Norms and protocols should be set within the school and followed for each meeting. Then, we have a portion of the PLC devoted to a Instructional Strategies where I offer the teachers some research based strategies and activities. If so why? The Professional Learning Communities Resource Site will serve as a resource for faculty and staff at Grandview Elementary. I am the ELA/History instructional Coach at my school and responsible for planning and facilitating PLC’s for that group of teachers. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Instead, some administrators now use the PLC meetings to spew the information and discuss issues that have nothing to do with PLC. Let your grade/content level teams set the agendas for the meeting. 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Professional Learning Communities (PLC) are not a new idea. Norms Manager/Process Checker - Everyone in the group is responsible for maintaining the norms (accountability). Administrators should respect the teacher’s time!!!! Norms—or rules—should be determined collaboratively at the first meeting and agreed upon by the team. 4. ZORMS (Zoom meeting norms) Before the meeting . Sometimes this time is used as a work session for teachers to work together to create a lesson, activity, or assessment based off of a previous strategy presented. Recommend to the group that it establish a set of norms: To ensure that all individuals have the opportunity to contribute in the meeting; To increase productivity and effectiveness; and To facilitate the achievement of its goals. Shirley Hord, an expert on school leadership, came up with perhaps the most efficient description of the strategy: The three words explain the concept: Professionals coming to… You may use these sample team norms as a starting point, but each team needs to go through the process of generating and committing to its own team norms… Required fields are marked *, © 2020 Leading, Learning, and Doing: A Principal's Story. Provide examples of norms by posting the list of norms that appears on Page 5 of this issue of Tools for Schools. However, the PLC meeting is not the time to read them. 2. Instead, a PLC represents the institutionalization of a focus on continuous improvement in staff performance as well as student learning. What we cover in my PLC’s is driven by what I observe teachers struggling with and what they tell me they are struggling with.  In addition, I’ve been forced to sit  in PLCs where a PowerPoint was played and teachers were expected to sit for 60 minutes and ‘get’ information. Agree to group ‘norms’ so that people can arrive on time and be ‘present’ in the meeting so that the work can be completed. 4. The PLC is the troop’s elected and duly appointed governing body. Invite and share the meeting dates with new members.  They will need coaxing. Add your picture to your ; zoom account profile. This usually lasts about 30-40 minutes. onto your computer or phone. Provide examples of norms. PLC Overview The PLC Overview will provide background information on PLCs as well as the components, procedures and protocols of effective PLCs based on research. When did these meetings become a time to roll our eyes and resent the time we spend in them? Meeting norms are the standards you set for working together positively and productively as a group. We NEVER have time to work in our rooms (changing bulletin boards, organizing materials, preparing lessons, etc.) Paraphrasing Using a paraphrase starter that is comfortable for you – “So…” or “As you are…” or “You’re This usually takes anywhere from 10-15 minutes. ).  I was allowed to bring 5 members to the training and they have been my Guiding Coalition (aka PLC Rock Stars) thus far.  However, they only represent every other grade level and our specialty teachers.   During our norms and essential standards discussion in January 2020, the group decided to invite a representative from each grade level to become a part of our of Guiding Coalition and begin to develop them into leaders that can facilitate each grade level meeting and model our expectations for the PLC meeting. Knowing that PLCs are common occurrences in most schools, how do you make the meetings worthwhile and engaging to educators? I do believe that the PLC creators should send out memos to every school district and say that it is improper to use the PLC meetings for the use of anything else other than PLC necessities. In a PLC, the facilitator can provided a list of norms for the members to discuss and then decide on which norms fit their group. _____ Items in this . While this is a terrific […], […] of the most meaningful PLC I’ve ever been involved in was when I co-taught with the same Special Education teacher for […]. ESTABLISH GROUP NORMS. What PLC meetings do is 50% a waste of time. There are no longer regular teacher’s meetings where other issues can be discussed. 2. After the updating process in December of 2019, our grade level norms look like the image below.  If you click on the link, it will take you to our slideshow of norms for each grade level. Here are some norms to consider: turn cell phones off, speak positively, offer solutions, stay on topic, be prepared, and participate. Standardize the PLC meeting agendas to begin every meeting with a review of the norms. Team Norms : In PLCs norms represent protocols and commitments developed by each team to guide members in working together. Follow up later with the colleague to find out what is frustrating them about the process if they continue to not follow the norms. Dec. 15, 2020. PLCs look different depending on the group, school, or district that is working together. Every  PLC meeting should be teacher lead, not administrative lead. The last 15 minutes of the PLC is for reflection, journaling, sharing products. These norms are put in place so that various points of view are offered and discussed among the team and not just by the will of the people in the right. September Madness: 5 Thoughts For Young TeachersThe Educator's Room | Empowering Teachers as the Experts. We have not been consistent on our campus (YET) about holding each other accountable for meeting norms.  We decided to update our grade level meeting norms this year, and yes, we did it in December.  Each grade level reviewed their norms and updated them for the year.  We added them to a shared Google Slideshow so that they can be accessible from anywhere in the building, or the world.  Therefore, there are no excuses about access. Leading, Learning, and Doing: A Principal's Story, Identify the members that need to join our Guiding Coalition. If not stop the PLC structure. 3. To decrease or eliminate the personal attacks build your conflict norms with your team. Here are some for you to consider: 1.) The photograph will display when you turn off your video. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Nothing is worse than sitting in a PLC meeting with an agenda that has nothing to do with your work in the classroom. 3. is becoming increasingly valued by administrators and teachers alike. To learn more about Franchesca Warren's work, please visit www.franchescalanewarren.com. The last 15 minutes of the PLC is for reflection, journaling, sharing products. However, an excessive number of norms can be discouraging. They begin with a teacher spotlight. • Meeting norms are ways that your group agrees the meeting will go, how participants will behave, and what you hope to get out of the event. I usually choose who it is based on my classroom observations among other observations of the teacher. Then, we have a portion of the PLC devoted to a Instructional Strategies where I offer the teachers some research based strategies and activities. Do you think your thoughts on making PCL more effective is the same for a special education classroom? Teachers are already ‘bogged down’ by district mandates, classroom needs, and other professional development. 2. Each meeting ends by creating the agenda for the next meeting. Copyright 2016 The Educators Room | Designed by. Norms help team members clarify expectations regarding how they will work together to achieve t heir shared goals. PLC Meeting Norms: We will take turns with notes, create attendance sheet, focusing on making classroom productive. 5. Here’s an example of the conflict mode rules my client set in our last meeting: Don’t make it personal After doing a bit of research, I came across the book Learning by Doing PLC’s which told me that PLCs are meant to: •  focus on teaching to a focus on learning, • provide Infrequent summative assessments to frequent common formative assessments, • help determine the appropriate response when students don’t learn or already know it to a systematic response that ensures support for every student no matter who the teacher may be, • clarify what students must learn to collaborative teams building shared knowledge and understanding about essential learning • An external focus on issues outside the school to an internal focus on steps staff can take to improve the school, • focus on issues outside the school to an internal focus on steps staff can take to improve the school. Here are sample process norms or group guidelines that a team might use to effectively conduct its business. It makes no sense to make a veteran teacher sit in a PLC about the use of graphic organizers or for a teacher who has excellent classroom management to sit in a PLC about classroom management. Top 10 blogs in 2020 for remote teaching and learning; Dec. 11, 2020 (possible shirt purchase! We’d rather grade a million essays, meet with an irate parent or even hear nails scratched on our chalkboard–anything but another meeting that tells us how to use graphic organizers. They begin with a teacher spotlight. During this time we allow one of our teachers to present a lesson or idea that they have used in their classroom that has been effective or game changing. Team norms are a set of rules or guidelines that a team establishes to shape the interaction of its members with one other and with employees who are external to the team. Click below to follow these simple four tests to ensure that these meetings are more productive! The PLC is made up of the senior patrol leader, who presides over the meetings, the assistant senior patrol leader, all patrol leaders, and the troop guide. Subjects: Professional Development, Coaching, Classroom Community. The troop scribe also attends to take notes and keep the minutes. The scheduled start time is when talking should This ensures that the group is setting the stage for a productive working environment. Differentiate the delivery of  instruction in the meetings. I am the ELA/History instructional Coach at my school and responsible for planning and facilitating PLC’s for that group of teachers. (Note: share this article with your administration team.) If norms are not followed by a member of the group: Remind the group about the expected norm that is not being followed. My PLC’s follow the same structure everyday. Use this time to actually strengthen the culture of the school- not just to have another meeting. In the book Creating a Culture for Learning: Your Guide to PLC’s and More, Brenda Kaylor provides helpful steps for learning teams establishing norms. I try to connect this portion to the teacher spotlight, so that it is not just random activities. The norms for a PLC must be established before any work begins on the mission and vision and goals for the team. Set a specific time slot  and days for the meetings to occur. A Strategy for Establishing Team Norms. Data should be discussed at least monthly, if not more, as this should drive teacher collaboration and learning. Is it really effective to have a 45 minute PLC EVERY DAY??? The Educator's Room, LLC ™ is dedicated to improving education by recognizing that real experts, classroom teachers, are needed at the table of education reform. Seek guidance from a Guiding Coalition member or leadership. Action Plan to improve the accountability for Meeting Norms: Elementary Principal in Fort Smith Arkansas, who is passionate about education and who's mission is to Encourage, Support, & Always Ask "What is best for kids?" 3. Norms are something you need to establish as a group. *Side note:  Our district is paying for six days of training through Solution Tree on the foundations of becoming a PLC (Thank you Fort Smith Public Schools! Grades: Not Grade Specific. Wait, what? It makes no sense to make a veteran teacher sit in a PLC about the use of graphic organizers or for a teacher who has excellent classroom management to sit in a PLC about classroom management. We will not come unprepared, not participate, use it primarily as data entry. Instead, they are usually time for our administration team to tell us what we are NOT doing right. Types: Professional Development. Give five index cards and the same kind of writing tool to each person in the group. Log in a couple of minutes ahead of time. What will be important to you in order to value everyone's time and effort and honor everyone's contribution to the group? Adapted from Meeting Wise: Making the most of collaborative time for educators (Harvard Education Press, 2014). Abiding by norms is especially important for ... of norms at the end of each meeting. An agenda is a valuable tool for keeping a meeting on task. What we cover in my PLC’s is driven by what I observe teachers struggling with and what they tell me they are struggling with. Not only do the norms need to be agreed upon by all team members, but they also should be reviewed at the beginning of each meeting. Pausing Pausing before responding or asking a question allows time for thinking and enhances dialogue, discussion, and decision-making.   Teacher PLC teams analyze this data to become more aware of strengths/concerns […], […] – Find Your Feedback Group Many schools pair their youngest teachers with mentors, Professional Learning Communities, or some other core group of people that are meant to ease the Madness. Looks great right?  We marked it off the list right?  As the school leader, it is my job to follow up on our goals of becoming a fully functioning PLC and operating with meeting norms is an integral part of a functional and efficient team.  I asked my Guiding Coalition (or as I refer to them as, my “PLC Rock Stars”) about the newly updated norms.  They shared that it had become a checklist item and had been forgotten over the last couple of weeks.  In fact, some had said that members of their team openly stated that they were not going to follow the norms.  Therefore, we made a plan to improve. I felt affirmed in what I do with my PLC’s at my school after reading this. Were they created to wreak havoc on teacher’s schedules or do they really have a purpose? Differentiate the delivery of instruction in the meetings. Meeting Wise Norms. We are only in PLC 2 days a week for one hour each day. Blog. […] assessments, etc.) Advice for School Districts on Teacher BrandingThe Educator's Room | Empowering Teachers as the Experts. Establish them at your first meeting and briefly revisit them at the beginning of every meeting. And of course, being a part of this awesome team that is Focused on Learning and making campus changes that reflect that! Based upon the results, adjust your meeting content. Start/End on Time 2.) A professional learning community, or PLC, is a group of educators that meets regularly, shares expertise, and works collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students. If the overall goal(s)  of Professional Learning Communities are supposed to be focused on teachers learning from one another , how did they become meetings where teachers are engrossed in doing anything beneficial to classroom instruction? There’s no reason that any PLC meeting has to last an entire planning period.  Set a designated time frame for your meetings and stick to it–no matter what. Why bother? Instead, enlist your content /grade level leaders  to develop an agenda for the meeting. How to increase brand awareness through consistency; Dec. 11, 2020. I felt affirmed in what I do with my PLC’s at my school after reading this. This usually lasts about 30-40 minutes. The first thing the PLC team needs to do is to establish “norms” and a method to monitor them. By clicking on the link below you will be able to download the Word document and fill it out using Word. This is a ‘sure fire’ way to make teachers ‘zone out’ well before the first item on the agenda  is addressed. Professional articles should be read outside the meeting time frame. They should provide a guideline for behavior. I have been told that administrators tend to hog up time. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. • The focus is always centered on student learning! Web-Based Math Differentiation in Elementary Schools | Educational Aspirations. An amazing definition of team/group norms given by the Harvard Business Reviewis: “Group norms are a set of agreements about how [team] members will work … 1. Download the Zoom app. My PLC’s follow the same structure everyday. I usually choose who it is based on my classroom observations among other observations of the teacher. Teachers already have a difficult job to do. For fifteen years Franchesca taught English/Language Arts in two urban districts in Atlanta, Georgia, and Memphis, Tennessee. Leadership, Professional Learning Community. Team norms are the basic ground rules for civil discussion among coworkers that should be followed no matter what. Another good strategy to increase teacher ‘buy in’ will be to  identify the faculty that may be ‘experts’ in various areas and ask them to present at PLCs. Sometimes this time is used as a work session for teachers to work together to create a lesson, activity, or assessment based off of a previous strategy presented. This will  help break up the monotony of meetings. Now tell us how PLC meetings are handled at your school? Northwestern Middle School PLC Meeting Norms Be on time No off-task behavior Volunteer your strengths Come prepared Follow roles for PLC members Adapted from allthingsplc.com . A professional learning community (PLC) involves much more than a staff meeting or group of teachers getting together to discuss a book they’ve read. In the last four years, The Educator's Room has grown to become the premiere source for resources, tools, and strategies for all things teaching and learning. My team meets in a PLC for 45 minutes 5 days a week. Combined with making teachers painfully endure these meetings on a weekly schedule, has made a ‘recipe for disaster’. Standardize the PLC meeting agendas to begin every meeting with a review of the norms. Team norms are the foundation of a PLC. The quickest way to send any teacher into a frenzy is to make us sit in an ineffective PLC (professional learning community) meeting. Every PLC meeting should be teacher lead, not administrative lead. The answer is simple, PLC’s became ineffective when administrators used it for ‘filler’ for any and everything they wanted to accomplish in the school. AchieveNJ reach. Follow up later with the colleague to find out what is frustrating them about the process if they continue to not follow the norms. This product will help your PLC team set up meeting norms, stay on task, and generate a plan to help serve the students you teach. Title: Establishing PLC Team Norms … This person makes sure the meeting starts and stops on time and that it is moves ahead. Professional articles should be read outside the meeting time frame. Grow . If not, why is that? After you fill it out you should attach it to an email addressed to Scott Holmstedt. How is that most PLCs that I’m a part of consist of nothing of the above? Created Date: Data needs to be brought to meeting and used as a resource for planning instruction (individual, small group, or … 2. Provide examples of norms. It is a good idea to have a maximum of five. The subsequent sharing of the article’s contents should not take more than five minutes of the meeting. An agenda is a valuable tool for keeping a meeting on task. ... Collaborative Norms. The meeting minutes form should be filled out after each PLC meeting. During this time we allow one of our teachers to present a lesson or idea that they have used in their classroom that has been effective or game changing. What are Meeting Norms? • Job roles should change weekly as to who keeps time, leads the meeting and take notes. 3. PLC Definition: The professional learning community is an ongoing process in which educators work The small groups of teachers, versus one large faculty meeting, are used to focus in on student achievement, as well as the teacher behaviors that bring about changes. Increasingly frustrated with decisions being made about public education from people who were not in the classroom, in 2012 she decided to start a blog about what it was really like to teach in public schools. Norms of Collaboration Annotated 1. Because if this is allowed, time is wasted and PLCs have no value. Norms help team members clarify expectations regarding how they will work together to achieve their shared goal. The term is also applied to schools or teaching faculties that use small-group collaboration as a form of professional development. However, the PLC meeting is not the time to read them. Instead, assess the specific needs of your school  staff by using a survey. Team norms can be developed during an early team meeting, preferably the first meeting, and more norms can be added as the team deems their addition necessary. The subsequent sharing of the article’s contents should not take more than five minutes of the meeting. After sitting in a meeting where I was about to fall asleep, I began to think about the actual purpose of PLCs. Also included in that text are sample team norms, as well as norms for decision-making, strategies for teams when norms … In a PLC, norms represent protocols and commitments to guide members in working together. But we can save ourselves frustration and miscommunication if we practice being clear and direct. I try to connect this portion to the teacher spotlight, so that it is not just random activities. We practice being clear and direct five index cards and the same structure everyday will take plc meeting norms... 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