Our PLC squished in a large array of wonderful topics this year--we made a lot of decisions and implemented numerous new strategies. We debated often.
The addition of Math RTI, many new initiatives and tools, and new team members, in part, increased the pace of our meetings, and the increased pace, in part, led to some confusion and a need to review and reestablish norms.
I did a bit of research related to norms, and came up with the following categories:
- Agenda: Who sets the agenda? What is a reasonable agenda? How do we prioritize the agenda and choose topics that fit the time available--topics that are meaningful to all in the PLC? What is the lead time for agendas and how are agendas set? Who decides the agenda if there is a request for a midweek change?
- Preparation: What kind of preparation is expected for PLCs (Classroom teachers have to prep plans for these meetings.). Are documents shared online, offline--one way or the other?
- Roles: Are there individual roles? What are the roles? How are the roles divided up? Does everyone take an equal share of the roles?
- Meeting Times: Start, finish, timeliness.
- Urgency: What is the level of urgency associated with discussions and decisions? Do we create a decision making process and timeline for topics ahead and use backward design?
- Confidentiality: What are the norms around this?
- Decisions: How are decisions made, and how do we deal with conflicts?
- Participation: How will we encourage the participation of all.
- Attendance: What is the expectation for attendance for all?
- Record Keeping: What is the expected type of record? What is the protocol for notes?
- Communication and Listening: What are the expectations for communication during the PLC and what are the expectations with regard to decisions and efforts outside of the PLC, but related to the PLC team? Encourage listening and discourage interrupting. Should we make a Google+ or Google email group for our PLC group?
- Goals: Realistically what are the overarching goals of the PLC? The PLC time equals about 30 hours per year--what is realistic in this regard? Do we make yearly goals? Do we have an overarching goal?
- Expectations: What are individuals' expectations for the PLC?
- Typical Meeting Order: What is the order we can expect each meeting such as review of roles, business, discussion, action plan?
- Underlying Assumptions: How do people understand the PLC? What do they assume?
Our PLC group is quite large sometimes including as many as ten or possibly more. That's about a fair share of six minutes per person for talking which isn't a lot of time particularly since we've been discussing some big issues related to student learning. Typically though we have about six or seven teachers present.
One good idea at the last meeting was to assign roles at the start of the year so that everyone knows their role for each month. That would save time each week.
I wonder what other ideas and protocols will come out of the meeting. We'll also have to be mindful of the fact that we're all a bit tired at the end of the year, and we're in the midst of a big project.
However, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
