1. Creating a Climate for Professional Learning Communities1

2. Change is a process
not an event 1

3. PLC Tools and Processes
Logistics:
Who, when, where
Topic for discussion
Collaborative Work
Analyzing and Interpreting Data
Interventions
Ways of talking
Norms of collaboration
Team inventories
Student data:
Classroom, local, state
School data: demographics, programs
Teacher data: degrees, years teaching, pd experiences
Community data:
Demographics, support, volunteers
Curriculum
Instruction
Assessment

4. Building a Professional Learning Community
Read Handout: Variations on a Theme: All Kids Can Learn…
Star one variation that best describes the beliefs that are operating in your school or schools you are working with.
Stand by the chart with the variation of the school you starred.
Discuss whether or not you agree with the belief (why or why not.)
© 2008 Corwin Press. All rights reserved. From A Data Coach’s Guide to Improving Learning for All Students
by N. Love, K. E. Stiles, S. Mundry & K. DiRanna

5. Building a Professional Learning Community
Stand by the variation that best represents the school you would want to send your own child/grandchild/relative to.
Discuss why you chose that school.
Look at the lists of what the schools do when students do not learn and what teachers see as the causes for students not learning.
Discuss your reactions to these lists: Does this lens on the school alter your choice? Why or why not?
Do any of you want to change your selection? If so, move to another corner.
© 2008 Corwin Press. All rights reserved. From A Data Coach’s Guide to Improving Learning for All Students
by N. Love, K. E. Stiles, S. Mundry & K. DiRanna

6. Reflection What description did I choose for my school(s) and why?
How comfortable am I with this description?
How might a PLC make our school(s) more like School D?

7. Ways of Talking Understanding Decision Discussion Dialogue
Conversation
Deliberation
Suspension
Balcony view
Discussion
Understanding
Decision
Dialogue

8. NOC Cards Work in partners One person deal the cards
Separate your “hand” into those you
know and those you don’t
Play a card that you know: explain
and give examples
Alternate
At your table, get help with the ones you
don’t know

9. Norms of Collaboration
Pause
Paraphrase
Probe
Put ideas on the table
Presume positive intent
Pay attention to self and others
Pursue a balance between advocacy and inquiry 3

10. A and I Role Play At your table, select 1 advocate (A),
4 inquirers (I) and 2 observers (O)
Advocate selects a topic for which they
have passion and for which inquirers might
have other ideas.
Begin discussion--with A advocating, I trying to
understand A and the O takin’ it all in!
Stop at the signal; O share what they noticed

11. Reflection Review the NOC inventory Think about your behavior in team
meetings
Select a norm that you want to practice
Rank your current use of the norm
Set a goal for your next meeting
How might you use the inventory
with your team?

12. 4