Planning to Learn? Learn to Plan?

1. Planning to Learn?Learn to Plan? Creating Professional Learning Communities Resources used: Failure is Not an Option Alan M.Blankstein The Principalship Vision in Action Fred C. Lunenburg, Beverly J. Irby

2. Objectives • Define professional learning communities. • Identify characteristics of a professional learning community. • Discuss factors that are essential in creating professional learning communities. • Examine what schools can do to become a professional learning community.

3. What are Professional Learning Communities “Professional learning communities provide the opportunities for adults across a school system to learn and think together about how to improve their practice in ways that lead to improved student achievement.” “Alan M. Blankstein”

4. Successful Learning Communities • Shared leadership • Focus on Student Learning • Shared Vision • Climate of Support • Peer Collaboration • Build Capacity and Creativity • Collective Action

5. Shared leadership • Principals are supportive • Shared and collegial leadership • Administrators, teachers and school staff are a team • Shared ideas and problem solving • Continuous learning of all professionals

6. Student Learning In a professional learning community the staff will find themselves asking: • What practices have been most successful in student achievement? • How could we adopt these practices? • What commitments would we have to make to one another? • What indicators do we monitor to asses our progress?

7. Student Learning Cont’d. • What do we want each child to learn? • How will we know when each student has learned it? • How will we respond when a student struggles learning a concept? Question number three makes the difference between a traditional and a professional learning community. Richard Dufur

8. Shared Vision • Staff are involved in the process of creating the vision of the school • The vision focuses on student learning • The staff is caring • There is open communication • There is trust

9. Supportive Environment • Teacher empowerment • Time to meet and problem solve • School autonomy • Teacher ‘s involved in the hiring process • Resources available • Staff development • Trust and respect

10. Supportive Environment “Individuals in a professional learning community must be willing to accept feedback and to work toward improvement.” Louis and Kruse

11. Peer Collaboration • Teachers visit each other’s classroom • Teachers embrace debate • Teachers share their successes and failures • Praise and recognition • Empathy and support • Environment that values hard work, risk taking and personal growth

12. Discussion What are your thoughts? Take a few minutes To talk at your table.

13. Capacity and Creativity • Vertical and horizontal teaming • Reflective dialogue • New ideas • Problem solving • Inquiry

14. Inquiry Inquiry forces teachers to discuss what is important, promotes understanding and appreciation for the work of others and creates bonds that strengthen the relationships among staff.

15. Collective Action • Commitment by all to take action • Teachers take risks • Plan of actions are created • Initiatives are implemented, monitored, assessed for student progress • Do things differently based on best practices

16. What Does a Learning Community Look Like? • When you walk into the school someone greets you with a smile. • Literature is found in the conference room, teachers lounge and classrooms. • Teachers welcome walkthroughs. • Teachers get together during the weekend and work on school work. • Everyone is focused on teaching and learning.

17. What Learning Communities Look Like? Cont’d. • Goals are set and achieved. • Struggling students are leaders in the school. • Teachers are eager to learn and seek professional development. • Administrators are comfortable saying, “I don’t know.” • The staff is not quick to leave when the bell rings. • There is a sense of urgency for improving the learning of students and the teaching.

18. Think-Pair-Share Think about how your school is like a professional learning community and share with your partner.

19. Jig-Saw Activity • Divide into small groups. • At your table count off by 1234… • Regroup by the number assigned. • Read assign portion of article. • Prepare a summary presentation. • Go back to original group. • Teach your portion to the group.

20. Creating a Learning Community Four step process in creating a professional learning environment. • Principal brings the teachers together to create a mission statement. • Develop a vision of what stakeholders want the school to look, feel and sound like. • Develop shared value statements that reflect the commitments, behaviors and attitudes of all staff. • Establish school goals that are created collaboratively.

21. Larry Lezotte “The finest gift we can give our children is our heartfelt belief that they can succeed.”