Blog
Put Your Money Where Your Maxim Is: “Investing” in PLCs at the District Level
Dictionary.com defines maxim as “a general truth or principle” or “a rule of conduct.” A few years ago when I was a high school principal leading the implementation of a PLC . . . Read more
One Teacher Leader's PLC Journey
Note: This blog post has been adapted from an email that Joshua Curnett sent to the staff at his PLC. It's February, the time of year when I cannot remember my name. It's (picture me . . . Read more
What Does It Mean to Be a Viking?
Dave Wedlock's "What Does It Mean to Be a Viking? Collaboration and the Commitment to Continous Improvement as Core Values" is reposted here with permission from the author. In a . . . Read more
Advocating for the PLC Concept
Occasionally, I have found myself in the position of being asked to defend the PLC concept. My initial impulse has often been to reference relevant research findings or point to schools and school . . . Read more
Collaborative Teams, the Common Core, and the Aflac Duck
“My teacher collaborative teams don’t need to spend time taking apart standards. Our district does that work, and breaks it down so every teacher in every content area knows exactly . . . Read more
PLCs and HIP HOP
Have you ever heard the reason for lackluster performance at a school is because the clientele has changed? This is a phrase, a reason, an excuse that is increasingly used by educators or the educational system to explain… Read more
Who Is Steering Your School’s Bus?
In Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work™, the authors comment on common mistakes made in attempting to build consensus around a new vision of learning: “It is a . . . Read more
Modeling Reflective Leadership in Your PLC
As a leader of learners, do you ever wonder if you are providing the leadership your staff wants? You have dedicated time to address the culture in your PLC and established clarity on expectations of staff and students... Read more
When It Comes to Change, Are You a Committed Sardine?
When schools and districts transition from teachers working in isolation to working in cultures of collaboration, one of the most frequently asked questions is, “What do we do if every . . . Read more
PLC Team Efficacy: If We Think We Can, Can We?
You’ve probably heard the saying, “If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you can’t. You’re always right!” (Not sure who originated that saying, but mothers everywhere seem to have adopted it!)... Read more
Creating Buy-In for PLCs
It is not unusual to have persons excited about the professional learning community concept but express concern that others will not “buy-in.” Educators not buying into research-based . . . Read more
Classroom Observation Drives Instructional Practices
Moving instructional practices forward at a school site can be a daunting task. Ask any principal, team leader, or department chair how easy it is to motivate colleagues to row in the same . . . Read more
PLC Speakers Video Playlist
Here’s a great new resource for PLC admins and teachers: a playlist of speakers discussing the various aspects of PLCs. You can scroll through the videos below, or visit the playlist page on . . . Read more
New Article: Teacher Collaboration Can’t Be Voluntary
In a new article, "Work Together: But Only if You Want To," published in the February issue of Phi Delta Kappan, Rick DuFour argues that collaboration among educators cannot be a . . . Read more
Stop Sliding Away...
You know the feeling. You have created the structures for collaboration in your school. You have provided teams with the time and tools to collaborate, defined the work, and checked for consensus . . . Read more