PLC Facilitator Meeting January 4, 2006 January 5, 2006

Agenda PLC Facilitator Meeting GOAL: Compare the functioning of your PLC with the characteristics of an effective PLC Share Successes & Troubleshoot Problems Sign-In Warm Up: Characteristics of an Effective PLC Share Successes of PLC groups Reflection on Characteristics of Individual PLC Principals PLC “To Do” List Plans for January 10 Early Out Question & Answer—troubleshoot problems

Characteristics of Effective PLC Meetings 1.Furniture arrangement and space don’t matter. 2.Everyone should be present and seated before the session starts. 3.The facilitator has the most influential role in the group. 4.Not much can be done about group members who are silent, vocally dominant, or negative. 5.A meeting is the place to read a memo to the group. 6.What’s urgent has priority over what’s important. 7.Meeting time should be devoted to topics, rather than reflection, processing, or group development. 8.The more items on an agenda, the more will be accomplished. 9.Because everyone has been in the meeting, there is no need for closure. 10.A meeting, unlike a lesson, can be done without planning.

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MEETINGS 1. Furniture arrangement and space don’t matter. Meeting space must be right to provide comfort ability to see one another opportunities to interact facilitate movement the tools needed to accomplish your work

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MEETINGS 2. Everyone should be present and seated before the session starts. Start on time regardless Use interactive activities that make participants think about their prior knowledge regarding today’s issues. subgroups report concerns about the first agenda topic subgroups complete a stem about the agenda item pairs share ideas that should be brought forward from the last meeting.

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MEETINGS 3.The facilitator has the most influential role in the group. The most influential role in any group is the group member by : following meeting standards and group processes to work in harmony across differences and get the greatest value from meeting time. being responsible for the work of the PLC as engaged, proactive participants Possible Rotating Roles: Facilitator Recorder Time Keeper Sergeant at Arms or “Enforcer”

GOAL: PLC meetings where the educational community can learn, dialogue, plan, problem solve, monitor, and make decisions to improve student learning. “Effective meetings require more than skilled facilitators. Facilitation is important, as are sound agendas and functional physical surroundings. More important are skilled group members and the application of certain principles. Meeting success is influenced more by the collaborative norms of the group than by the knowledge and skills of a meeting facilitator” (Garmston & Wellman, 1999).

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MEETINGS 4.Not much can be done about group members who are silent, vocally dominant, or negative. Facilitators or group members need to redirect unproductive behavior.

Productive Conflict EFFECTIVE GROUPSINEFFECTIVE GROUPS Disagree gracefully about ideas Avoid conflict Have norms to promote full expression of differences Live with poor decisions made by the leader or other vocal member Examine assumptions underlying different points of view Personalize conflict Promote “best possible” resolution Create apathy, decreased commitment to the group’s purpose, poor decisions

“Conflict can be seen as a gift of energy, in which neither side loses and a new dance is created.” Thomas F. Crum, The magic of Conflict

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MEETINGS 5.A PLC meeting is the place to read a memo to the group. Meetings are to “PROCESS” information, not receive information. Test: Does the group need to talk about it to understand or implement it effectively? If so, it belongs on the agenda.

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MEETINGS 6. What’s urgent has priority over what’s important. Putting out fires gets in the way of addressing difficult items. Maintain the focus on student learning

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MEETINGS 7.Meeting time should be devoted to topics, rather than reflection, processing, or group development. Improvement comes with reflection. Routine self-assessment helps groups become more effective. Routinely assessing meeting standards, can almost guarantee meetings that produce maximum work in minimum time with maximum member satisfaction.

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MEETINGS 8.The more items on an agenda, the more will be accomplished. Allow enough time for the group to understand, deliberate, and decide on important items. Find alternate ways to address other items.

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MEETINGS 9. Because everyone has been in the meeting, there’s no need for verbal closure. People hear & understand decisions differently. Have pairs share a summary of the meeting, check for alignment.

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MEETINGS 10. A meeting, unlike a lesson, can be done without planning. Meeting design is the #1 mechanism for effective meetings.

Sharing Successes of PLC’s

Reflecting on your PLC

Characteristics of Effective PLC Teams Room Arrangement Procedures Collective Commitments for Team Members Follow-Up/Documentation Meeting Content Meeting Processes

Principals PLC “To Do” List

January 10 Early Out

Question & Answer

Closure