Being a new teacher can be scary (and this was before a pandemic!). New teachers are struggling with everything from lesson planning to creating classroom management systems. One of the most important things for all teachers to remember is this: you cannot do it alone! Finding a support system (or three) can increase your ability to be successful not only in the teaching world, but also in your personal life.
Let's face it: only another teacher can truly understand the stress and anxiety that can accompany your profession. Finding a support system within your teaching world allows you to vent, gather data, and elicit suggestions from professionals who know. This is why PLCs or Professional Learning Communities have been organized throughout your schools.
The ins and outs of PLCs: The Tucson Unified School District implements and supports Professional Learning Communities within each school and each subject and grade level. The PLCs are meant to support the growth and common goals of teachers throughout the district.
Below, TUSD has outlined the Six Essential Characteristics of a PLC:
1. Shared mission, vision, values, goals: Educators in a PLC benefit from clarity regarding their shared purpose, a common understanding of the school they are trying to create, collective communities to help move the school in the desired direction, and specific, measurable, attainable, results‐oriented, and time‐ bound (SMART) goals to mark their progress.
2. Collaborative teams focused on learning: In a PLC, educators work together interdependently in collaborative teams to achieve common goals for which they are mutually accountable. The structure of the school is aligned to ensure teams are provided the time and support essential to adult learning.
3. Collective inquiry Teams: In a PLC relentlessly question the status quo, seek new methods of teaching and learning, test the methods, and then reflect on the results. Building shared knowledge of both current reality and best practice is an essential part of each team’s decision‐making process.
4. Action orientation and experimentation: Members of a PLC constantly turn their learning and insights into action. They recognize the importance of engagement and experience in learning and in testing new ideas. They learn by doing.
5. Commitment to continuous improvement: Not content with the status quo, members of a PLC constantly seek better ways to achieve mutual goals and accomplish their fundamental purpose of learning for all. All teams engage in an ongoing cycle of inquiry-driven action.
6. Results orientation: Educators in a PLC assess their efforts on the basis of tangible results. They are hungry for evidence of student learning and use that evidence to inform and improve their practice. “The success of the PLC concept depends not on the merits of the concept itself, but on the most important element in the improvement of any school—the commitment and persistence of the educators within it.” —Richard DuFour
In addition to the 6 Essential Characteristics of a PLC, Richard DuFour also outlines the 3 Big Ideas of a PLC. These can answer the "Why do we have PLCs?" Question:
1. Embrace Learning for All
We embrace as our fundamental purpose the learning at high levels of every student in Tucson Unified. We further champion the idea that we ourselves are also learners. Therefore, we are willing to examine our teaching practices, policies, programs, and everything we do in our school and district through this lens: Does this impact learning for each and every student in a positive way?
2. Build a Culture of Collaboration
We take collective responsibility for the success of all of the students in Tucson Unified. We can achieve our fundamental purpose of high levels of learning for all students only if we work together. Therefore, we cultivate a collaborative culture through the development and support of high performing teams.
3. Focus on Results
We assess our effectiveness in achieving high levels of learning for all students in Tucson Unified on the basis of results rather than intentions. We use results to drive our efforts, to let us know whether our actions make a positive difference in the learning of each and every student. We are results-driven and evidence-based practitioners using outcomes to inform and improve our professional practice and to respond to the needs of all of our students for assistance or enrichment.
