As a veteran professional, I've experienced a lot of growing pains with this model. The growing pains have been positive prompting me to continue to look for ways to use this model to better affect my work and contribution to both school and grade-level team.
Last week we tried a new crowdshare idea for PLC share as we focused on the question of at-risk math students. I liked the process as it was an efficient way to share ideas and hear everyone's voice. I work with a dynamic group of professionals, and I wanted to hear what they had to say as I know they all teach children with great strength and wonderful ideas.
To prep for this week's PLC we're all going to review the terrific crowdshare list of ideas as well as individuals' share from last week. Then we're going to come up with three ares of focus--focus areas that we can work on together to boost our ability to teach at-risk math students with strength. I'm looking forward to the conversation as I know I can grow in this regard. It's not easy to teach our most challenged students, and this group think will give all of us new attitudes, tools, and processes to use with these students.
As we move from the isolation of factory-style schools to the teamwork afforded in new schools, we need to think about the kinds of processes that lead to deeper share, growth, and effect--the kind of teamwork that truly empowers, engages, and leads educators forward so in turn, those educators can move their students forward with similar strength.
What kinds of processes is your organization using to deepen share and effect? How do you foster meaningful, powerful teamwork? These are important questions for schools today, questions I want to learn more about.
Note: As I reread my notes, I wondered about the power of inviting our students to our PLCs so we can listen to their ideas as they are truly the ones on the front lines of education--that would be revealing. As I write the idea, I think "how obvious yet untried."
