DO YOU WANT MORE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE

TEACHERS, WHO ARE MOTIVATED TO LEARN

BEST PRACTICES?

DO YOU WANT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF

SUCCESSFUL GRADUATES WHO ARE CAREER

AND/OR COLLEGE READY IN OUR COUNTY?

WE HAVE AN IDEA FOR YOU, WHICH WON’T COST AN

EXTRA DOLLAR!

BY: KIM WILSON AND TRISCIA PANRELLA

ECET2 REFLECTION•Collaboration of teachers across the United States- An Awareness of what’s

working and what’s not working across the nation to close the achievement gap

•Teacher Leadership Trainings

•Empowerment and Nourishment

•Teacher Stories

•Responsibility we feel to our colleagues, profession, and above all, the students!

•Seminole County Goals and Solutions

PROBLEM #1•Rapid fire, “random” trainings with little or no follow through, leaving

little or no time for true PLC time.

•Trainings/PDs are not addressing the relative, immediately relevant

needs of the teachers; therefore less learning, reflection, and

retention is taking place.

•Teachers are sitting in the same room together, but they are not

collaborating.

•Sharing ≠ Collaborating.

PROBLEM #2

•Disconnect between district expectation of PLCs

and implementation at the school level

•Uncommon language of PLCs

•What is actually happening in the PLC meetings

PROBLEM #3

•General concern that there’s no time to do

the things highly effective teachers must do!

WHEN DO TEACHERS DO THE THINGS THAT HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEACHERS DO?

Prepare materials In advance

Grade papers and give constructive feedback

Develop a rapport with parents by conferencing and calling them

Create engaging activities

Post learning goals, scales and other relative information

Create an inviting classroom where relationships are a priority

Use research-proven tools to support instruction

Plan strategically to meet the needs of all learners

Keep track of all data and student work

Work with ESE teachers on meeting specific ESE goals

Attend meetings

Refer students for help

Provide for and sponsor extra-curricular activities

Offer open tutoring hours

Target “hot list” students and track interventions

Collaborate to discuss differentiation efforts

Reflect on instructional practices and research strategies to improve instruction

Reading, organizing, and responding to electronic communication

Play an active role in professional affiliations

Keep up with professional development as it relates to ever-changing

recertification mandates.

THE LIST GOES ON……

PLAN OF ACTION

•Include authentic PLC blocks to spend

time on what will really have an impact on

instruction.

A GROUP OF STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE DETERMINED TO WORK TOGETHER WILL FIND A WAY.

• HTTP://STAFFDEV.MPLS.K12.MN.US/SITES/6DB2E00F-8A2D-4F0B-9E70-E35B529CDE55/UPLOADS/WHAT_IS_A_PLC._DUFOUR_ARTICLE_2.PDF

Common Definition for PLC:

TRUE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES:

•Create a trusting colleague circle

•Focus on learning rather than teaching

•Work collaboratively, and hold teachers accountable for results

•What do we want each student to learn?

•How will we know when each student has learned it?

•How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning?

•How will we respond when students have already learned it?HTTP://STAFFDEV.MPLS.K12.MN.US/SITES/6DB2E00F-8A2D-4F0B-9E70-E35B529CDE55/UPLOADS/WHAT_IS_A_PLC._DUFOUR_ARTICLE_2.PDF

ACCOUNTABILITY•Teachers must be held accountable for their PLC time.

•PLCs should be producing authentic work (This is in place

of the learning log. The work we produce IS the evidence).

•Show documentation of needs, trainings and improvements

that they are making.

THE “ASK”We WANT a district-wide system in place for true PLC time

and observing highly effective teachers.

• One day per week - one block of protected, collaborative PLC time

• PLC Teacher leader in each grade level/course number to facilitate the meetings and

communicate agendas

• PLC time- teachers look at data, collaborate on what’s working, decide on trainings

needed and invite other teachers with the knowledge and/or Department of Teaching and

Learning/CST to help make them more effective.

• Do lesson studies and observe teachers who are willing to share (open door policy with a

green light).

ELEMENTARY MODEL

• 45 minutes in the morning and 40 minutes in the afternoon (old PLC time).

• Designate a one hour true PLC time to each week.

• Utilize resource teachers to teach the skills that they are highly trained in, while each team

meets for collaboration and trainings that grade levels have decided as a team.

• Monday- PLC day: each team meets for one hour through out the day in the media center,

while the grade level students are receiving technology, gifted and reading skills (this would

be their walk to intervention time, which would be a different time than their regular

intervention time).

SAMPLE OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCHEDULE

Carillon Model PLC Mondays

8:45-9:45- Kindergarten, PLC leader-

9:45-10:45- First Grade, PLC leader-

10:45-11:45-Third Grade, PLC leader

11:45-12:45 Second Grade, PLC leader

12:45-1:45 Fourth Grade, PLC leader

1:45-2:45 Fifth Grade, PLC leader

PLC- Takes place in the Media plan room

Before school- Prepare for the day (Reading, Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Walk to Intervention) 7:45-8:30

During Specials- One day per week for team notes and the other days used for doing all of the other things that highly effective teachers must do

*Second Tuesday per Month during specials- Data Meetings

*Fourth Tuesday per Month- Green Light Observation Day

Students go to the media center and labs for special instruction/intervention

Mrs. Pomp- Technology

Mrs. Graham- Media

Mrs. Rollins- Talented and Gifted

Mrs. Groot- Reading Coach

Mrs. Watters- Reading Assistant

Mrs. Pearce- Resource Teacher

Interns

MIDDLE SCHOOL MODELContent-specific PLCs (Weekly):• Focus on data analysis, common

assessments, common instruction, Marzano indicators

• PLC leaders need to be trained on protocol as well as have a resource to go to in the event of challenges.

Colleague Circles (2/month):• Teachers would be presented with a range

of topics such as Teacher Leadership, Common Core Instructional Shifts, Mindset book study, just to name a few

• Teachers would select their top choice

• Circles would change every 9 weeks

• Instructional coach(es) would create the teams so that they are cross-curricular and of appropriate size

• Protocols would be developed to help provide structure for the group, but in the end, the teachers would be responsible for what happens in their colleague circle

Department Meetings (Monthly):• Instructional training

• Topics driven by needs identified in PLCs

• Monthly “green light” day in which teachers can observe other teachers on specific indicators, instructional strategies, etc.

ALL SCHOOLS: WEDNESDAYS- FACILITATED BY PLC TEACHER LEADERS AND ADMINISTRATION

• Mandatory- general clerical/office/technology procedures and information

• Celebrations of teacher/staff achievement (no more kudos on paper!)

• Concerns - we have a great professional way to address concerns

• Committees - formed to address concerns (only as needed)

• And, above all, across grade level sharing and collaboration

• Last but not least fellowship!- improve morale, have fun, and be proud to be a teacher!

So, why do we feel like we are hitting a

brick wall?

Why are we settling for

“close enough”?

Implement

ation

Support

Team

IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT TEAM

• Instructional Coaches (0.5 FTE)

• Job shared?

• Hybrid teacher/coach

• Report to both their administration and a point-person at the district office

• PLC training, information, and protocols will be developed and disseminated by

implementation support team with the approval of district office

• PLC leaders at each school will be highly trained by support team

• Support person at each school will be a resource person both by attending PLC meeting, but

also continuous roundtable discussions and additional trainings as needed with PLC leaders

• Implementation Support Team can be funded by current FTE points

IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT TEAM

• Timeline: 3 years to effectively implement effective AND sustainable program at each

school site

• Development over summer 2014 with first schools beginning implementation in August

2014

• Participating schools can be voluntary the first year, with each school expected to implement by

2016-2017 school year

THE OUTCOME: TEACHER COMMITMENT OVER COMPLIANCE• Engaged teachers = engaged learners

• More effective teachers, who are eager to learn as it is relative to their present needs

• Higher student achievement, including across all sub-groups

• Students receive specialized training in technology, reading and higher-order thinking

• Less “teacher burn out”

• Better relationships with parents, colleagues and administration

• Focus on health: More time to go to the bathroom and hydrate

• Healthier and happier teachers

• Less substitutes- $$$

REFLECTIONS

Highly effective teachers =

increased student engagement

and performance.