A GUIDE FOR PLC ACTION AT WJH

What are Professional Learning Communities?

Starter Activity:
1) Think of a current student that you have

in any of your classes that you feel struggles the most academically. 2) Write their first and last name on the post-it note provided as well as what area(s) the student struggles in (ex: reading). 3) When finished give the post-it note to either Kathy Thompson or Trish Pedersen of the Leadership Team. These will be used later in the training

Norms
o o o o

O Norms for today Be fully present putting away all other work Watch your air time Turn off electronic devices Be positive and respect others learning Collaborate!

Objectives
Content Objective Participants will learn what PLCs are, why/how they will benefit students/teachers at WJH, and the direction that we are heading in relation to PLCs as a school. Language Objectives Participants will read, write and discuss the following: PLC sa process not a program Definition of PLCs Three Big Ideas of PLCs Teams versus Groups

A Definition of Terms
What do these words mean to you? PROFESSIONAL?

LEARNING?
COMMUNITY?

Professional Learning Task #1

O Brainstorm as many words or phrases as you can

that define each of the words on the handout (Professional, Learning, Community -- 3 min.) O Write a definition of PLCs together with your partner using the words you listed on the handout ( 3 min.) O As a table group, read aloud each partner group definition. O Combine ideas and write final definition on the large sheet provided; Post for faculty. (5 min.)

Our Leadership Team came up with the following:

P (Professional): skilled, collegial, educated, prepared, appropriate, responsible L (Learning): engaging, teachable, committed, integration of knowledge, analysis & synthesis, sharing, making connections C (Community): common purpose, togetherness, creating together, inclusive, integrated, diversity

PLCs = A team of educators committed to a common purpose of collaboration to improve student learning and engagement.

Rick DuFour (PLC expert & author) defines a PLC as:

O A Professional Learning Community (PLC) is

educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve.
O PLCs operate under the assumption that the key to

improved learning for students is continuous, jobembedded learning for educators.

Six Essential Characteristics of a PLC

Shared mission, vision, values, goals Collaborative teams focused on learning Collective inquiry into best practice and

current reality Action orientation and experimentation Commitment to continuous improvement Results orientation
(DuFour and Eaker, 1998)

A Professional Learning Community is NOT:

O A program to be implemented
O A package of reforms to be adopted O A step-by-step recipe for change

O A sure-fire system borrowed from another

school O One more thing to add to an already cluttered school agenda

This simple shiftfrom a focus on teaching to a focus on learning has profound implications for schools.

WJH Leadership Team Input

(What they have learned/seen during our PLC research)

A PLC is a PROCESS/ An ongoing JOURNEY

Three Big Ideas

O Big Idea #1: Focus on Learning

O Big Idea #2: A Culture of

Collaboration O Big Idea #3: A Focus on Results

Three Big Ideas

Task #2 Directions
O At your table, divide into 2 groups O One group will read the intro & Big Idea #1 &

the 2nd group will read Big Idea #2 & #3. (5-7 min.) O Once finished reading, both groups will share the key points from their assigned section

Big Idea #1 Focus on Learning

O Teacher conversations must quickly move

beyond What are we expected to teach? to How will we know when each student has learned?

Big Idea #2 Collaboration

Big Idea #3 A Focus on Results

O Data Does Not Always

Inform.

O Schools typically suffer

from O the DRIP syndrome:

O Data Rich,

Information Poor

Four guiding questions

O What is it we want our students to learn? O How will we know if each student has

learned it? O How will we respond when some students do not learn it? O How can we extend and enrich the learning for students who have demonstrated proficiency? -Dufour 2008

Group vs. Team

VIDEO

Mere collegiality wont cut it. Even

discussions about curricular issues or popular strategies can feel good but go nowhere. The right image to embrace is of a group of teachers who meet regularly to share, refine, and assess the impact of lessons and strategies continuously to help increasing numbers of students learn at higher levels. Schmoker, 2004

We must change from a model that picks winners to one that will creates winners.
Hodgkinson, Michigan: The State and Its Educational System (1987)

Where are we headed??

The vision for WJH PLCs (2013-2014)

Plan is adjustablethis is not a race!
O Tentative plans include:
O Implementing intervention/enrichment

schedule O Mastery of concepts grading style used O Finish common assessments to be used school-wide O Common grading/policies

REVIEW
O Professional Learning Communities

are a process for change. If change is not taking place, then the professional learning community is not functioning.

Objectives Review
Content Objective Participants will learn what PLCs are, why/how they will benefit students/teachers at WJH, and the direction that we are heading in relation to PLCs as a school. Language Objectives Participants will read, write and discuss the following: PLC sa process not a program Definition of PLCs Three Big Ideas of PLCs Teams versus Groups

WHY HAVE EFFECTIVE PLCS AT WJH?