<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In researching information on viable PLCs, I came across the following written by Franchesca Warren In 4 Ways to Make Your PLC Meetings More Productive<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI began to think about the actual purpose of PLCs. Were they created to wreak havoc on teacher\u2019s schedules or do they really have a purpose? After doing a bit of research, I came across the book Learning by Doing PLC\u2019s <\/em>which told me that PLCs are meant to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the overall goal(s) of Professional Learning Communities are supposed to be focused on teachers learning from one another, how did they become meetings where teachers are engrossed in doing anything beneficial to classroom instruction? When did these meetings become a time to roll our eyes and resent the time we spend in them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The answer is simple, PLC\u2019s became ineffective when administrators used it for \u2018filler\u2019 for any and everything they wanted to accomplish in the school. Combined with making teachers painfully endure these meetings on a weekly schedule, has made a \u2018recipe for disaster\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therin, how Can PLCs Be More Productive? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Warren shared the following strategies for making PLC meetings more meaningful and engaging for participants:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The point is this – use this time to actually strengthen the culture of the school- not just to have another meeting. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We can see why meaningful teacher exchange and reflection, in effective PLCs, can benefit teachers and students, as well as bring about important professional sharing and growth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Edutopia\u2019s Teacher Development: Teachers and Community Members Practice TLC with PLCs, <\/em>Ellen Ullman describes \u201ca culture of collaboration and constant improvement with professional learning communities.\u201d She references the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nancy Krakowka, a sixth-grade language arts and social studies teacher stated: \u201cI was protective of my curriculum. But some of my colleagues have better ideas than I do. When you put all these minds together, the end product comes out much better.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a teacher, a professional instructional coach, PLC planner\/leader, and PD educator, the above insights had a profound effect upon me. I had already always believed that PLCs were meant to be helpful to teachers with shared knowledge and practices relevant to them. Not scripted meetings where they sat and listened but learned little to nothing. But that was not the case I had experienced first-hand, as a classroom teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In thinking over what these educators had to say, I was determined, when I had the opportunity, to embrace ways to enhance PLCs that teachers would love, and in which they were active participants with teacher-oriented shared ideas and healthy discussions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was given that opportunity while working as an instructional coach and mentor in several grant-funded educational research programs. In these settings, where open communication of ideas and learning by doing were the format, the PLCs were a huge success. Held once a month, they served to provide teachers with new ideas, support, and validation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In one setting the teachers shared ideas for STEM science around an agreed upon, pre-planned theme. They not only shared their ideas, but each teacher also demonstrated the experiment or lesson to the group, plus providing lesson handouts. The group was happy to share because they all profited. They loved the opportunity to come together, discuss ideas, and be hands-on. I provided resource packets to match their chosen themes & often had them do an experiment I taught. It was always lively and fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The end result was group cohesion, support, and classroom results which were significant. Not only the teachers profited. Their students blossomed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In another setting, I worked with 40 teachers who had had no PLCs, only monthly meetings where they were talked to & not actively involved. I set out to design and provide a PLC program where they could share ideas and learn from each other. I had seen what they were doing in their own classrooms, but it was time for them to share their expertise with each other. Different teachers took turns presenting at each monthly meeting, and shared handouts of their ideas with the group. Where there had been a lack of trust and any shared ideas, camaraderie grew and ideas flowed freely. The PLCs were looked forward to each month, and the program itself flourished. It evolved into a teacher-trainer model, which was reviewed and chosen as most sustainable in the country. Teachers loved it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having been able to initiate these PLC formats, and see them develop into living, breathing successful models which made a difference for the teachers I coached, was immeasurable to me and to the many teachers I was privileged to work with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These hands-on, idea-sharing, models proved that if teachers are given the support and opportunity to plan, share, and learn-by-doing through their own initiative and meaningful interaction, PLCs will come alive and prosper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PLCs \u2018can\u2019 work!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In researching information on viable PLCs, I came across the following written by Franchesca Warren In 4 Ways to Make Your PLC Meetings More Productive: \u201cI began to think about the actual purpose of PLCs. Were they created to wreak havoc on teacher\u2019s schedules or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":429,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[81],"class_list":["post-431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-professional-development","tag-plcs"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
\n