Blog
Opening Doors Leads to Greater Learning
This past month I have been working with collaborative teams to answer the second question of a professional learning community, “How will we know when they have learned the content?” (DuFour, Eacker, & DuFour, 2008). The teachers are analyzing more than how many students got the correct answer on a common assessment; they are focused on students’ depth of understanding of the content. Teams are analyzing student thinking and the habits of mind aligned to the essential learning standards. These often come from the process standards in content areas that describe the habits of mind teachers must develop in their students (e.g., ELA Capacities, Mathematical Practices, and Science Practices). (CCSS0, 2010 & NGSS, 2013). Read more
Four Ways to Stop Ignoring the Forgotten Fourth Critical Question of a PLC
One of the first pieces of common vocabulary educators acquire when learning about Professional Learning Communities are the four critical questions. These questions serve as both a big picture . . . Read more
What a Gift!
Becky’s Recent Experience While sitting in a small open waiting area of a local salon one evening in early January, two young women engrossed in conversation came in and sat beside me. As . . . Read more
GPS: Destination Known
Last month, our family decided to take a trip to New York City for a three-day visit. Needless to say, we did not have all the time needed to explore everything the city had to offer, so we had to . . . Read more
Success Looks Different in a PLC
Josslyn arrived as a new student in our second grade, ready to learn, and sporting a pink streak in her dark brown hair. The file showed her previous school had given her extra support as she . . . Read more
High Levels of Learning for All
Invent a low-cost incubator to reduce infant mortality in India, create a documentary about starring in a West End production, or design and market a product that will revolutionize . . . Read more
Why Teach?
In the play, Becket, a young man asks the title character for advice regarding the career he should pursue. When Becket suggests teaching, the young man dismisses the idea with the question, . . . Read more
Turning Vision Into Action
I met with all of the grades 6-12 mathematics teachers in Elk Grove Unified (CA) this morning, while on my way to Grand Rapids to meet up with some great folks in Michigan. Read more
Using PLC Organization to Align CCSS, Instructional Frameworks, and Teacher Evaluation
Recently, a frustrated teacher sat with me and shared her overwhelming feelings of inadequacy. Her school district had recently adopted an instructional framework for teaching and modified the . . . Read more
Clarifying the Shifts in 21st Century Learning
It seems like everyone is talking about 21st century learning, but clarity on the distinctions between education in the past and education in the present is often muddled. Many people are also annoyed by the description of 21st century learning since… Read more
Moving at the Speed of Life!! Avoiding the "Because I Can" Syndrome in 2013-2014!
The 2013-2104 school year is about to begin! For some of you, it has already started. Don’t you just love the energy, the passion, and the hope of the new school year? Yet soon enough, you . . . Read more
Don’t Forget the Most Important People in a PLC
The teacher sitting in front of me at a recent workshop looked crestfallen! I empathized with her right away because I had felt her pain when I was teaching elementary students. I knew exactly what . . . Read more
Disruptive Innovation and PLCs
A couple of years ago I read the book Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns (2010) by Christensen, Horn, and Johnson. It was an interesting read that . . . Read more
Q&A on Guided Reading in a PLC
The following is a Q&A email correspondence between Susan Huff, PLC at Work™ associate and principal in Spanish Fork, Utah, and Cynthia Watkins, a third-grade teacher in Asheville, North Carolina... Read more
Thriving Inside the Creative Tension
Today, a tension exists in professional learning communities that are striving to do what’s best for students and learning: teachers feel caught between the desire to do more with formative . . . Read more