The PLC is the most powerful on-going professional development in which teachers can be involved (DuFour et al., 2005). It is the only professional development that provides daily collegial and administrative follow-up and support. PLCs impact student achievement by allowing teachers time to assess their teaching pedagogy, content knowledge, and delivery of instruction. The professional learning community is designed around the following criteria:
1. Teachers are assigned a common team period. The most effective team time is a meeting time that is embedded within the school/work day. Douglas Reeves in Confronting the Myths of Change Leadership (Reeves, 2009) states, “To be effective, professional collaboration requires time, practice, and accountability. Schools that claim, for example, to be professional learning communities but fail to provide time for collaboration are engaging in self-delusion” (Reeves, 2009, p. 46 ).
2. This common time is not an extra planning period for grading papers, running copies, tutoring students, running errands or conferencing with parents. This valuable collaborative time is not about improving teacher preparation, but rather, it is about improving teacher instructional practice. For collaborative teams to be effective, the team must focus on the development of curriculum concepts, assessing student data, developing student-centered quality lessons, and providing daily collegial support.
In healthy developing schools, professional development in the form of reflective practice, supportive supervision, cooperative evaluation, and work-study groups are routine practices in the day-to-day operation of administration, faculty, and staff; they are embedded in the school's culture, rather than arti...
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...community process, the day-to-day demands of the principalship make it almost impossible for the principal to meet with the group on a daily basis. Therefore, strong teacher leadership is the glue that holds the group together as well as keeps the group focused on improving instructional practices. The teacher leader should not dominate the group, but rather act as a facilitator who helps the group maintain focus. Like the classroom, the PLC meeting must be deliberately planned if it is to accomplish the goals of the meeting, which are to improve teacher practices that in turn will improve student achievement. Any collaborative meeting (PLC) must include defined results and measurable actions that will be undertaken by the members of the meeting. The members of the PLC should be able to articulate the goals and measures of success for the meeting (Reeves, 2009).
...aken ownership of. Many groups now choose to meet informally during their lunch periods. Per-session is also provided for the Inquiry teams to have additional time to meet. Her advice to me was to remember to always ask the teachers what they want to work on improving, if they are in an working environment where they feel they can express their creativity and concerns they will collaboratively be driven to refine their instruction.
I can help my teachers be professional learners by using observation and evaluation processes, like those found in Danielson’s model, to promote self-assessment, reflection on practices, and professional conversations with them. The Framework can help me have honest, reflective conversations with the teachers about their instruction and I can use it as a guide to help all involved in professional development decisions. In other words, I can use such teacher evaluation models to promote active engagement and encourage professional growth in all
School psychologists are using a technique called reform or restructuring, which is assisting the students to become better learners. According to the book Collaborative Consultation in the Schools, a school consultation is a process for providing psychological and educational services in which a specialist (consultant) works cooperatively with a staff member (consultee) to improve the learning and adjustment of a student (client) or group of students. Their goals and objectives can help give direction to the ways they can be of assistance to teachers in terms of methods, curriculum reinforcement systems, parental support, and classroom management issues. Although the teachers are at the center of the debate over how much weight should be given to student achievement within a performance assessment and what measures or indicators best represent student growth, the school psychologist and other related services personnel recognize that they will soon be compell...
Fratt, L. (2007). Professional Development for the New Century. (Cover story). District Administration, 43(6), 56-60. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
...ualized plan due to time constraints, it is reasonable to treat each student as they do have an individualized education. Teachers should know their students well enough to individualize the classroom activities so all students have strengths in each lesson. Through collaborative efforts, teachers can gain knowledge about the students and new ways to teach according to different learning styles. Working together, each student can receive an individualized education where their full potential is used.
For instance, in the collaborative coaching experience, I learned to respect my colleague opinions and shared new ways on how to promote learning (Laureate Education, 2010b). Collaborative professional development helps teachers acquire new skills where they establish positive relationships with other educators. It is very critical for all schools to implement collaborative professional developments because teachers learn to respect each other’s ideas, work collaborative, and learn new skills that will definitely make a difference in student learning. Implementing collaborative professional development in schools is very important and beneficial for teachers because it affects student learning in many positive ways. One way is that teachers experience working collaborative with other educators and acquire new skills that they will model later for their students in the classroom. If teachers get to practice collaborative professional development, they become better educators, better listeners, and better communicators. For this reason, students develop better listening and communication skills because the teacher modeled these skills that he or she learned in these collaborative professional
Professional community is where a group of teachers in conjunction with administrators gather to work on students learning growth and helps you improve your professional growth. In addition, the teachers can share resources, I can engage in a PLC by discussing different strategies or techniques used in the classroom that are working effectively. In addition, the teacher may be able to ask questions/ suggestions to other teachers of things she can use in the classroom.
This proposal is designed to address the need for professional development of which can be utilized in assisting teachers within our institution mature and grow educationally for the purposes of becoming better instructors for the purposes of education our students academically and assisting them to succeed within their academic goals and objectives. The proposed plan of action of which can ultimately assist bot our facu...
This will give teachers an opportunity to learn from each other rather than going straight to administration for their needs. While developing teacher leaders, I will also use my participatory leadership style to create collaborative team meetings. I plan to have my staff engage in collaborative meetings focused on data, curriculum, and planning. My leadership staff, as well as myself, will be involved in these meetings in order to understand what is going on and to provide guidance on what steps should be taken. Being involved in
In professional learning communities, administrators and teachers share a vision for learning and address the needs of all learners. They are “collaborative teams whose members work interdependently to achieve common goals linked to the purpose of student learning” (DuFour, 2006, p.3). Increasing student achievement is at the forefront of the purpose. A professional learning community possesses: (1) shared mission and vision, (2) collective inquiry, (3) shared leadership, (4) action orientation, (5) collective learning, and (6) a focus on results (DuFour & Eaker, 1998; Hord, 1997).
Tarricone, P., & Luca, J. (2002). Successful teamwork: A case study. (pp. 640-646). Milperra: Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia, Inc. DOI: www.herdsa.org.au
...I believe through the use of critical thinking, communication with students and parents and showing the creative side of learning the collaboration within colleague would be enhanced. I know from my prior experience within the classroom as a substitute that without some collaboration the students are at a disadvantage. One memory stands out the most when collaboration is mention is when I was subbing for a ECE Teacher in a regular learning classroom, while the teacher was giving the rest of the students their assignments I was working one on one with a ECE student that needed the extra help in order to fulfill their task. The teacher and I collaborated on the questions that the student had left to complete before moving on to their homework. Through the use of collaboration the student was able to complete their task and be on the same task as the rest of the class.
...o expand knowledge of subject matter is through read books, journals, and magazine, participate in professional development activities and attend conferences. The value of participating in professional associations and organization helps teacher to move towards expertise to become engaged, active, and passionate and connect to their students (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). As the teacher enhance and grow in the professional development can have a greatly impact on student learning, “Expert teachers know more than novices and organize that knowledge differently, retrieve it easily, and apply it in novel and creative ways” (Garmston, 1998). Therefore, there is such a significant value of participating in professional development through joining association or organization to help teacher to grow in expert in teaching and making an impact on student learning.
Collaborative leaders have a positive impact in schools. Even though principals are responsible in leading the whole school, those that have the ability to inspire their teachers to follow and share his or her vision, will make a positive impact. Interaction between leader and teacher is necessary to make positive changes. Allowing teachers to participate openly and respectfully creates trust and confidence. Teachers that trust their principals and feel are taken into consideration will work harder to meet and exceed expectations. Honesty, communication, confidence and respect between leader and teacher will lead to great team work.
The National Staff Development Council (2009) shed more light on professional development in education. The definition put out by the NSDC (2015) in a proposed modification to the elementary and secondary education act, states that professional development is “a comprehensive, sustained and intensive approach to improving