Collaborative work in schools is often measured by structures: scheduled PLC meetings, common planning time, walkthroughs, data reviews, and team agendas. But simply placing educators in these “meetings” does not automatically produce collaboration. Teams can meet regularly and still leave with very different understandings of what they are trying to accomplish. Recently, I encountered Rod […]

A recent article, “The schools where even young children change classes,” posted by the Hechinger Report had me go back and revisit a blog I wrote over 15 years ago that explored the same topic. My blog, “Platooning,” explored an article from Harvard Education Letter that described: “Platooning (or departmentalization) as nothing new. It’s what […]

What are the compelling “whys” for teachers to invest their time and vulnerability in professional learning communities?  How do professional learning communities differ from professional working communities? When are teachers meeting as a franchise vs meeting as a team with shared accountability? Shared goals and accountability for success are keys to effective PLCs. Read “Professional […]