PLC'S: TEACHERS, SCHOOLS, & CULTURES
Teaching Methods
PLC's Teachers, Schools, & Cultures
PLC's: Teachers, Schools, & Cultures
The PLC story that I choose for this paper is "Winning Streaks" by the principal of Washington Elementary School in Vancouver, WA. I chose this story because I appreciated the gradual change and progress that this school saw. Some of the most valuable excerpts of this story had to do with the struggles and the dedication of the teachers and staff at the school. For them, changing over to a PLC system was easy in theory and arduous in practice, yet they persisted through the change and came out, as the principal says, winning. It is also valuable that the teachers and staff saw value in the assessments, but did more than just obey and implement them blindly. They truly deconstructed the assessments from the perspective of the students as well as from the perspective of educators. They used the data from the assessments and it was not the only data in which they placed value. They additionally recorded anecdotal data from the teachers about their emotions and other affects from the change to a PLC system or philosophy regarding education...
This is truly important because in a country such as the United States where state and federal funding for education has seen horrific and drastic cuts, as well as increased contingencies of funding based on test scores, many educators focus only on numbers. For many professionals in education, the tests scores are the most important pieces of information and that take top priority in their minds, especially while they are teaching. Washington Elementary sees success in increased test scores. Washington Elementary sees success in the improvement in communication and understanding among teachers, staff, and students. The principal cites examples of teachers who experienced profound epiphanies and insights into education, themselves, and the needs of their students. PLC truly altered their perspective on education and relationships in the field.
There is always consistent pressure upon teachers for measurable achievement. Teaching is not an easy profession for numerous reasons and it is one…
