Professional Learning Teams

“You cannot have students as continuous learners and effective collaborators, without teachers having the

same characteristics” - Michael Fullan

“Systematically embed collaboration in the routine practices of the school.”Dufour

“Provide the

structure and

parameters to

ensure that the

collaboration

focuses on

improving the

learning of both

students and

adults.” Dufour

Opening Activity

• A/B Partners- model• Individually, choose a picture that reflects

your vision of what a PLC is– 3 reasons why this picture reflects your vision

****Think, Pair, Share*****

Objectives for Session

Participants will be able to: • Understand how our vision of PLC/PLT has changed through a

three year cultural shift in our PLCs at Lochearn from an "add on" to "way of being".

• Define collaboration and how it is accomplished in their place of work- what is important and what makes it successful.

• Appreciate how embedded Professional Learning Team time has enhanced our school culture and improved student achievement.

• Reflect on where their staff is in the PLC cycle and their vision of PLC in their division/building.

Learning is like rowing upstream:  not to advance is to drop back.

Chinese Proverb

What a PLC is to us……

• A PLC shares best practices as a means of improving instruction.• “The PLC concept is specifically designed to develop the collective

capacity of a staff to work together to achieve the fundamental purpose of the school: high levels of learning for all students. Leaders of the process purposefully set out to create the conditions that enable teachers to learn from one another as part of their routine work practices.

• Continuous learning becomes school based and job embedded.”

On Common Ground, page 18

Resistance

• Assume good intentions recognize that the resistance is to change

• Express a need for resisters to articulate their concerns / assumptions

• Need to build shared knowledge• Shifting from being the “sage on the stage

to the “guide by the side” modeling that it is “okay” not to know all the answers…..

We have learned that :

A PLC is not:• a program to be implemented• a meeting• a step-by-step recipe for change• a sure-fire system borrowed from another school• one more thing to add to an already cluttered school

agenda

A PLC IS A PROCESS THAT WILL CHANGE A SCHOOL’S CULTURE!

It is not EASY and takes TIME

Why . . .Moving from being an add on that we have to do to a way of being……….

We started as:One hour per week added on the end of a workday …

Focus was on DuFour’s questions:

5. What will be the next steps once students have learned?

1. What do we want our students to learn? Essential Learnings

Through collaborative unit planningThrough collaborative alignment of curriculum

3. How will we know students have learned? Common AssessmentsThrough using assessment for learning strategiesThrough the creation and use of common assessments

4. What will we do if students do not learn?Use Differentiated Instruction Interventions Use Instructional Technology Interventions

Dufour’s Questions

2. How do we want students to learn?By using Differentiated Instruction StrategiesBy using Instructional Technology Strategies

But ………→ we need more in order to grow in our

learning as educators→ not enough “deep conversations”

A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions.

Anonymous

• What’s Important and Why • A/B Partner talk • Question: How do teachers in your school

collaborate? What is important and what makes it effective?

Discussion

Concerns . . .

How do we as administrators take an instructional leadership role that improves student learning?

How do we encourage discussions that are based on research…..that relate to how students are doing and what we are doing to improve student learning?

How do we ensure collaborative reflection time that is more than preparing strategies for classroom delivery?

How do we allow for individual concerns to be raised?

Leading the process - Where do we as administrators want to focus our

energy?

• Isolation is the enemy of learning. • Principals who support the learning of adults

in their school organize teachers schedules to provide opportunities for teachers to work, plan, and think together.”

NAESP, Leading Learning Communities: Standards for What Principals Should Know and Be Able to Do

Who dares to teach must

never cease to learn.

John Cotton Dana

How we started 3 years ago…

Three classes at each grade level

50 minutes each week

One class is in Music

One class is in Phys. Ed.

One class is in library

What . . .process

• Started As: Issue driven / walk throughs: positives and concerns. In Math, started with what are we supposed to be teaching? Looking at the Math curriculum, discussing “I Can”

statements, teaching strategies and class organization. Who is learning? . . . Who is not learning?

PLT Week #7 – example from 3years ago…..

10 Understandings of Assessment – Carol Ann Tomlinson

Discussion

Article learning – Learning to Love Assessment – Carol Ann Tomlinson

Discussion

What kind of assessment is being done in Math?

Who is not learning?

Are you assessing outcomes that are not part of your grades outcomes?

Moved to…

• Best practice/research discussions, facilitated by AISI coach driven by division, school, and grade team goals

• Works as “guide by the side” to assist teams through best practices discussions

• Still focusing on Dufour’s questions• Works to focus teams and stretch thought to

new areas • Funnel to team work time at end of day

Agenda for PLT Meetings – Week of Jan.5-7/10

What is going well? Burning Issues/concernsThe Big Question:“What are does good teaching look like/sound like?”Guiding questions:• What does good teaching look like?• What does good teaching sound like?• How would we create a rubric based around the above

characteristics?

• Next week: SMARTboards and using the tool to enhance teaching and improve student achievement

Coaching Time

• 0.33 Fte. At Lochearn• Split on Tues./Thurs.• All PLC time except kindergarten PLC are on

Thurs.• Tues. coaching time allows coach to have time

to meet with grade teams using AISI release time to work on grade team goals or meet with individual teachers to work on partnership agreements with coach

Aligning Goals

Student Achievement Data• PAT results• Whole school writing and math assessments• Common grade level assessments• Homogenous grouping for math• Moving between classes for specific instruction

that meets their needs• More discussions happening regarding student

achievement and what we are going to do to differentiate for them

Teacher Comments- We are Working on it!

Need more time for positives that are happening.

If all members of a grade team cannot be present at PLC due to scheduling it is hard to be in the know.

Allows us to work as a team, reviewing, revising and clearly setting grade level goals.

Time to ask questions and get everyone on the same page.

Time for discussions about new programs and initiatives in small group situations without the constraints of large group discussions.

Helps to give time to build on ideas and make them our own so I can make it work for me and my style of teaching

What does this mean to you?

Adapted from Maureen Parker AAC conference 2009

A final thought……

• Questions/comments• Evaluation• Website for presentation:http://www.wrsd.ca/lochearn/index.html click on links, ourPLT

Resources

Clipart:

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/http://www.mydorchester.org/node/5563http://www.deskscape.com/products_project_management_pg3.htmlhttp://www.artie.com/

Barth,R., DuFour,R., Eaker,R., and Eason-Watkins,B.(2005).On Common Ground: The Power of Professional Learning Communities. Solution Tree. -Leadership to set structure and purpose in collaborative learning -Power of collective learning

DuFour,R. & Eaker,R.(1998).Professional learning communities at work: Best practices for enhancing student achievement. -Cultural shift to embedded professional learning for teachers and improved student achievement

Killion,J. & Harrison,C.(2006).Taking the Lead: New Roles for Teachers and School-Based Coaches. NSDC. -Facilitating Coaching roles in schools -Collaboration of teams of teachers -Best practices in teaching