LEADINGtheJOURNEY
An E-newsletter on EXCELLENCE in Leadership
How to Lead a Professional Learning Community (PLC)
Educators utilize professional learning communities to foster a collaborative and reflective culture and provide ongoing support for learning to all students. This special issue of Leading the Journey provides school leaders with a deeper understanding of how to lead a PLC.
April 2024 | Volume 12, No. 7
Previous Issues
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Demystifying PLCs
By Lileth Coke
Education Associate Director—Atlantic Union Conference
What is a Professional Learning Community?
A Professional Learning Community can be considered a team of educators who collaboratively share ideas and experiences to enhance their teaching practice and create a learning environment that fosters student growth. It can also be considered a method to engender collaborative learning among individuals working together in activities that extend and enhance professional expertise.
Purpose of a Professional Learning Community:
The purpose of the Professional Learning Community is to provide an opportunity for educators to meet and work together to expand their knowledge, learn new topics, share ideas, improve their craft, and problem-solve. It also provides the opportunity for teacher groups to study their own teaching methods and improve the quality of teaching in their building, which will enhance growth in pedagogical capacity and impact student learning.
How to build a Professional Learning Community:
According to researcher and author Jim Collins, 2005, to lead a Professional Learning Community, you need to assess your school culture daily to ensure that the following goals are achieved:
- A focus on learning: Priority should be given to ensure that each student learns at optimum levels.
- A collective culture and collective responsibility: Teachers should take the responsibility to collaboratively work together for the successful growth and development of each child.
- A results orientation: Teachers intentionally and effectively assess student performance to ensure that each child achieves successful end results.
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Essential Steps to Lead a Professional Learning Community
By Marlene Alvare
Vice President for Education & Children’s Ministries—Atlantic Union Conference
Professional Learning Communities (PLC) are essential on the Journey to Excellence. In a PLC, collaboration represents a systematic process in which teachers work together interdependently to impact their classroom practice in ways that will lead to better results for their students, their team, and their school. It is the art of learning and producing together. DuFour describes a Professional Learning Community as "a combination of individuals with an interest in education - a grade-level teaching team, a school committee, a high school department, an entire school district, a state department of education, a national professional organization, and so on." Furthermore, DuFour suggests that there are three "big ideas" that represent the core principles of Professional Learning Communities. The three principles are ensuring that students learn, a culture of collaboration, and a focus on results. To achieve this goal, Professional Learning Community members work together to judge the program's effectiveness based on the results. The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), in Leading Learning Communities, shares six essential steps to lead PLCs. According to the article, leaders must:
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Fostering Growth, Collaboration, and Faith
By Maria Thomas
Superintendent of Schools—Greater New York Conference
Professional Learning Communities (PLC), have become a cornerstone of professional development in the academic field, creating a platform for collaboration, reflection, and continuous improvement that benefits all educators.
In conjunction with Christian values and beliefs, a PLC among Christian educators becomes a powerful instrument that enhances teaching practices, deepens spiritual growth, and fosters a sense of community. Educators are encouraged to explore and implement the following key strategies for effectively leading a PLC among Christian educators:
The foundation of a PLC among Christian educators lies in a shared vision rooted in Christ. Leaders should motivate participants to reflect on how their work as educators aligns with the mission of serving God through their vocation. By grounding the vision of the PLC in faith, members are inspired to work towards a common purpose that honors God and reflects the values of Christian education.
Central to the concept of a PLC is the idea of collaborative inquiry and shared responsibility for student learning. In a Christian context, collaboration can be enriched by fostering a culture of support, empathy, and service among community members. Leaders should encourage educators to view their colleagues as fellow believers on a shared journey of faith and professional growth. By maintaining a spirit of unity and collaboration, the PLC becomes an ecosystem where members feel valued, respected, and empowered to grow professionally and spiritually.
Central to the concept of a PLC is the idea of collaborative inquiry and shared responsibility for student learning. In a Christian context, collaboration can be enriched by fostering a culture of support, empathy, and service among community members. Leaders should encourage educators to view their colleagues as fellow believers on a shared journey of faith and professional growth. By maintaining a spirit of unity and collaboration, the PLC becomes an ecosystem where members feel valued, respected, and empowered to grow professionally and spiritually.
It is crucial for PLC leaders to embody the principles of servant leadership. By exemplifying humility, compassion, and a servant-hearted approach, leaders demonstrate Christ-like love and inspire others to follow in His footsteps. Through their actions and attitudes, leaders show a commitment to supporting, empowering, and uplifting their colleagues, creating a culture of trust, collaboration, and continuous growth within the community.
Establish a Christ-Centered Vision:
Promote a Culture of Collaboration and Support:
Integrate Prayer and Reflection into Professional Development:
model Servant Leadership:
Finally, leading a PLC among Christian educators offers a unique opportunity to integrate faith, collaboration, and service into the professional development journey.
By establishing a Christ-centered vision, promoting a culture of collaboration and support, integrating prayer and reflection into professional development, and modeling servant leadership, leaders can create a transformative learning environment that enhances teaching practices, deepens spiritual growth, and strengthens the sense of community among educators.
Ultimately, by embracing the principles of a PLC, educators can work together to fulfill their calling to serve God through their vocation, positively impact the lives of their students, and change the world around them.
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Lead schools in a way that places student and adult learning at the center. To accomplish this, leaders capitalize on the leadership skills of others while aligning operations whose goal is to support students, adults, and school learning needs while ensuring that policies are aligned to effective teaching practices and learning.
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Set high expectations for the academic, social, emotional, and physical development of all students. The Bible says, "Write the vision, make it plain." To achieve this, leaders of Professional Learning Communities build consensus on the established vision that reflects the core values of the school community through the development of a learning culture that is adaptive, collaborative, innovative, and supportive.
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Demand content and instruction that ensure student achievement of agreed-upon standards. The Professional Learning Community is engaged to ensure that each student receives instruction that is rigorous, relevant, appropriate, and aligned with the standards, school goals, assessment, and available resources. Leaders lead the team in creating technology-rich cultures that connect learning with real-life experiences.
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Create a culture of continuous learning for adults tied to student learning, outcomes, and other school goals. The Professional Learning Community should align the schoolwide professional development plan with the school and learning goals while providing time for collaboration that will lead to reflection to improve practices and to set structures that engage community members. Intentionality must be given to including time to plan, discuss, and celebrate successes.
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Manage data and knowledge to inform decisions and measure progress of student, adult, and school performance. Use various types of data and allow the data to inform and guide for school-wide improvement.
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Actively engage the community (parents, families) through building relationships that support and create shared responsibility for improved student performance and development. Professional Learning Communities, through a culture of collaboration, shared vision, values, and goals, exist to advance the mission of leading students to achieve educational goals.
“No institution can survive if it needs geniuses or supermen to manage it. It must be organized to get along under a leadership of average human beings.”
Peter Drucker
Bibliography
Connelly, G. (2008). Leading Learning Communities: Standards for what Principals should know and be able to do. NAESP
DuFour, R. (2004). What is a “Professional Learning Community”? ASCD, 61(8), 6 – 11.
Marzano, R. (2003). What works in schools: Transitioning research into action. Alexandria, VA: ASCD
MISSION: STRENGTHENING ADVENTIST EDUCATION ONE LEADER AT A TIME
