Roosevelt Elementary School (Wauwatosa, WI)

December 7, 2009

Submitted by Elizabeth Schmid, Roosevelt Elementary School (Wauwatosa, WI)

Elizabeth Schmid, a kindergarten teacher, shared the following reflection about working in a PLC. Her insights capture the powerful sense of self-efficacy that teachers feel when the experience the benefits of the PLC process.

“So, I figured out why PLC is so great and how’s it’s changes my teaching – profoundly (this came to me in the car as I was drinking my coffee this morning…):

I used to be in the habit of assessing my students 3 times a year – for report cards.  It was quality assessment, but when it was over, I was always relieved and excited about getting back to teaching.  It wasn’t very formative – except for the strikingly low kids – then I lit the fire and intervened.

With our new “continuous learning-target approach” , I never stop assessing, so I am never far from the inside of their minds.  I have never before, academically speaking, known my students so well.  The flexible intervention groups that naturally come from these assessments make the entire process totally manageable.  I feel like I finally have the reins (of leading these students well) securely in my hands.  I’ve never felt this before in my teaching career.  Thank you for bringing PLC to Roosevelt. !!!!”