5 Tenets for Building Effective Professional Learning Communities

Professional Learning Communities hold tight to certain tenets. This powerpoint addresses and details these elements. Whether you are considering PLCs, just beginning PLCs, or have been involved for multiple years, this powerpoint will serve as a great focus for reflection, discussion and decision making to move your PLCs to greater depths. It would make a great back to school presentation.

The powerpoint highlights five critical tenets of PLC work: 1) PLCs are decision making teams – action oriented & job-embedded. 2) PLCs are goal-driven – operating from a clear sense of purpose. 3) PLCs are focused – narrowing the work to what matters most. 4) PLCs put teachers together based on like-work until they are tightly knit, trusting & collaborative learning communities. 5) PLCs define, instruct toward, monitor and display student successes.

With each of the 5 tenets are markers of must haves to ensure depth and effectiveness of this tenet. For example, the second tenet regarding goals lists the following tasks for being goal-driven: develop three types of PLC goals: annual PLC school goals, annual PLC goals and goals of a 4-8 week PLC cycle, build ‘Can Do’ statements around standards, create common assessments, build rubrics of learning progressions, measure and assess targets – examine student work exemplars for each level of proficiency, and revise practices as an outcome of student results.

Further, thoughtful quotes precede each of the 5 tenets and draw in the participant. For example, with the third tenet - PLCs are focused – narrowing the work to what matters most - comes the saying, “Be like a postage stamp – stick to one thing until you get there (Josh Billings)."

The power point is 34 slides in length.