Professional Learning Communities: An Implementation Guide and Toolkit

Citation

Sonje Berg, J. (2009), "Professional Learning Communities: An Implementation Guide and Toolkit", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 47 No. 4, pp. 523-526. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230910967491

We were all there at one time, our first year teaching. With myriad emotions on a daily basis: excitement, nervousness, stress, confusion. I remember as a first year teacher often feeling happy that I was staying “one day ahead of my students.” As time passed, I became more comfortable within the confines of my classroom; I felt more innovative and creative; my lessons were progressive and adapted to fit the needs of my students. While those are all healthy positive ways to approach teaching, they are often times, and by many of us, done in solitude. Creative lesson planning, innovative management techniques, new and improved subject matter dissemination are found on a regular basis throughout our classrooms. But how many times are they done in collaboration with other teachers? How often are those great lessons planned in a group so that more students benefit from the collective minds of those who care the most about them? As an education system, are we collectively progressing toward innovation, or are we simply trying to stay one step ahead of our developing students?

As generations change, so does the need to adapt and alter the approach to teaching. Teachers as educators, isolated to their practice on individual islands, have been replaced by the notion that we can better educate our future generations by opening up our classrooms and tearing down the barriers that hinder collaboration. Just like how the art of teaching is moving away from the lecture style to a more workshop‐based approach, teachers working in communities rather than in isolation are becoming the more desired structure. Building teams rather than working in solitude is not a new concept, but one that has taken hold recently in the form of professional learning communities (PLCs). Arguably made famous in the late 1990s by Robert Dufour, PLCs have become staple organizations in most of our current schools. But while many schools sincerely try to develop PLC's, many do not have a framework or guide to implementation. Those roadblocks are the purpose behind Kathleen Foord and Jean Haar's book Professional Leaning Communities: An Implementation Guide and Toolkit. They approach PLCs from an implementation standpoint, helping to guide not only teachers and teacher leaders, but also principals and superintendents through the challenge of creating lasting PLCs in their schools. The book is designed to give educators the proper foundation and structure to not only implement PLCs, but also sustain efficient and effective groups of educators.

There is no argument that structure is essential when building any team, however often times the structure of a PLC is the main focus, and often times we see PLCs fail because of this (p. 6). The most common trap administrators fall into is strictly focusing on the structure of the PLC, and relying on the (p. 7) “whatever it takes” mentality of the teacher to push through and commit to PLCs, regardless of whether or not the structure is meaningful to the students or to their own development as an educator. The commitment of the teachers and administrators (p. 7) “should not be on the mission or student achievement results, but rather to a process that permits professionals to learn with one another so that they are able to address the changing needs of all learners in the education system”. Ultimately, those changing needs are the purpose for the PLC model, however in order to make PLCs an effective and efficient use of teacher planning time, teachers need to be (p. 9) “professionals not technicians, act and learn as adults not as children, have positive interdependence between each other and not be dependent on school administrators, and view themselves as part of a successful learning organization not just learning individuals”. As educators, we have to (p. 9) “stop going through the motions” of developing PLCs, and actually create the conditions in our schools to where they can be successful. Therein lies the dilemma, and the inherent problem with trying to build PLCs. As a structure focused profession, how do you successfully develop PLCs without getting bogged down in a structure centric modality?

According to Foord and Haar, it all depends on the buy in of those involved on the front lines of education … the teachers. It seems like common sense, but we all have been in situations in our schools where “new” structures or programs are thrust on us without first completely understanding the problem, nor without that problem being put in its proper context. An even greater problem is the fact that PLCs are often implemented in schools without first implementing proper environments for adult learning. Without proper adult learning environments, teachers will be reluctant to commit to the key structures needed to make PLCs work. In addition, changes in teacher practices and beliefs, creating the proper conditions in the school, and promoting effective relationships, are all essential areas of focus that teacher leaders, school administrators, and superintendents need for successful implementation of PLCs. But the success or failure of PLCs does not rely strictly on the shoulders of the teachers; an essential aspect of PLC building also relies on strong leadership. A lack of strong leadership will have a detrimental effect on PLC development, and throughout the last part of chapter two, Foord and Haar detail five dimensions of leadership geared toward the teacher leaders and administrators that are crucial for the development of PLCs.

The subsequent chapters (3‐7) help guide teachers, teacher leaders, principals, and administrators through the quadrants in the change‐cycle model: learn, plan, and apply techniques, then reflect, evaluate, and collaborate with staff. Foord and Haar also create a series of innovation maps that are designed to help educators implement PLCs in their schools or districts. They believe the (p. 44) “role of leaders is to provide a focused environment that facilitates effective change”. In order for that to occur, certain processes need to be in place. The authors further assert that (p. 44) “innovation maps provide the processes needed to analyze and evaluate implementation, continuous improvement, and sustainability”. When all is said and done, the sustainability of a PLC is what really generates lasting improvements across a school. It is the development of the teachers as a whole, rather than individual units, which take a school from failing to prosperous or from good to great.

In addition to being a roadmap for effective PLC implementation, Professioanl Learning Communities is rich in research and creativity. One of the most interesting facets of Foord and Haar's research was done on the collective efficacy of teachers. When controlling for other factors such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status, researchers found that collective efficacy beliefs have stronger effects on student achievement than student race or socioeconomic status. The authors reiterate that (p. 37) “When we systematically develop the awareness of our teachers about their collective capabilities, the increase in their collective efficacy will have a strong impact on student achievement”. Too often we find our schools operating in various stovepipes. We see teachers and administrators working hard, but working hard alone, often struggling or neglecting to build the bridges necessary to bring all members together. The collective power of the whole is much stronger than the strength of the individuals.

All in all, Foord and Haar do an excellent job of creating a very useable guide and toolkit to help educators at all levels build professional learning communities. The struggle will come as school leaders read this and internalize the research, try to make change in their schools, only to find that the rest of the staff is not on the same wavelength as they are. Before an eager leader tries to implement PLCs via Foord and Haars suggestions, he or she will need to develop a meaningful way to disseminate the information. This book can be used as a professional development tool to be best implemented as a series of workshops designed to slowly build PLCs and incorporate each facet piece by piece until the environment at the school site is right for full implementation. The concepts, strategies, structures, and tools need to be broken up and delivered chapter by chapter on a school‐wide basis with the purpose of garnering support and cohesion for the task at hand. Feedback from teachers after each step in the process and ensuring understanding is imperative to the success of implementation. More importantly is the breakup of the island mentality toward a more collaborative mindset. As the authors indicate (p.182), “Improved collaboration between teachers and leaders through effective PLCs leads to four important results: improved student achievement regardless of demographics, increased teacher proficiency in using research‐based practices, increased student sense of belonging and efficacy, and increased sense of belonging and efficacy for teachers and leaders”. But while the road to collaboration is often times difficult and complex, it is that same road less traveled that makes all the difference in the lives of those we affect most: our students.