Hello everyone,
I received the following email, and I thought it was worth presenting and commenting on. My comments are in BLOCK LETTERS.
THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF COLLABORATION, AND CERTAINLY WHAT COULD BE CALLED A "PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY."
I already collaborate with teachers in my small learning community on a
regular basis. We interface over semester breaks, planning our thematic units
and our community's extra curricular activities for hours and hours. During
the regular semester, we discuss (daily) what works and what does not work.
We meet over the weekends to discuss our students as well as new and
innovative classroom activities and strategies. We hold special consideration for
the personal interests of the students and discuss their internal and external
environments. We get to know their families and their family situations
well, sometimes incorporating their family values into our thematic lessons which
also synergistically support the State Content Standards. As we continue
to improve our conceptual/thematic units, our students may simultaneously
begin to improve their understanding of the Standards.
THIS IS EXCELLENT STUFF.
MY ONLY COMMENT IS THAT IT SEEMS AS IF IT REQUIRES LOTS OF VOLUNTEER HOURS. IF YOU AND YOUR SLC ARE GETTING PAID FOR YOUR TIME, IF YOU DON'T HAVE OUTSIDE COMMITMENTS, AND IF YOU DON'T MIND MEETING THAT MUCH, IT IS GREAT.
IT MAY BE IMPRACTICAL FOR OTHERS, HOWEVER, AND I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WORKING IN A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY DOES NOT NECESSARILY REQUIRE ALWAYS WORKING BEYOND THE EIGHT HOUR DAYS EXPECTED OF TEACHERS. (OF COURSE, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO DO IT ALL WITHIN THE REQUISITE EIGHT HOURS--IT JUST LOOKS LIKE, WHEN YOU SAY "HOURS AND HOURS" YOU MEAN THAT YOU ARE WORKING MANY HOURS BEYOND YOUR PROFESSIONAL COMMITMENT.)
BE CAREFUL OF BURN OUT, BOTH IN THE CLASSROOM AND WITH THE OTHERS YOU WORK WITH.
HAVING SAID ALL THAT, I MUST SAY THAT I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT IT IS COMPLETELY POSSIBLE TO DO GREAT THINGS WITHIN THE TIME ALLOTTED (6.6 HOURS PER DAY ON CAMPUS PLUS 1.4-2.2 HOURS OF ADDITIONAL WORK ON OR OFF CAMPUS), ESPECIALLY IF YOU USE THE STAFF DEVELOPMENT TIME EFFECTIVELY. IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO DO WHAT YOU ENJOY.
Although, it is too early to draw any conclusions about the effectiveness of our program at
It may take a couple more years until we can compile enough data to conduct
any studies. Even then, we're talking about human beings, so how conclusive
can these studies be?
I THINK THAT A COMBINATION OF "OBJECTIVE" STUDIES PLUS TEACHER OBSERVATION CAN BE PRETTY CONCLUSIVE. A PROBLEM IN EDUCATION IS THAT WE OFTEN USE ONE OF THE OTHER, AND NOT BOTH SIMULTANEOUSLY. LOOK AT YOUR TEST SCORES NEXT YEAR, TALK ABOUT THEM TOGETHER AS A GROUP. YOU NEED TO DECIDE ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS IF ANY GIVEN STUDENT'S SCORES ARE VALID BASED ON CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS.
IF, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU ALL KNOW THAT A PARTICULAR STUDENT IS A GIFTED UNDERACHIEVER WITH AN INCREDIBLY BAD ATTITUDE, AND THAT STUDENT SCORES FAR BELOW BASIC, YOU KNOW THAT ATTITUDE IS TRUMPING ACADEMICS. IF ALL OF YOUR STUDENTS HAVE GOOD ATTITUDES AND ALL WORK HARD, AND ALL HAVE DROPPING TEST SCORES, YOU MIGHT NEED TO LOOK AT YOUR METHODS; YOU'RE MISSING SOMETHING SOMEWHERE. (MOST OF US HAVE A MIXED BAG THAT'S HARDER TO INTERPRET; USE THE WISDOM OF THE GROUP TO HELP. IF ALL YOU USE IS YOUR OWN INTUITION ABOUT CERTAIN ANECDOTAL EVIDENCES, THEN YOU MAY HAVE A SKEWED IDEA OF A STUDENT'S ABILITIES OR YOUR OWN EFFECTIVENESS.)
All I know is that my small learning community will begin to engage in
vertical planning, taking the thematic model approach to the next level which
requires more time and effort.
PRIORITIZE YOURSELVES. FOCUSING ATTENTION ON VERTICAL PLANNING MAY SAVE YOU SOME TIME LATER. IN FACT, AFTER THE FIRST YEAR OR TWO, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO SPEND QUITE AS MUCH TIME ON ALL THE PLANNING YOU'RE DOING NOW.
Therefore, requiring teachers to become members of a separate professional learning community may inhibit our progress; it would mean less time to plan within our own communities.
I THINK THIS SHOWS A SLIGHT MISUNDERSTANDING OF WHAT I MEANT. IF YOU ALREADY HAVE SUCH A SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY GOING, THEN YOU NEEDN'T AGONIZE ABOUT BEING ASKED TO CREATE ANOTHER ONE.
YOU ARE ALREADY A PART OF SEVERAL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES AUTOMATICALLY, INCLUDING YOUR DEPARTMENT AND THE ENTIRE SCHOOL. YOU MAY BELONG TO VARIOUS COMMITTEES ON CAMPUS. YOUR SLC STRIKES ME AS THE MOST IMMEDIATE TO THE NEEDS OF YOUR STUDENTS, AND THE FACT THAT YOU ARE DEVOTING SO MUCH TIME TO MAKING IT SUCCESSFUL MEANS THAT YOUR INVESTMENT IS LIKELY TO BE MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE THAN IN AN ARBITRARY STRUCTURE.
YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE USING YOUR DEPARTMENTS AS COMMUNITIES OF SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, BUT FIRST THINGS FIRST. WHEN THINGS SETTLE DOWN IN THE SLC, YOU'LL FIND THAT YOU AND ONE OR TWO OTHER PEOPLE MAY NOT BE AS GOOD AS YOUR WHOLE DEPARTMENT IN ESTABLISHING APPROACHES TO THE STATE STANDARDS, WHICH YOU WILL TAKE BACK TO THE SLC AND ADVOCATE FOR IN THAT CONTEXT.
Personally, I feel that the teachers with whom I work on a regular basis already make up a
professional learning community; the newly acquired knowledge obtained through our
ongoing sharing of ideas is the foundation upon which I base many of my classroom activities and strategies.
YOU'RE RIGHT.
Therefore, why not give the teachers an option? Those who want to be a part of a new professional learning community may do so; however, the teachers who do not want to join a new group should not be required. It is likely that an unwilling teacher would not benefit much
anyway.
ONCE AGAIN, IF YOUR CURRENT SLC IS A FULLY FUNCTIONING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY, THEN MOST OF WHAT I SAY ABOUT IT IS, AT BEST, ICING ON THE CAKE (SAY, GIVING ADVICE ON TIME MANAGEMENT).
I'M NOT SURE WHAT OPTION TO GIVE SOMEONE WHO IS UNWILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY. ALMOST EVERY KIND OF SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY REACHES OUT TO THE DISENFRANCHISED AND TRIES TO GET THEM TO BECOME FULL PARTICIPANTS. OF COURSE WE KNOW THAT NO ONE WORKS AT MAXIMUM UNDER DURESS (THOUGH WE TRY IT ON OUR STUDENTS OFTEN ENOUGH).
My question: How often would these professional learning communities meet and for how long?
YOU'VE ACTUALLY ANSWERED YOUR OWN QUESTION WITH THE REPORT OF WHAT YOUR SLC DOES. THE IDEA OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES BECOMES AN ATTITUDE THAT PERVADES THE CAMPUS, NOT SOMETHING THAT WE FULFILL.
How much time would go into something like this?
I HOPE LESS THAN YOU'RE ALREADY PUTTING INTO IT. CHANGING UNDERSTANDING DOESN'T REALLY TAKE ANY TIME AT ALL.
Jeff Combe
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