Professional Learning Community Analysis

What really matters in classrooms today is a positive school culture and climate. In order to be an effective teacher we may no longer shut the classroom doors and teach in isolation. Teachers must provide support to colleagues in order to improve student achievement by analyzing what concepts students have learned. Professional development must be modeled so that a transformation occurs in learning, not just teaching. Listening to a speaker tell teachers what works best in the classroom is the old paradigm. We must create Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) to ensure effective instructional learning strategies are implemented in each classroom where student’s reach mastery of concepts. Professional learning communities provide an atmosphere

Intensive professional development is crucial for increased student achievement. I have learned that PLC meeting must focus is on improving instructional practices, not parent involvement or dismissal procedures. These topics are important but not appropriate during PLC meetings. DuFour states, “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 (DuFour, 2004, p. 11). Professional Learning Communities work together, analyze data and change their instructional practices in order to improve student

Teachers must be willing to put in the extra time and work to cultivate a professional learning community. We must be willing to put prideful characteristics aside and collaborate with colleagues so that teachers and students are implementing their best practices in the classroom. My collaboration time involves my grade level, as well as collaborating with vertical teams. Once a month we meet with our grade levels to discuss student learning, and once a month we meet with our vertical team to discuss learning at the campus level. In the past, teachers would not volunteer to collaborate with colleagues, they would work in isolation. However, I feel teachers have grown to appreciate and rely on our campus wide collaboration schedule. Providing teachers with a campus wide collaboration schedule ensures collaboration occurs. Time is an essence and must be used wisely; therefore, our PLC meetings are spent on how to increase student achievement. Teachers want to be treated like a professional, but may lack professional skills at times. Doctors, lawyers, architects, engineers as well as many others work together as a team to reach common objectives without being required to do so. My schools has embedded an organized, routine collaboration support system to ensure professional learning communities occur