Blog
The Forest or the Trees: Navigating Substantial Cultural Change at the School Site
In my career, I have found that some people are “big picture” people and others are not. Helping a large staff navigate the big picture of a PLC can be a daunting task, but . . . Read more
Should We Be Worried About Rigor?
As schools across the country are digging more deeply into the work of the Common Core, teachers are beginning to understand why people are calling the standards more rigorous. Many teachers have . . . Read more
Listening: The Forgotten Skill Necessary for Effective Collaboration
Margaret Wheatley (2002) states, “I believe we can change the world if we start listening to one another again. Simple, honest, human conversation. Not mediation, negotiation, problem . . . Read more
Building Team Efficacy
For 10 years, I have had the pleasure of working with collaborative teams of teachers who are in the beginning stages of their PLC journey. Over that period of time, I have had the opportunity to . . . Read more
The Next Generation Assessments: How Will They Change Assessment Practices?
Collaborative teams of teachers across the country are engaged in a process to deeply understand the new standards. They are unwrapping, prioritizing, and determining the depth of knowledge . . . Read more
Making the Shift From Teaching to Learning
High-functioning professional learning communities are challenging to accomplish and take dedication from all members of the school community. For staff to effectively collaborate, several things . . . Read more
PLC Teams Discussing the Common Core
A number of collaborative teams in PLC schools across the country are waging quality conversations as they begin to feel the implications and mandates of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) on . . . Read more
Focusing on What Matters
I currently serve as director of secondary curriculum for Papillion-La Vista Public Schools. About eight years ago, the district began to learn about and ultimately implement professional learning . . . Read more
In Hot Pursuit of the Wrong Question
I received a question from a school that was contemplating a change in its grading scale from 60 percent to 70 percent in order for students to earn a passing grade. The school asked for my opinion . . . Read more
How Is Time Spent During Your Team Meetings?
It was many years ago, and my elementary school was very large, over 2,000 students. There were 12 of us teaching third grade. We thought our survival depended on us working together. We met weekly . . . Read more
Are We Educational Hoarders?
In this age of reality shows, many people’s lives become transparent to the world. One of those shows is "Hoarders." This is a show in which a person’s gathering and keeping . . . Read more
Operationalizing the Big Picture: The Liberal High School PLC Journey
As we sat in the Cockrell Theater in San Antonio, Texas, last June at the PLC at Work Institute, our three-member-team was a little stunned as Rebecca DuFour clarified what a PLC is and what it is not... Read more
What Teachers Need, Part 2
Teachers need to work in collaborative teams with their colleagues. Yet, traditionally teachers have worked in isolation. Never before in the history of American public education have teachers been asked—in fact, directed—to ensure higher learning... Read more
Experimentation Within a Professional Learning Community
One of the professional learning community’s critical questions is, “What do we do if the kids don’t know it?” The answer is the pyramid of interventions. The first and . . . Read more
It’s Not Pixie Dust, It’s Protocol
This article originally appeared in the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association bimonthly newsletter, TEPSA News, and is posted here with their permission. It’s Not Pixie . . . Read more