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An educator friend of mine told me that he thought PLCs were a complete and total waste of time.
I asked him to describe his experiences to me. Here's what he said:
I asked him to describe his experiences to me. Here's what he said:
He had been assigned to meet with three different collaborative teams each week - but no one ever told them exactly what they were supposed to do during their meetings together.
That, to him, became a waste of three planning hours a week.
That, to him, became a waste of three planning hours a week.
There was no mission or vision in his building - so there was no clear sense of "here's what's important to us" or "here's what we are working towards together."
He'd never received any professional development around the core behaviors of collaborative teams.
None. Zip. Zero.
None. Zip. Zero.
And his principal made it clear that PLCs were about raising test scores, keeping parents happy because instruction was "consistent across classes" and "struggling teachers got support from their peers."
Sounds terrible, right?
But the problem isn't PLCs. That's a leadership problem.
His principal and district level leaders clearly don't understand just what PLCs are or how to support the development of collaborative teams.
But the problem isn't PLCs. That's a leadership problem.
His principal and district level leaders clearly don't understand just what PLCs are or how to support the development of collaborative teams.
And that breaks my heart, even if it is more common than it should be.
When done right, PLCs empower teachers to study their practice together and to make important decisions about instruction.
When done right, PLCs provide teachers with a sense of purpose - a shared direction that drives every one of their professional choices.
When done right, PLCs improve the professional practice of every teacher - including those who have been successful working in isolation.
The most rewarding moments in my 28 year career have happened as a member of a strong collaborative team with a shared set of values, a clear purpose, and a knowledge of how we could translate those beliefs into action in our classrooms.
Every teacher deserves that - and if you aren't willing to lead that process with fidelity to the core concepts of the model, school leaders, please stop calling whatever you are doing a PLC.
#steppingoffsoapbox
#steppingoffsoapbox
