/2PaqcJn
We know that many of the jobs our students will have do not even exist yet, so how can we prepare them for the future? Educators agree that skills such as creativity, critical thinking, and resilience will be important for any potential job, but lacking is a real-world transition into adulthood. Enter rites of passage. This article argues for a contemporary threestep scaffolded approach to rites of passage that will “help young people deepen their self-knowledge and strengthen their sense of identity, develop real-world skills, and (most importantly) experience 7
F
or the first time in the history of American education, the practice of teachers working in isolation is beginning to become the exception rather than the rule as teachers work together to address the increasing challenges they face on a daily basis. Collaboration, long the ideal but seldom the reality, is increasingly beginning to emerge as the norm in forward-thinking schools. Not only are these schools encouraging teachers to work collaboratively, but they are also establishing supports within the school day to allow time for collaborative work to occur. Additionally, researchers have been calling for administrators to stop allowing their teachers to work in isolation. John Hattie (2015) claims “the greatest influence on student progression in learning is having highly expert, inspired and passionate teachers and school leaders working together to maximize the effect of their teaching on all students in their care” (p. 2). He goes on to state that “we must stop allowing teachers to work alone, behind closed doors in isolation . . . and instead shift to a professional ethic that emphasizes collaboration” (p. 23). Marzano Research asserts that teachers working collaboratively have the power to transform student learning
10
AllThingsPLC Magazine/Winter 2020
(Marzano, Heflebower, Hoegh, Warrick, & Grift, 2016). For more than twenty years, Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker have urged schools to create a collaborative culture focusing on student learning and student results (DuFour, DuFour, & Eaker, 2008; DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, Many, & Mattos, 2016; DuFour & Eaker, 1998). For this reason, higher education needs to establish a plan to prepare its teacher candidates for the collaborative teacher role. Professors teaching the Residency I course in the Womack Educational Leadership Department of Middle Tennessee State University began this process in the fall of 2013. Residency I is the first semester of the teacher candidates’ senior year and moves much of the instruction into K–12 classrooms in a problembased learning format. The concept of professional learning communities is an integral part of Residency I. One module introduces teacher candidates to the concept of working in teams. Not only do teacher candidates learn about the basic practices of PLCs in this module, but they are also then placed in collaborative teams for the bulk of their learning during Residency I. These teams must establish team norms
Heather Dillard and Terry Goodin and hold one another accountable to them throughout the semester in order to progress in the course. As they work with teachers in the public K–12 schools, they observe collaborative team meetings and work collaboratively with a mentor to create lesson plans, which they deliver. This has proven to be a powerful experience for the teacher candidates who recognize the value in the work they are doing. In addition, the teacher candidates come to value working collaboratively and learn the importance of passing that value on to their future students. As reported by Terry Goodin, Nancy Caukin, and Heather Dillard (2018): The skills required for working as a team member are essential for 21st century schools. Not only do teachers need to know how to assist [K–12] students in working collaboratively, they too must learn to collaborate with their colleagues. By requiring teacher candidates to work interdependently and to hold one another mutually accountable . . . they will be able to immediately begin working collaboratively with their teacher teams and to instill these practices in their own students. (p. 7)
Over the past five years, the Residency I faculty members have learned important lessons about presenting the content of professional learning communities. For example, in the first year of delivery, teacher candidates were taught the many advantages of working collaboratively. They experienced working
in efficient teams where members held one another accountable and adhered firmly to the established team norms. However, subsequent research on the first cohort of teacher candidates revealed that they had not been prepared for possible negative aspects that can occur when teachers work collaboratively (Dillard, 2016, 2018). They then expressed a desire to learn “how to avoid drama with teachers, how to approach personality conflicts, and what to do when a dominant teacher took over the PLC meetings” (Dillard, 2016, p. 11). Additionally, they did not know how to get the veteran teachers to be more student focused. Following are a few ways we have tried to meet this need for our subsequent teacher candidates. We believe these ideas can be helpful for professors attempting to establish PLC concepts in their coursework as well as school leaders who are building or strengthening the teams in their schools.
Initial Training In the Residency I program, we utilize the Professional Learning Community at Work model of Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker, Thomas Many, and Mike Mattos (2016). As such, teacher candidates are encouraged to concentrate on learning rather than on teaching. Further, they are taught the value of working collaboratively and focusing on results rather than intentions. Lesson planning for the semester requires the teacher candidate to consider the four basic PLC questions: 1. 2. 3. 4.
What do we want all students to learn? How will we know that students have learned it? What will we do for students who have not learned it? What will we do for students who have learned it?
This requires the teacher candidates to consider the intended work of a PLC. From the beginning of the semester, they are Winter 2020/AllThingsPLC Magazine
11
The Unfamiliar Truth About Resistance to
Change in schools T
hirty years ago, I embarked on a personal and professional journey to work with students and families in public school settings. My journey began as a teacher; then I became an administrator, and today, I am an educational consultant and author. Three decades of working with amazing educators and students at every level—elementary, middle, and high school—have revealed two rather paradoxical conclusions: 1. The vast majority of public school educators are hardworking individuals who care deeply for their students. 2. The most challenging aspect associated with changing a school for improvement is not resistance from students but resistance from adults who work in the school.
30
AllThingsPLC Magazine/Winter 2020
Luis F. Cruz
This paradox begs the question, Why would hardworking educators who care deeply for the welfare of their students resist the changes needed to help more students be successful? The answer to this contradictory reality is best found not within the context of those refusing to change but more so with those leading the change process. Hence, resistance to change occurs mostly as a result of well-intended but nonetheless ineffective leadership. In his best-selling book Transforming School Culture, Anthony Muhammad (2018) introduces readers to two types of resistance to change: logical and illogical. In our new book, Time for Change: Four Essential Skills for Transformational School and District Leaders, Muhammad and I (2019) further expand on the notion that resistance to change is found within both logical and illogical contexts
and therefore requires leaders—both administrators and teacher leaders alike—to develop and sharpen particular skill sets required to effectively address both. Briefly, logical (also called rational) resistance to change is a result of individuals not understanding why a particular change initiative is needed, not trusting who the initiator of change is, and/or not understanding the particulars of how a specific plan for change is intended to be accomplished. As a result, genuine reasons why certain individuals may resist a call to change may sound like the following:
“I have been grading essays this way for years. Why should I suddenly change my grading practices now?” “This is our fourth principal in five years. Why should we invest time in changing our schedule if a new principal will probably be here next year?” “I do not know how to use the new software aimed at better analyzing the results of our common assessments; therefore, I prefer not to do it!”
Revelations such as these are indicative of resistance to change stemming from an unfulfilled need rather than an innate desire not to comply. Therefore, transformational leaders must be prepared to enact skill sets aimed at addressing logical resistance. • Why: Use relevant data to persuade those expected to carry out change initiatives as a means of explaining the why behind the intent of leaders. • Who: Approach those expected to initiate change in an empathetic and supportive manner to develop a strong sense of credibility and trust. • How: Include those expected to carry out change initiatives in the problem-solving process and develop an environment conducive to adult learning to be better prepared to incrementally carry out particular change initiatives. When leaders develop skill sets directly associated with logical reasons as to why individuals typically refuse to accept changes intended to better serve students and their families, less logical resistance to change will be experienced, leaving leaders with the task of confronting illogical (also referred to as irrational) resistance to change with tact and focus. Illogical resistance to change stems from no observable need (why, who, how) to comply; it is the intrinsic desire to refute change for the sake of refuting change. This illogical response to change initiatives with the potential to better serve students and their families must not be ignored; rather, it must be addressed directly by using what we have developed as the RESIST protocol.
R
Recognize that ignoring or deciding to avoid individuals who choose to resist change initiatives communicates to other adults in schools a lack of urgency or priority to follow through.
E
Evaluate whether you as a leader have provided enough support in the form of why, who, and how.
S
Select the language and location where this tactful confrontation will take place.
I
Initiate the tactful confrontation and inquire whether the person has been provided enough support to accept the change initiative.
S
T
Select your response. If it is revealed the person requires more support, then provide additional support. If it is revealed resistance to change exists regardless of the support provided, then a leader with positional authority (usually an administrator) must proceed to the next and final step. Tell the person who is unwilling to comply that refusal to accept and implement communicated change initiatives has led you to initiate professional monitoring of behavior until there is assurance that implementation of particular change initiatives will happen without the need to monitor.
Winter 2020/AllThingsPLC Magazine
31
2020 SPRING 2-DAY
WORKSHOPS
Come with a vision, leave with a plan Experience results-oriented training dedicated to your top priorities. In a small-group setting, leading experts will share strategies, tools, and advice for enhancing your current practices and delivering the best possible education to students. The 15-Day Challenge: Putting All the Pieces of Daily Life in a PLC at Work® Together
Starting a Movement: Building Culture From the Inside Out in Your PLC
Presenter: Maria Nielsen
Presenter: Kenneth C. Williams or Tom Hierck
February 26−27 ..... Charleston, South Carolina
February 25−26 ..... Austin, Texas
April 9−10 .............. El Paso, Texas
March 17−18 .......... Salt Lake City, Utah
Amplify Your Impact: Coaching Collaborative Teams in PLCs at Work
Teams: The Engine That Drives PLCs
Presenter(s): Thomas W. Many, Susan K. Sparks, Michael J. Maffoni, and/or Tesha Ferriby Thomas
February 27−28 ..... Austin, Texas March 30−31 ......... Kansas City, Missouri April 16−17 ............ San Francisco, California
School Improvement for All
Presenter: Janel Keating
April 16−17 ............ Grand Rapids, Michigan May 5−6................. Frisco, Texas
Yes We Can! An Unprecedented Opportunity to Improve Special Education Outcomes
Presenter: Sarah Schuhl or Sharon V. Kramer
Presenter: Heather Friziellie, Jeanne Spiller, or Julie A. Schmidt
February 24−25 ..... Charleston, South Carolina
March 2−3.............. Des Moines, Iowa
April 23−24 ............ San Diego, California
March 30−31 ......... New Orleans, Louisiana
April 30−May 1 ..... San Antonio, Texas
May 5−6................. Salt Lake City, Utah
Go online to browse our full slate of workshops on assessment, mathematics, RTI, and more.
REGISTER TODAY
SolutionTree.com/ATPLCWorkshops 855.880.4624
Words Matter WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
COLLECTIVE COMMITMENTS AND TEAM NORMS? COLLECTIVE COMMITMENTS
TEAM NORMS
Schoolwide collective commitments, the third pillar of the shared foundation of a PLC, capture the broad, tight behaviors that each member of the
In PLCs, team norms represent commitments
faculty and staff must honor. Examples of these
developed by each team to guide its members in
include the following.
working together. Norms help team members clarify expectations regarding how they will work together to achieve their shared goals. In that sense, team norms represent the collective commitments team members make to one another. Examples of these
We commit to being positive, contributing members of our collaborative teams.
We commit to develop and administer common formative assessments to monitor student learning on an ongoing basis.
We commit to use the evidence of student learning from our common assessments to address the learning needs of each student entrusted to us.
include the following.
C C
We commit to begin and end our meetings on time.
T N
We commit to be fully engaged in and contribute to the work of our collaborative team.
We commit to be respectful listeners during team discussions.
Why I Love PLCs Ensuring Every Student Learns Every Day BY LINDSEY MATKIN
48
Every day nearly 1,200 middle schoolers walk through our doors and we get the opportunity to engage them in learning. We get to build strong relationships, design innovative and creative learning experiences, and foster their curiosity. It is essential that we do the “right work” as defined by the PLC process. Every decision we make throughout the day directly impacts student learning. It’s not by happenstance that students know what they are learning, why they are learning it, and where they are headed. When teaching and learning are both purposeful and intentional, learning at high levels takes place. In our school, we work hard to align our everyday practices with our school mission: to foster a culture of learning that ensures every student learns every day. The thought of ensuring that all 1,200 middle school students learn each day at high levels takes my breath away. There is no way we can ensure learning for all if we work independent of one another. It’s imperative that we work interdependently and hold each other accountable for ensuring all our students are learning— all 1,200 of them. There is too much at stake if we don’t work together. We are setting the stage for our students’ future and helping them discover the tools they need to follow their passions. Really, it is a privilege that we get to work with young people, and it is also an enormous responsibility. I cannot imagine the magnitude of this responsibility if I were to work in isolation behind a closed door. Fortunately, throughout the last 19 years of my career, I have been a part of professional learning communities
in different capacities, where we co-labor and work interdependently toward ensuring every one of our students learn each and every day. As a classroom teacher and department leader, I was a part of a highly effective team. We embraced our time together and worked side by side through every process. We had evidence to demonstrate our effectiveness. In fact, it was the evidence of effectiveness that separated our team from others. We took the necessary time to learn how to work together as a collaborative team and how to work toward one common goal. It was far more than a sharing of resources. We focused on each of the four big questions. We started with what we wanted kids to know and be able to do. We designed lessons, learning targets, and success criteria. It did not matter which classroom a student entered, we knew— and our students knew—they were going to engage in the same high level of learning. The learning looked and sounded different in each classroom; it was authentic to each of our personalities and reflected our unique styles. Our common assessments provided us with information about what kids learned. Furthermore, our common rubrics provided timely feedback and allowed the students to have ownership of their learning. We codesigned everything. We knew three minds working together were always better than one working in isolation— especially as we made plans to support our struggling learners, the learners who needed challenge, and all the learners in between. The responsibility for meeting the needs of each and every learner
became less daunting because of the ownership we all had for all our students. We had shared ownership and took collective responsibility for all our kids. Although I am not in the classroom any longer, my work has not changed. In fact, I have further solidified my true understanding of the impact of a PLC in my role as an administrator. It is truly “how we do business.” For those schools who have embraced the three big ideas—a focus on learning, a focus on results, and a collaborative culture—the impact on student achievement will undoubtedly be reflected in the positive school culture and climate, in addition to the high levels of learning that take place. As an educator who dedicates my life to the power of learning, inspiring change, bettering lives, and ultimately making the world a better place, I will only choose to work in a professional learning community— there’s no other way!
LINDSEY MATKIN is assistant principal of Preston STEM Middle School in Fort Collins, Colo.
vw
AllThingsPLC Magazine | Winter 2020
Discussion Questions
ll
a things
PLC E Z I nteNr 2020 G A Wi M A
IMPR
OBAB
LE...
Use this convenient tear-out card to go over and reinforce the topics discussed in this issue with the members of your team.
T IS NO AME AS THE S SIBLE S O IMP
A Professional Learning Communities Approach to Teacher Preparation (p. 10)
1. What was your preservice training like in terms of being introduced to the concept of working in teams?
2. What are your thoughts on the introduction of PLC at Work concepts to teacher candidates?
3. Describe the level of trust in your team. Are you comfortable admitting weaknesses and holding others accountable to the team norms?
Getting SMART (p. 22) 1. Are there any aspects of PLC implementation that aren’t going quite as planned? Which of these is a top priority for your team/school?
2. In what ways do you use SMART goals? How else might the power of SMART goals be leveraged to increase student achievement?
3. How can you get SMART using Randolph Howell Elementary School as a role model?
The Unfamiliar Truth about Resistance to Change in Schools (p. 30) 1. How would you answer the question, Why would hardworking educators who care deeply for the welfare of their students resist the changes needed to help more students be successful?
2. What type of resistance do you see in your school? How do your leaders address it? 3. In what ways can team members address logical and illogical forms of resistance within the team?
SolutionTree.com/PLCmag
AllThingsPLC Magazine | Winter 2020
Refresher Course Because everyone needs a reminder now and again.
The 3 Big Ideas of a PLC 1. FOCUS ON LEARNING 2. BUILD A COLLABORATIVE CULTURE 3. FOCUS ON RESULTS
1
The fundamental purpose of the school is to ensure high levels of learning for all students. This focus on learning translates into four critical questions that drive the daily work of the school. In PLCs, educators demonstrate their commitment to helping all students learn by working collaboratively to address the following critical questions: 1. What do we want students to learn? What should each student know and be able to do as a result of each unit, grade level, and/or course? 2. How will we know if they have learned? Are we monitoring each student’s learning on a timely basis? 3. What will we do if they don’t learn? What systematic process is in place to provide additional time and support for students who are experiencing difficulty?
2 3
4. What will we do if they already know it?
PLC
• PLCs measure their effectiveness on the basis of results rather than intentions. • All programs, policies, and practices are continually assessed on the basis of their impact on student learning. • All staff members receive relevant and timely information on their effectiveness in achieving intended results.
One Year (4 issues)
A G A Z I Win N E te r 20 20
IMP
IS N T H OT E IMP SAM OS E SIB AS LE
• Schools improve when teachers are given the time and support to work together to clarify essential student learning, develop common assessments for learning, analyze evidence of student learning, and use that evidence to learn from one another.
Claim Your Subscription
thinall gs
M
• No school can help all students achieve at high levels if teachers work in isolation.
RO
BA
BL
E..
.
$49.95
Print and digital versions available
Order online
SolutionTree.com/PLCMag
or
Call
800.733.6786
all things
PLC
Strategies & Stories to Fuel Your Journey Each issue includes inspiration, fixes, tools, and more. A must-have for emerging and veteran PLCs.
M A G A Z I N E agll thin s
“
PLC M A G A Z I N E Win te r
This magazine helped reinforce the importance of well-functioning PLCs in our district.”
2020
IMPR
OBAB
LE...
—Virginia Bennett, executive director of academic support services, Bulloch County Schools, Georgia
IS NO THE S T IMPO AME AS SSIBL E
Print and digital versions available Call Subscribe Online SolutionTree.com/PLCmag
or
800.733.6786
(Ask about bulk discounts.)