Professional Learning Community Meeting

Date of Meeting: 10/23/23

Members in Attendance:
Ashley Focht
Katie McGovern
Ireland Smith
Lisa Patrone
Recorder: Katie McGovern
Topics Discussed: Domain 4

Summary of Discussion:
-Domain IV and why it is important to teaching. domain 4 is the application of deep learning
principles to teacher professional development and improvement. In the context of Domain 4,
professional responsibilities, deep learning principles could be integrated into the teacher's
reflective practices and professional growth. Deep learning in education refers to the use of data,
technology, and cognitive science to enhance teaching and learning. The components of domain
4 include reflecting on teaching, maintaining accurate records, communicating with families,
participating in the professional community, growing, and developing professionally, and
showing professionalism.

Overall learning of the group:

-Reflection is so important when teaching. Domain IV focuses on reflection, keeping records,
communicating with families, participating in the professional community, growing and
developing professionally, and demonstrating professionalism to students at the profession

-Impact on Student Learning: The focus on understanding and measuring one's impact on student
learning surprised and challenged my thinking. It's not just about delivering content but also
about how a teacher's beliefs, mindsets, and identity affect the learning experience
- Domain 4 is the context of Component 4b, which emphasizes keeping accurate records of
instructional and noninstructional events, deep learning principles can be applied to enhance how
educational institutions manage, analyze, and leverage the data they collect. Deep learning for
educational data management involves using advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence to
make data-driven decisions, optimize educational processes, and support both teachers and
students. School administrators use these records to make data-driven decisions about resource
allocation, curriculum improvements, and other aspects of education.

Overall challenges/surprises of the group:

– One area that challenges my thinking is in component 4d of domain 4 which is participating in
a professional community. One of the elements to this is creating relationships with colleagues. I
know that we have discussed in many different courses how some teachers have cliques or tend
to gossip or complain. It is challenging to find a balance between keeping your distance from
these people but also being able to collaborate when needed.
-Something that surprised me is how much goes into keeping accurate records. When looking at
the list of accurate records, I was surprised how many records there are. I originally thought
IEPs, emergency forms, and data of their learning

Ways to apply the learning:

 Engage in Collaborative Inquiry: Actively participate in collaborative inquiry with
colleagues through department or team meetings, study groups, lesson study, or other
structures. This will not only enhance your own teaching but also contribute to the
collective growth and development of the teaching community.
 Seek Professional Development Opportunities: Continue to pursue opportunities for
learning and development, such as attending professional organizations, online courses,
educational conferences, or formal university coursework. Additionally, consider seeking
mentorship or instructional coaching to further enhance your teaching skills and
effectiveness.
 One way to apply this learning in my own classroom is reflecting on my lessons and
asking myself questions. I know I do this now with my lesson plans and presentations in
pre student teaching as well. I can create a list of strategies to use when reflecting on a
lesson. I could use the Reflecting Teaching Cycle to make changes to their plans to
further student understanding. I would also ask questions to co-workers on advice. I can
ask co-workers to sit in on a lesson and have them help reflect on my lesson. I would also
reflect on student assessments and see what questions are commonly missed and use this
assessment to know what the students still do not understand and figure out a way to
apply the information in a new lesson.

List any questions or other discussion points from the 4-3-2-1 to bring back to the full group.

 Focusing on respecting and celebrating students' cultures and backgrounds as strengths,

not weaknesses, is a key part of good teaching. This makes us wonder how teachers can
get the right training and help to be culturally sensitive when working with a diverse
group of students? What can school and programs that help teachers learn do to make
sure they are ready to create welcoming and culturally aware learning spaces?
 One question I have is that I know that we have discussed in many different courses how
some teachers have cliques or tend to gossip or complain. I have even been in schools
where teachers go as far as saying to me “are you sure you want to do this?) How do we
find a balance between keeping your distance from these people (not letting comments
get to us) but also being able to collaborate when needed?