In professional learning community meetings, educators will:
- Set common goals for student learning.
- Work together to identify instructional best practices, based on educational research and teachers’ real-world experiences.
- Analyze student work and student data to look for areas of opportunity to improve teaching and learning.
How to create an effective professional learning community?
SEDL Insights on Implementing Effective Professional Learning Communities
- Provide a clear structure and purpose for PLC meetings.
- Address the most pressing instructional challenges.
- Provide support from all levels of the school system.
- Foster an atmosphere of trust.
- Monitor the work of PLCs and provide constructive feedback.
- Support teachers’ sense of efficacy and level of professionalism.
What is the purpose of a professional learning community?
What does a learning community do?
- It connects people. Learning communities convene change agents across sectors, disciplines, and geographies to connect, share ideas and results, and learn from each other. ...
- It sets goals and measures collective progress. ...
- It enables shared learning. ...
- It supports distributed leadership. ...
- It accelerates progress toward impact at scale. ...
What do teachers need in professional learning?
Learning opportunities for teachers should be data driven, allow room for feedback and reflection and involve input and support from school leadership. Every educator is familiar with professional learning — although historically, this has often meant workshops after school, expert-led seminars and going to conferences.
What is a professional learning community (PLC)?
What is a PLC? Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) shift the focus of school reform from restructuring to reculturing (Louis, 2006). A PLC is an ongoing process used to establish a schoolwide culture that develops teacher leadership explicitly focused on building and sustaining school improvement efforts.
What is the meaning of professional learning communities?
Page Content. Professional learning communities (PLCs) are an approach to school improvement where groups of teachers work collaboratively at the school level to improve student outcomes. Professional learning community (PLC) schools start from a simple idea: students learn more when their teachers work together.
What are the 5 components of professional learning community?
As a result of extensive research, they cited five elements of a professional community: (1) reflective dialogue, (2) focus on student learning, (3) interaction among Page 7 teacher colleagues, (4) collaboration, and (5) shared values and norms. Each element is briefly defined here.
What are examples of professional learning community?
Examples of Professional Learning Communities include a group of teachers engaging one another for the purpose of creating a more consistent curriculum, a group of computer instructors collaborating and discussing which software applications to purchase and a team of administrators coming together to support one ...
What is the purpose of PLCs?
PLCs—which harness “an ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve”—are a common and proven practice to promote teacher collaboration that increases student achievement.
What are the 3 big ideas of a PLC?
As you delve deeply into the three big ideas of a PLC – a focus on learning, a focus on collaboration and a focus on results – you will gain specific, practical and inspiring strategies for intervention for transforming your school or region into a place where all students learn at high levels.
What are the main characteristics of a PLC?
6 Essential Characteristics of a PLC.Shared mission, vision, values, goals. ... Collaborative teams focused on learning. ... Collective inquiry. ... Action orientation and experimentation. ... Commitment to Continuous improvement. ... Results orientation.
What do teachers do during PLC?
Typically, PLC meetings include the following activities: 1) Reviewing student data, 2) setting learning goals, 3) reflecting on teaching practice, 4) exploring resources to learn about new practices, and 5) planning how to apply new learning.
What are the 3 components of professional learning communities?
The PLC concept is often misconstrued as simply holding more staff meetings. But it's much more than that. It's a process that's focused on three major components: learning, collaboration, and results.
How does a PLC support teachers?
Research shows that PLCs enhance teacher quality in various ways: - They help bridging the gap between education theory, policy and practice, creating spaces for addressing practical issues and connecting pedagogical practice with subject content knowledge.
What are the key components of a learning community?
Four core elements of learning communities are identified: shared discovery and learning, functional relationships, inclusive learning environments, and connections to other learning experiences.
What are the 3 components of professional learning communities?
The PLC concept is often misconstrued as simply holding more staff meetings. But it's much more than that. It's a process that's focused on three major components: learning, collaboration, and results.
What are the key purposes of a PLC of school heads?
Professional learning communities tend serve to two broad purposes: (1) improving the skills and knowledge of educators through collaborative study, expertise exchange, and professional dialogue, and (2) improving the educational aspirations, achievement, and attainment of students through stronger leadership and ...
How do you structure a professional learning community?
4 Ways to Build Effective PLCsSet clear objectives that are focused on student learning. ... Provide structure and guidance for PLC time. ... Foster a culture of collaboration. ... Focus on results.
How to create a professional learning community?
To create a professional learning community, focus on learning rather than teaching, work collaboratively, and hold yourself accountable for results.
What is the power of collaboration in professional learning?
The powerful collaboration that characterizes professional learning communities is a systematic process in which teachers work together to analyze and improve their classroom practice. Teachers work in teams, engaging in an ongoing cycle of questions that promote deep team learning. This process, in turn, leads to higher levels of student achievement.
What is collaborative conversation at Boones Mill?
At Boones Mill, collaborative conversations happen routinely throughout the year. Teachers use frequent formative assessments to investigate the questions “Are students learning what they need to learn?” and “Who needs additional time and support to learn?” rather than relying solely on summative assessments that ask “Which students learned what was intended and which students did not?”
Why do educators create structures to promote a collaborative culture?
Educators who are building a professional learning community recognize that they must work together to achieve their collective purpose of learning for all. Therefore, they create structures to promote a collaborative culture.
What happens when educators fail to demonstrate the discipline to initiate and sustain this work?
If they fail to demonstrate the discipline to initiate and sustain this work, then their school is unlikely to become more effective, even if those within it claim to be a professional learning community. 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.
What does Stevenson mean by "schools that are truly committed to the concept of learning for each student"?
Like Stevenson, schools that are truly committed to the concept of learning for each student will stop subjecting struggling students to a haphazard education lottery. These schools will guarantee that each student receives whatever additional support he or she needs.
What is the idea of improving schools?
The idea of improving schools by developing professional learning communities is currently in vogue. People use this term to describe every imaginable combination of individuals with an interest in education—a grade-level teaching team, a school committee, a high school department, an entire school district, a state department of education, a national professional organization, and so on. In fact, the term has been used so ubiquitously that it is in danger of losing all meaning.
Definition of Professional Learning Community (PLC)
A professional learning community, or PLC, is a collaborative group of educators that works together to improve student learning by committing to continuous improvement.
How Often Do Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) Meet?
Educators in a professional learning community typically meet at least monthly, but preferably more often. This frequency may feel overwhelming, especially when you consider how many hours teachers typically spend working overtime to meet their existing obligations.
What Is a Professional Learning Community?
A Professional Learning Community (PLC) is a group of educators that meet regularly and frequently throughout the school year to learn from each other with the goal of improving student outcomes. The five components of a PLC are:
What are the components of a professional community?
The 5 components of a professional community are: (1) reflective dialogue, (2) focus on student learning, (3) interaction among colleagues, (4) collaboration, and (5) shared values and norms.
How are PLCs organized?
Educator PLCs can be organized by grade level teams, vertical teams, and experience levels (matching new teachers with experienced teachers). Grade level team PLCs are important for the team to focus on learning targets, grade level standards, and creating common assessments. The team reviews the assessment data and shares ideas on how to respond to the data. If teachers are all at the same grade level, they have the added benefit of familiarity with the grade level students as well as varied experiences with teaching strategies and proven interventions for the grade level and standards. Grade level PLC teams should be careful to focus on the four questions to ensure that the meeting does not focus only on teaching but also on student learning.
What is a PLC team?
A Professional Learning Community (PLC) is a team that meets with the goal of improving student outcomes. The PLC team identifies learning targets, creates common assessments, analyzes student assessment data, and determines how respond to student data.
Why is professional learning considered a best practice?
Professional Learning Communities are considered a best practice because of the positive impact on students. The five components of a PLC are:
How will we respond when students do not learn?
Responding to the question "how will we respond when students do not learn" means creating a plan for differentiation. This includes differentiating the activities based on students' level of mastery. Then, differentiate the process of learning the standard, and provide opportunities for students to learn via their preferred learning style. Also, provide the students with options to prove they have mastered the content. The teams should consider how to adjust the learning environment. As an example, can the teacher use small group learning as a time to reteach students?
What does it mean to enroll in a course?
Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams.
What is a PLC in education?
A professional learning community, or PLC, is an organizational structure by design that meets regularly, shares expertise, and works collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students. The school’s curriculum, instructional design, and assessment practices are monitored through the PLC design to ensure teacher ...
What is a PLC protocol?
The PLC protocol is the vehicle for creating a high performing learning organization. The PLC protocol builds a learning organization by making professional learning routine. The PLC protocol provides a structure for all teachers to participate in collaborative learning communities that meet both informally and formally on a regular schedule ...
What is a tweener's mission?
They are mission driven with a connection to the school or community. Believers are willing to confront negative talk and attitudes toward children. Tweeners are enthusiastic about the idealistic nature of school, but have not quite hit the tipping point.
Do all PLCs have to be created equally?
Not All PLCs Are Created Equally. According to Anthony Muhammad, there are four types of teachers present within all schools. Believers are very intrinsically motivated. They are flexible with students both academically and behaviorally. They are mission driven with a connection to the school or community.
What is a PLC in education?
Professional learning communities (PLCs) are an approach to school improvement where groups of teachers work collaboratively at the school level to improve student outcomes. Professional learning community (PLC) schools start from a simple idea: students learn more when their teachers work together. Building a PLC is a proven way ...
What are the principles of PLCs?
Found in all effective PLCs are 10 principles that bring together the best available research on school improvement: Student learning focus: School improvement starts with an unwavering focus on student learning. Collective responsibility: For every child to achieve, every adult must take responsibility ...
What is instructional leader?
Instructional leaders are classroom-based learning specialists who work directly with teachers to improve classroom practice. They are released from classroom duties to: lead teams of teachers and build their capacity to use collaborative practices that will have a positive impact on learning outcomes.
What makes a PLC work?
Evidence from best practice research suggests that for a culture of collaborative professionalism to take root in a school , its leader must commit to all 10 principles of effective PLCs.
When a school begins to function as a professional learning community, teachers become aware of the incongruity between?
When a school begins to function as a professional learning community, however, teachers become aware of the incongruity between their commitment to ensure learning for all students and their lack of a coordinated strategy to respond when some students do not learn.
What is a scenario that plays out daily in traditional schools?
Here is a scenario that plays out daily in traditional schools. A teacher teaches a unit to the best of his or her ability, but at the conclusion of the unit some students have not mastered the essential outcomes. On the one hand, the teacher would like to take the time to help those students.
When do you have to attend tutoring sessions in school?
Any student who continues to fall short of expectations at the end of six weeks despite these interventions is required, rather than invited, to attend tutoring sessions during the study hall period. Counselors begin to make weekly checks on the struggling student's progress.
What is a learning team?
A learning team constantly engages in a cycle of learning: analyzing data, setting goals, and learning individually and collaboratively, as well as implementing and adjusting practices to meet the needs of all learners. This process allows teachers to try new teaching practices and discover what’s working and what isn’t.
What is a PLC in education?
A PLC is constantly trying out new strategies to improve student learning, so individuals within the team must be given space to innovate. This is where the PLC should be only loosely aligned.
Why do PLCs need facilitators?
PLCs need strong facilitators in order to engage in conversations that promote learning, risk taking, and innovation. However, the facilitators or leaders of those teams may be torn between advocating for ideas and managing the complex process of moving the team forward.
Why should PLCs embrace productive conflict?
But productive conflict can allow us to build better ideas and stronger teams, and PLCs should embrace productive conflict and create a space for it in order to innovate. PLCs can make this happen with clear norms as well as protocols to ensure that all voices are heard and that it is safe to engage in this conflict.
Why is it important for teachers to identify what is hard to teach?
Teachers identify what is hard to teach and what is hard to learn in the standards so that they can anticipate interventions and extensions. It’s important to note that parts of this process call for tight alignment between teachers and don’t allow for the creativity and autonomy teachers may be used to.
Why is it important to have a PLC?
It’s important that teachers in a team have that clear understanding of purpose so that everyone feels safe to take risks.
