Activities

The following activities are designed to help school teams take a closer look at some of the necessary conditions that need to be in place before a PLC can be successfully implemented and sustained.

The Venn Diagram activity helps schools identify the differences between a PLC that is forced on staff and a PLC that evolves through a more natural process.

The Time Bandit and Time to Meet activities help schools review time that is currently used in a school and challenges them to see if they can reprioritize activities to “capture” additional time.

Schmoker Quote is reflective activity looking at professionalism, traditions, and institutional practice.

The Developing Team Norms and Team Norms activities focus on team norms.

The Research activity provides a template for teams to identify necessary conditions and barriers related to implementing PLCs. It also helps team organize possible solutions for each identified area.

Rubrics

The tools below are designed to help teams reflect on their journey towards implementing and sustaining professional learning communities.

The Necessary Conditions rubric looks at a team’s abilities and willingness to genuinely participate and contribute to their school’s PLC.

The Essential Questions prompt teams to have courageous conversations about themselves, their beliefs about learning, and the culture of their school as it relates to participating in authentic PLCs.

Finally, the Checklist serves as a good reminder of what needs to be in place in schools in order to implement and sustain effective PLCs.