Professional Learning Communities Setting & Revisiting Team Norms PLC Module 1

“The most promising strategy for sustained, substantive school improvement is building the capacity of school personnel to function as a professional learning community. The path to change in the classroom lies within and through professional learning communities.” Milbrey McLaughlin

Lost Luggage On an index card, please write down the following: Your name One of your personal talents or hobbies A goal you would like to accomplish An interesting fact about yourself Your favorite subject to teach

Lost Luggage At the signal, stand up, make eye contact with someone across the room Discuss the information on your index card with your partner Exchange index cards with your partner Thank your partner for the opportunity to talk Look for another partner to repeat the process using your partner’s card Continue repeating the process until the time is up 4

Agenda Mixer Outcomes PLC Leadership Training Overview What is a Professional Learning Community? Effective Team Norms Wrap-up/Closure

Outcomes Introduce Professional Learning Communities’ structures and tenants Begin discussion and dialogue about the PLC process Understand the site role, necessary training, and support Create an understanding of how to develop team norms

What is a Professional Learning Community? “Professional Learning Communities are our best hope for reculturing schools.” Robert Eaker

What is a Professional Learning Community? Read through the article introduction & your group’s assigned Big Idea from “What is a “Professional Learning Community”? With your table group, discuss your assigned idea. List the Big Idea at the top of the poster paper Create a graphic or poster that illustrates the essence of the idea & be prepared to explain it 8

Professional Learning Communities “To create a professional learning community, focus on learning rather than teaching, work collaboratively, and hold yourself accountable for results.” Richard Dufour Three Big Ideas Ensuring Student Learning Culture of Collaboration Focus on Results

Site Structures

Site Tasks in a PLC Mission, Vision, Values, Beliefs and Goals Site Collaborative Calendars Responsive Site Systems of Intervention Monitoring Student Results and Team Effectiveness 11

Collaborative Teams A group of people working interdependently to achieve a common goal for which members are mutually accountable. 12

Collaborative Team Jobs Creating/Revising Grade Level Norms Setting Team SMART Goals Clarifying What Students Must Learn Pacing Essential Learnings Creating Common Local Assessments Calibrating Expectations and Grading Monitoring Student Data/ Adjusting Instruction/Providing Intervention 13

PLC Process

Four Essential Questions What do we want students to know? How will we know when they have learned it? What do we do when they don’t learn it? What do we do when they already have it? 15

Advocacy and Inquiry Probing for Specificity Pausing Presuming Positive Intentions Paraphrasing Inquiry Advocacy Pursuing a balance between advocacy and inquiry Paying attention to self & others Putting ideas on the table

Norms guide collaboration of high performing teams Team Norms Norms guide collaboration of high performing teams

Creating/Revising Norms Norms should be revisited and discussed at the beginning of each team meeting for the first six to eight meetings Each time a new members is added, norms should be revisited Begin and end each meeting for the first trimester with a review of the norms Use the team evaluation periodically Less is more!

Developing Norms

Principal Norms We will all participate actively and respectfully in discussions and decisions. We will come prepared. We will start and end on time. We will use data and research as a basis for our discussions. We will insure that members will share the floor. We will revisit our group process every six months.

Creating Team Norms Activity Learning by Doing, pp 210-211

On the back of your index card: Wrap-up On the back of your index card: 3 Write down three things you learned today 2 Write two concerns you have about working as a Professional Learning Community 1 One thing you’re looking forward to doing

“Making these cultural shifts is difficult and nonlinear “Making these cultural shifts is difficult and nonlinear. Remember, what you need to reculture your school lies within. Collaborate with one another. Support one another. Care for one another. Encourage one another, and remarkable things will happen.” Robert Eaker