Example Practices for Professional Learning Communities

Professional Learning Communities are established on practices that require more than a five minute meeting between two teachers telling each other about what they each did in class that day. Now that we have learned what PLCs are, it is important to understand practices that best create an environment of professional collaboration. Some example practices PLC members use to create this environment include:

1. Verbally sharing visioning and planning, as well as critical examination of what does and doesn't work to enhance student learning  (this could be self-examination or peer evaluation but a mixture of both would be most effective).
2. Emphasizing teacher leadership, involvement, and commitment since they are the "last line of defense", meaning that after participating in PLCs, teachers are the ones that ultimately choose what and how to enhance student achievement in the classroom.
3. Establishing a set of shared vision/expectations for all members.
4.  Matching tasks and roles to staff members who are interested and invested in them.
5. Trying to make all members of the school community feel involved- not limiting PLCs to just teachers.

Provini, C. (2012). Best Practices for Professional Learning Communities. [online] Education World. Available at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/best-practices-for-professional-learning-communities.shtml [Accessed 18 Sep. 2017].