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Professional Learning Communities

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Collaboration that Improves Student Performance

Strong Schools | Strong Students | Strong Staff | Strong System

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Agenda

Welcome 5 min

Setting up the PLC 10 min

Observable Behaviors 15 min

Definition of Excellence Connection 15 min

Break 10 min

What PLCs are - DuFour’s Definition 15 min

Ready to use activities 10 min

Wrap up and Reflection 10 min

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Strong Schools | Strong Students | Strong Staff | Strong System

These are agreements which will govern how we work and learn together.

Equity of Voice: We want to be mindful not to dominate our conversations while at the same time our silence does not serve anyone. Please ensure that your voice is heard.

Active Listening: As we engage in our learning today, be mindful to listen and not only focus on what we want to say next

Respect for all Perspectives: We have all come to this session from different places and we have all had different experiences, hence our perspectives are all different. All and welcome and respected.

Safety and Confidentiality: Everything that is said in this session is only for the purpose of this session. Please be mindful not to name teachers, schools and administrators

Self-Monitor the Use of Technology: Give yourself the gift of learning and sharing. The work will be there when you get back to your schools, I promise no one will take it away and do it in your absence. We are adults and if necessary please step out to take/make important calls or texts.

Support New Learners to our Community: Some of us have been instructional coaches for a long time and others are new to the role. Let us welcome and support our new learners.

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Meeting Norms

Equity of Voice
Active Listening
Respect for all Perspectives
Safety and Confidentiality
Self-Monitor the Use of Technology
Support New Learners to our Community

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Strong Schools | Strong Students | Strong Staff | Strong System

These are agreements which will govern how we work and learn together.

Equity of Voice: We want to be mindful not to dominate our conversations while at the same time our silence does not serve anyone. Please ensure that your voice is heard.

Active Listening: As we engage in our learning today, be mindful to listen and not only focus on what we want to say next

Respect for all Perspectives: We have all come to this session from different places and we have all had different experiences, hence our perspectives are all different. All and welcome and respected.

Safety and Confidentiality: Everything that is said in this session is only for the purpose of this session. Please be mindful not to name teachers, schools and administrators

Self-Monitor the Use of Technology: Give yourself the gift of learning and sharing. The work will be there when you get back to your schools, I promise no one will take it away and do it in your absence. We are adults and if necessary please step out to take/make important calls or texts.

Support New Learners to our Community: Some of us have been instructional coaches for a long time and others are new to the role. Let us welcome and support our new learners.

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Learning Objectives

Identify a common understanding of Professional Learning Communities
Explore the implications that a PLC protocol may have on lesson execution
Use DuFour’s PLC Essential Questions to determine alignment of standard objective, activity, and assessment

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Strong Schools | Strong Students | Strong Staff | Strong System

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Success Criteria

We will have a clear and shared understanding of PLCs.
We will have a clear understanding of what impacts PLCs and we will have “ready to use” examples.
We will be aware of and refer to DuFour’s PLC Essential Questions as we prepare for future PLCs.

5

Strong Schools | Strong Students | Strong Staff | Strong System

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�

6

Enabling systems & norms

Assess

Assess

Assess

�

�

�

�

Enabling Systems & Norms

Student Success Impact Connector

Principal

Assistant Principal

Coordinator

Teachers

Program Director

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Observable Student Behaviors

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Students are engaged in mastering standards-based, culturally relevant and grade-appropriate content (E.g., lesson objectives, texts, instructional tasks, questions, etc.)

Completely Disagree

Completely Agree

7

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Observable Student Behaviors

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Students use instructional materials (E.g., texts, questions, problems, exercises and assessments, etc.) that are appropriately demanding and require students to use evidence to demonstrate understanding and support their ideas

Completely Disagree

Completely Agree

8

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Observable Student Behaviors

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Students can fully and readily answer the questions: What are you learning? How does it help you in this class? How is it connected to other areas of study and your daily life?

Completely Disagree

Completely Agree

9

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Observable Student Behaviors

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Students have sufficient time for independent practice, exploration, and learning with peers

Completely Disagree

Completely Agree

10

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Definition of Teaching Excellence: �Essential Content

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Core Teacher Behaviors
Daily Lesson Planning Rigorous Instructional Materials/Resources Lesson Execution Pacing

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Definition of Teaching Excellence: �Essential Content

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Lesson execution

Setting the Stage - develops and clearly communicates a well-framed, standards-aligned and appropriately rigorous objective to describe the goal(s) of the lesson
Clarity and Coherence - delivers lesson content clearly, accurately, and with coherence
Model the Thinking - models the metacognitive thinking, not just the procedure
Verbal and Visual Instruction - provides information verbally and orally
Re-Teaching - recognizes the root of student errors and re-teaching or re-framing content to address the underlying cause of student misunderstanding

Turn & Talk: What implications does this have for planning?

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What PLCs Are & Are Not

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PLC Meeting	Typical Teacher Meeting

“How will this impact student learning?”

Defined, yet Flexible

Shared

Student Learning

Collaborative Designing

Collecting and Responding to Data

Trusting & Honest

Collaborative

Reflection

Deep Thinking

“How will this idea impact me?”

Often Vague

Usually Not Discussed

Often Housekeeping

Often Announcements

Sharing of Anecdotal Stories

Sometimes Gripe Sessions

Cordial

Cooperative

Passive Disagreement or

Passive Acceptance

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Four Critical Questions of PLC

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What do we want all students to be able to do?

How will we know if they know it?

How will we respond if they don’t know it?

How will we respond if they do know it?

DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work, 2010

Strong Schools | Strong Students | Strong Staff | Strong System

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What do we want our students to learn?

Handout #2

Standard

RI2. Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea

What skills are found within this standard?

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What do we want all students to be able to do?

How will we know if they know it?

How will we respond if they don’t know it?

How will we respond if they do know it?

DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work, 2010

Strong Schools | Strong Students | Strong Staff | Strong System

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How will we know they have learned it?

Sample Activity:

Students are asked to use key details and main ideas to write a paragraph about the text.

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What do we want all students to be able to do?

How will we know if they know it?

How will we respond if they don’t know it?

How will we respond if they do know it?

DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work, 2010

Strong Schools | Strong Students | Strong Staff | Strong System

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How will we know they have learned it?

Sample Activity:

Students are asked to identify the main idea and underline the key details that support it.

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What do we want all students to be able to do?

How will we know if they know it?

How will we respond if they don’t know it?

How will we respond if they do know it?

DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work, 2010

Strong Schools | Strong Students | Strong Staff | Strong System

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How will we know they have learned it?

Sample Activity:

Students are asked to highlight important details that are about the topic of the text.

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What do we want all students to be able to do?

How will we know if they know it?

How will we respond if they don’t know it?

How will we respond if they do know it?

DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work, 2010

Strong Schools | Strong Students | Strong Staff | Strong System

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How do I know if my students mastered it?

Handout #3

Work with a partner to create an exemplar!

What misconceptions do you think student may have with this activity?

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What do we want all students to be able to do?

How will we know if they know it?

How will we respond if they don’t know it?

How will we respond if they do know it?

DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work, 2010

Strong Schools | Strong Students | Strong Staff | Strong System

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Now what?

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Based on the information discussed, what action steps would be helpful to fully meet the objective?

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Did We Achieve Our

Success Criteria?

We will have a clear and shared understanding of PLCs.
We will have a clear understanding of what impacts PLCs and we will have “ready to use” examples.
We will be aware of and refer to DuFour’s PLC Essential Questions as we prepare for future PLCs.

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Strong Schools | Strong Students | Strong Staff | Strong System

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Reflection Time

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3 Things that you connected to what you already know

2 Things that you learned today

1 Question that you still have

Please complete the Google Form with feedback on the this session after you have completed your reflection!!

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