Professional Learning Communities

This winter, I have been reading the book, Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don't Learn (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Karhanek, 2004). I began to wonder. What can my site do to respond to students who are "stuck" academically? It inspired me to create a new system of Professional Learning Communities at my school site. I worked to place my staff into different groups. I wanted to create a system in which teachers work together to change the systems in which we operate. Turn the status quo upside down and discover the best way to help students in our community thrive.

I have been able to create the time, space, and structure for the Professional Learning Communities. The concern I currently face is: Have I been able to pass the PLC vision to teachers? I am hopeful that the staff at my site will be able to catch the vision and believe that they can be the difference our students need. It can be challenging for teachers to hold on to the belief that all students can learn. After years of teaching, many of us become disillusioned and slowly let go of the vision that students in their class will learn and succeed. We begin to make excuses for why students in certain situations don't learn. Teachers become exhausted and burnt out, too tired to think about systems changes. I need to find ways to recharge the physical and emotional 'batteries' of my staff for them to have the increased capacity for the work ahead of us (Adams, Caposey, & Isiah, 2018). As we take the next steps in pursuing success that has not yet been obtained in our community, we must use our collective efficacy to push past the boundaries we face individually (Donohoo, Hattie, & Eells, 2018). I am excited to see where this journey takes us, I hope to be the leader that my staff needs to bring our community to the next level.

References:

Adams, J., Caposey, P. J., & Isiah, R. (2018). #Fullycharged: 140 battery charging maslow & bloom strategies for students, parents, and staff. Monterey, California: Healthy Learning

Donohoo, J., Hattie, J., & Eells, R. (2018). The power of collective efficacy. Educational Leadership, 75(6). Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar18/vol75/num06/The-Power-of-Collective-Efficacy.aspx

DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Karhanek, G., & Dufour, R. (2004). Whatever it takes: How professional learning communities respond when kids don’t learn (1st Edition). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.

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