Step 0: Building a Collaborative Culture PLCs are more than just schedules and meetings. Do people actually want to participate?

Building a Collaborative Culture: Expert Jigsaw Resources Scan the resources for “Building a Collaborative Culture” in your module. Decide as a team which resources you will select to review and discuss. You do not have to review all resources. For resources selected, as a team summarize and share out key points and any helpful PLC tools/resources. Please include information on the stages of teaming and different ways to build a collaborative culture. Remember Roles and Norms

What is collaboration? A systematic process in which we work together interdependently to analyze and impact professional practice in order to improve our individual and collective results (DuFour, DuFour, & Eaker, Getting Started: Reculturing Schools to Become Professional Learning Communities, 2002)

The Four Stages of Teams (Bruce Tuckman, Developmental Sequence in Small Groups,” Psychological Bulletin , 1965) Stage 1: Forming Eager, polite, watchful, guarded, anxious, questioning Needs of Team: Clarity of purpose, goals and structures, build trust, define the group Stage 2: Storming Conflicts emerge, confrontations are not handled well, feeling stuck, emotions run high Refocus the work, break down tasks; identify team roles. Recognize individual strengths. Stage 3: Norming Well-established structures, comfort expressing ideas, risk-free environment; deeper conversations, issues confronted appropriately Evaluate process and productivity; assess goal progress Stage 4: Performing Resourceful; free sharing of ideas and opinions; confidence in self and team synergy Celebrate successes; think “outside the box”; present challenges; look for opportunities for growth.

The Focus of Collaboration “Collaborative cultures, which by definition have close relationships, are indeed powerful, but unless they are focusing on the right things, they may end up being powerfully wrong.” -Fullan, Leading in a Culture of Change (2001)

Simultaneous Loose AND Tight School Cultures Simultaneous loose and tight cultures establish clear parameters and priorities that enable individuals to work within established boundaries in a creative and autonomous way. They are characterized by “defined empowerment” or what Marzano and Walters refer to as “defined autonomy”-freedom to act and lead within clearly articulated boundaries. (Marzano & Walters, District Leadership That Works: Striking the Right Balance, 2009)

Cultural Shifts in a PLC

Norms of High Performing Teams Willingness to consider matters from another’s perspective Accurate understanding of spoken and unspoken feelings and concerns of team members. Willingness to confront a team member who violates norms Communicating positive regard, caring, and respect Willingness and ability to evaluate the team’s effectiveness Seeking feedback about and evidence of team effectiveness from internal and external sources Maintaining a positive outlook and attitude Proactive problem solving Awareness of how the group contributes to the purpose and goals of the larger organization (Goleman, Working With Emotional Intelligence, 1998)

Guiding Questions for Team Norms Are we clear on the commitments we have made to each other regarding how we will work together as a team? Have we established our commitments as explicit behaviors? Have we discussed how to address the issue if we feel someone if not honoring our norms?

Criteria for Team Norms The norms have clarified our expectations of one another All members of the team participants in creating the norms. All voices were heard. The norms are stated as commitments to act in certain ways. All members have committed to honoring the norms.

Tips for Team Norms Each teams establishes its own norms. Norms are stated as commitments to act or behave in certain ways. Norms are reviewed at the beginning and end of each meeting until they are internalized. One norm requires a team to assess its effectiveness every six months. This assessment should include a review of adherence to norms and the need to identify new norms,. Less is more. A few key norms are better than a laundry list. Establish a process for addressing violations of norms.

Importance of Team Norms “Social psychologists learned long ago that if you make a commitment and then share it with others, you are far more likely to follow through than if you simply make the commitment to yourself.” -Patterson, Grenny, Maxfield, & McMillan, Influencers: The Power to Change Anything (2007), p. 152

Step 0 and PLC Routine Events: A Year at a Glance Time of Year Potential PLC Processes and Routine Events Beginning of the Year Establish Norms Establish Roles Support for New Members Develop SMART Goals for the PLC Middle of the Year Reflect on Process Reflect on Norms and Roles Monitor, Reflect, and Revise as needed End of the Year

Activity for Practice: A year at a Glance and Step 0 Month PLC Activities and Focus August September November December January February March April May Norms?, Roles?, New Team Members? You have just discussed planning for the beginning of the year, steps for bringing new members up to speed, now take some time to plan for August DQ 3: Practicing Skills, Strategies and Processes

Why have past initiatives failed? Failure to achieve consensus School culture is ignored Purpose unclear Lack of ongoing communication Unrealistic expectations of initial success Failure to measure and analyze progress Participants not involved in planning… Emphasize the need for a consistent and well communicated vision which will facilitate consensus. As well, when individuals are part of the planning process and are able to have input over how the initiative is implemented, buy in is enhanced.

Over Time necessary to participate in a Problem Solving/ None of Beliefs, Skills, Knowledge All of Beliefs, Skills, Knowledge necessary to participate in a Problem Solving/ Response to Intervention Model

Goal necessary to participate in a Problem Solving/ None of Beliefs, Skills, Knowledge All of Beliefs, Skills, Knowledge necessary to participate in a Problem Solving/ Response to Intervention Model 17