Chapter 2 – What Is a Professional Learning Community? ON COMMON GROUND Chapter 2 – What Is a Professional Learning Community? David Anderson Denver ALT

BIG IDEA #1 ENSURING STUDENTS LEARN – In order to do so, we must answer these 3 questions: What do we want each student to learn? How will we know when each student has learned it? How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning?

Based on intervention rather than remediation In addition to being systematic and schoolwide, the professional learning community’s response to students who experience difficulty is – Timely Based on intervention rather than remediation Directive In

BIG IDEA #2 - A CULTURE OF COLLABORATION Teachers, through varying forums (grade level teams, content /subject teams, etc.), are provided the opportunity to meet and collaborate to determine how they can collectively improve student achievement. Barriers to success are removed. Faculties stop making excuses for failing to collaborate. A collaborative culture is a question of will and a group of staff members who are determined to work together will find a way.

BIG IDEA #3 - A FOCUS ON RESULTS “Every teacher team participates in an on-going process of identifying the current level of student achievement, establishing a goal to improve the current level, working together to achieve that goal, and providing periodic evidence of that progress.”

HARD WORK AND COMMITMENT “The professional learning community model is a powerful new way of working together that profoundly affects the practices of schooling. It requires staff to focus on learning rather than teaching, work collaboratively on matters related to learning, and hold itself accountable for the kind of results that fuel continual improvement.”

RISE OR FALL OF THE PLC EMPIRE “The rise or fall of the professional learning community concept depends not on the merits of the concept itself, but on the most important element in the improvement of any school – the commitment and persistence of the educators within it.”