we're meeting...now what?
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TRANSCRIPT
We’re Meeting…Now What?A Look Inside a Learning Team
Bill FerriterSolution Tree AuthorDigital Learning ConsultantPLC AssociateFull-time Classroom Teacher.
Session Website:http://digitallyspeaking.pbworks.com/Now-What
Checking In:
Working with the participants at your table, share what brings you to this particular session. What individual experiences or
expertise do you bring to the conversation?
What are you hoping to walk away having learned?
Because of the inherent difficulty of working with others, and because most
teachers are used to working independently, when professional learning
teams are put together and members suddenly asked to work in cooperation—
to make collaborative decisions about what will happen in their classrooms—
many teachers experience considerable frustration.
(Graham & Ferriter, 2010, p. 70)
Activity: Carousel Brainstorming
In the center of your table, you’ll find an index card with a number written on it. That number corresponds to one of the
stories hanging on the outside walls of this meeting room. Please move with the other
participants at your table to this story. Spend 5-7 minutes silently reading the
story when you get there.
Activity: Carousel Brainstorming
After reading, work with your partners to answer the following questions:
•Story One: From the evidence that you can gather in this story, what is this
learning team doing well? What kinds of professional learning team behaviors
have they mastered? What are they most likely to be ready to tackle next?
Activity: Carousel Brainstorming
After reading, work with your partners to answer the following questions:
•Story Two: From the evidence that you can gather in this story, what is this
particular learning team struggling with? What challenges might they face in the
future? How do you know?
Activity: Carousel Brainstorming
After reading, work with your partners to answer the following questions:
•Story Three: How would teachers in this stage of development likely feel towards
professional learning communities?
Activity: Carousel Brainstorming
After reading, work with your partners to answer the following questions:
Story Four: What kinds of skills does this team need to develop in order to take
their work further? If you were in charge of supporting this learning team, what
would your next steps be?
Activity: Carousel Brainstorming
After reading, work with your partners to answer the following questions:
Story Five: Make a prediction about what will happen next to this particular learning team. Explain the factors that will cause
your prediction to come true.
Activity: Carousel Brainstorming
After reading, work with your partners to answer the following questions:
Story Six: Create a metaphor or a graphic image that represents the learning team
in your narrative story OR that represents the kinds of support that this team needs
to move forward together.
Filling the Time
"What are we supposed to do?"
Rambling meetings
High Frustration
Simple and scattered activities.
Filling the Time
Set clear work expectations.
Provide sample agendas to define team's work.
Assign specific roles to members.
Sharing Personal Practices
Teamwork = Sharing
Standardization of instruction.
Less experienced colleagues benefit.
Delegation of planning.
Sharing Personal Practices
Require consensus around curriculum and assessment.
“Push beyond planning.”
Require shared mini lessons.
Structure efforts to use student learning data in planning.
Common Assessments
"What does mastery look like?"
Emotional conversations about quality instruction and the importance of
individual objectives.
Pedagogical controversy.
Common Assessments
Training in conflict management.
Moderate early conversations.
Training in developing effective assessments.
Library of sample assessments.
Analyzing Student Learning
Shift from teaching to learning.
Teachers publicly face learning results.
Teachers can be defensive and can grow competitive.
Analyzing Student Learning
Provide tools for data analysis.
Repurpose positions/ Hire data experts.
Separate person from practice.
Model.
Differentiating Follow Up
Teachers respond instructionally to data.
Teams take collective action rather than respond as individuals.
Principals serve as collaborative partners.
Differentiating Follow Up
Demonstrate flexibility as teams identify and then pursue novel approaches.
Identify relevant professional development opportunities.
Redesign positions to focus additional human resources on struggling students.
Reflecting on Instruction
"What practices work with our students?"
Learning connected to teaching.
Deep reflection on instruction.
Action research.
Reflecting on Instruction
Create opportunities for teachers to observe each other.
Carefully monitoring every imitative.
Celebrate and publicize findings of team studies.
Task for School Leaders
Consider three different professional learning teams in your building. Identify the stage of development that they are
most likely in.
What does each team do well? What mistakes do they make? How can you best
support their development?
Task for Classroom Teachers
Consider your professional learning team. Identify the stage of development that you
are most likely in.
What does your team do well? What mistakes do YOU make? What support do
YOU need to move forward?
Bill FerriterThe Tempered Radicalhttp://snipurl.com/temperedradical
Twitter Username: @plugusinDelicious Username: plugmeinEmail: [email protected]
Bill Ferriter has about a dozen titles—Solution Tree PLC author and Associate, ASCD Columnist, Senior Fellow, the Teacher Leaders Network—but he checks them all at the door each morning when he walks into his sixth grade classroom!