Why PLCs are important?

As part of my masters class at Walden, we got into a discussion on Professional Learning Communities or PLCs. As this has become an extension of my PLC, I thought it was the perfect time to reflect on their importance. The following is my discussion from the class:

When I was in my student teaching, I was working with a teacher who was very straight forward when it came to English. When I first met him, he introduced me to the other teachers in the department and said of one of them “This is Debbie. If you want to do touchy, feely, emotion Language Arts stuff, you better talk to her. I don’t do that kind of stuff.” Don’t get me wrong, I think the world of my mentor even to this day, but that was the extent of our professional learning community. We were a team of two and if there was anything else I needed it was down the hall and I would have to seek it out myself. 

As DuFour (2004) states, “Despite compelling evidence indicating that working collaboratively represents best practice … the staff's willingness to collaborate often stops at the classroom door” (pg. 3). My first experiences in the classroom were reflective of this mentality. What happened in your classroom was your business and did not pertain to your peers next door as long as they covered what needed to be covered. When I got my first teaching job, however, I was greeted with what Wilson (2005) refers to as the “village mentality.” No longer were my students just English 10 students. They were social studies, math, music, and art students as well. They were former English 9 students who were bound for English 11. What happened in my classroom touched each of their subjects and if the “village” did not come together, how were we expected to raise an effective student. When Wilson (2005) says “The synchronization of adults and youth is key to young people’s involvement at any level. If adults fail to affirm the significance of youth by providing access, support, and safe opportunities for honest participation, they miss the chance to be part of a ‘joint rhythm’ and youth contributions will be no more than an appearance” (pg. 98). This is where PLCs become important.

I have been lucky in my current school to have common collaborative time with my entire department. As a result, we meet once a week as 10^th grade teachers, once a week as 12^th grade teachers, once a week with my mentor, and once a week as a department. We are lucky enough that this planning time is in addition to our personal planning period. Through this PLC, we have grown leaps and bounds. We are able to develop comment assessments and look at the data. If my students don’t do as well as Teacher A, Teacher A and I can look at how she approached teaching it and I can reflect and adjust accordingly. These periods also allow time for me to work with my department regarding district wide initiatives. As Niesz (2007) argues, these moments are both rewarding and beneficial to all involved because they allow for fluency of instruction.

My district also has a first year teacher program that brings teachers who are new to the district together once a month to discuss common issues to those new to the district and new to teaching. This mentor based program also allows for the new teachers to meet alone to share experiences they may be too embarrassed to discuss with a more experienced faculty member for fear of sounding wrong. These discussions have made me feel like I am not alone in the occasional question or concern. This personal interaction has been an important one.

The best thing about blogging has been that connection to PLCs outside of my school. My blog (www.mrwagnersbigquestion.blogspot.com) has been a way to express and share my ideas as an educator with people that I may never have had the chance to interact with. In fact, I’ll be sharing this discussion post on my blog as well under the question, “Why are PLCs important?” Through feedback from peers both at my school and in other states, I can create a PLC that doesn’t have boundaries, perhaps one of the most valuable things in the world. Having these connections allows me to learn from others, even if we may be worlds apart. I hope to continue the blog as a way of both self-reflecting and connecting with others.

PLCs are able to do more than one person can accomplish. They bring together like minded and unlike minded people and ask them to work together. The interactions, questions and reflections are key to making a functioning educational community (DuFour, 2004).

References:

DuFour, R. (2004). Schools as learning communities. Educational Leadership, 61(8), 6–11. Retrieved

             from http://pdonline.ascd.org/pd_online/secondary_reading/el200405_dufour.html

Niesz, T. (2007). Why teacher networks (can) work. Phi Delta Kappan, 88, 605–610. Retrieved May 24,

             2007, from http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k_v88/k0704.htm

            Used by permission of Phi Delta Kappan and Tricia Niesz, PhD

Wilson, H. (2005). If it takes a village to raise a child, how many children does it take to raise a village?

             U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Retrieved from ttp://cydjournal.org/2005Fall/pdf/  

            Wilson_Article.pdf

What's in your room?

In order to best understand where my day is spent, you have to first understand where I work. Welcome to our room! G12. Where we laugh, we learn, and for 47 minutes a day, we call home.This week's question is:

What's in your room? 

Welcome to our classroom! It's chaotic. It's pieced together. But it's home. For 45 minutes a day, my students and I share this space to learn, become better readers and writers, and enjoy our time together. Welcome, to G12! Classrooms serve both as a functioning work space, but also a jumping off point. The best classrooms that I've been in have been the ones that look like people actually inhabit it. Trust me, this room is inhabited, as judged by our collection of things.

As much as I can, I try to fill my room with question starters, like this picture of Billie Holiday. The joys of Language Arts is that you can tie things in at the drop of the hat. The other day, one of my students asked who the lady in the corner was and like that, we were listening to Billie on YouTube, talking about my love for her voice, and examining how her songs reflected many of the same themes as the Nikki Giovanni poem we were reading that day. Unplanned but a refreshing tangent that wouldn't have happened without the poster.

One of things I do to try to make a bare room "our room" is try to leave as many reminders around the room that this space is their space too. I ask my seniors to bring in a baby picture the first week of class and I post them. Students like to spend stolen moments during class to glance up and take a guess who is who. As their senior pictures start rolling in, we attach them nearby so that we can see the changes. A bit lovey-dovey and mushy, yes. But it gives them ownership in the space.

Everyone has those days. The ones where you need a little boost. I am not a coffee drinker, so I keep my boosts right on my desk. My motivators are my sister, my colleagues, my former students, my family and a beautiful picture from the summer I spent in the rain forests of Costa Rica. On a rough day, they're my reminder of why I do what I do.

My clipboard is my saving grace. I'll discuss in a future blog about how reading in my classroom works, but on my clipboard, I can keep attendance, track reading progress, make notes regarding things to talk to students about, track turn ins, and check out books from my class library. I've developed shorthand for myself so that I can know at a glance exactly what happened on a certain day with  certain student. Makes record keeping less of a burden when it's with me at all times.

Couple things going on. Our district works on the daily targets model, so my front board it a quick place to check what we're accomplishing and make note of upcoming due dates. Just inside the door is The Bin. The Bin is a labeled way of getting handouts you missed or spilled cereal on eating breakfast (Moodle keeps kids updated on a daily basis what they've missed). It's also where we track books they've been reading/want to read. It's a bit of an all in one center. As you can also see, I am lucky enough to have a Smart Board. I'll write on technology in my classroom in another blog.

I think there is a by-law somewhere that all English classrooms must contain a podium or lectern. Mine came about from another hat I wore. I was technical director (set design/building/lighting/sound/props/etc) for Gahanna's high school theater program. While rummaging one day, we found this old podium and with a little Capital University purple and logo (Go Crusaders!) we turned into a rolling station for plans. It then became a way to pay homage to my graduating seniors as they signed and dated the podium after their last show. It meant a lot to me, so when I moved north, it came with me. Again, a great way to start a conversation and an even better way to hold a book.

Like every school building in the world, it was bland, it was white, it was in need of some color. The pennants are a stolen idea from my good friend Julie Zeldin. At the start of the new year, we each wrote out English resolutions for 2012. The resolutions face students and are a nice daily reminder that we all are working to improve. Plus... it makes the room look less like a bowl of oatmeal. The bright posters are part of the "new teacher inherits the posters policy," but they do help bring a little color to the room.

Every good super hero (ie: teacher) needs to be ready to swing into action at a moment's notice. My Captain W cape and mask (left over from a Super Hero dress up day for a spirit week) and my golden Caesar crown (left over from the English department's choice to dress like famous kings and queens of literature) make for good disguise. Especially when you have invading threats from the science department down the hallway. (Is it me, or are the science department members always trying to take over the world?)

You never know how you're going to connect with a student. I've found pictures are one of the great equalizers. I keep pictures of friends, families, my dog named Holden (yes... a literary reference... lit nerd and proud of it. That's him with my sister in the chicken costume in the middle), travels, sets I've built... anything that may start as an inroad to conversing with a student. It also makes you human. Students often forget that we are... GASP... humans with actual lives away from them. I know. The horror.

                                   

Welcome to what may look like a jumbled mess, but is actually the key to many of my successes this year. I know some of you who like your rooms neat and orderly are appalled by this, but to me it's reality. My book shelf at home takes much the same approach. Books aren't meant to be lined up and dusted, they're meant to be at a hands reach, tucked in tight where they may land, sometimes dog eared, sometimes with a little coffee stain in the corner... books are meant to be enjoyed and enjoying them means taking them into our real lives... which can get messy. I'm ok with that. This collection came from a project I'll talk about in a future blog regarding student choice.

At every chance I get I try to use my classroom as the family refrigerator. By that I mean, it becomes a place to display student work like your parents used to do when they posted that A on a math test for all the family to see. Whether it's propaganda posters for their favorite books, thin strips of poetic lines using black-out poetry of their horoscopes, or their self developed assessments for Fahrenheit 451, I try to keep their work at the front of the classroom so that we can celebrate how truly talented and successful they are.

I try to keep those who inspire me close. The "Work With Me People" sign came from one of the educators who motivated me to become a teacher. Barb Karol was my high school English 10 and 12 teacher and she was one of the ones who made me believe that I could be a teacher as well. She made being in class fun and exciting and brought to life my love for reading again. She is now retired, but I like having her close by when I'm teaching. The second sign is a present my Nana gave to my Aunt Judy when she first became a teacher. It is a copy of rules for teachers published in 1867. It includes such gems as the fact that female teachers who got married or were debaucherous were to leave the profession. My how time has changed. But it is a reminder both of my Nana and my aunt, but also that I am a member of a profession that has been around for centuries, a profession that should not be taken too lightly.

This is a modge podge of things students have given me, pictures, thank yous, birthday cards, new articles, illustrations of myself... they all are a fun reminder that we need to show each other that we appreciate each other. I don't tell my students how great they are nearly as much as I should, but I hope that this part of my room reflects that I appreciate them. Besides, who doesn't want a coloring book picture of a pre-Jurassic fish colored for them?

Any teacher who doesn't laugh, won't last. I am constantly laughing with my colleagues and these cards represent that. While their scale may not show it, they are poster board size and came from the physics teacher next door to me who I have an ongoing "feud" with. Their size and the fact that we take time to make each other cards is proof enough that laughter is key. Even on the toughest days, I still find time to laugh with those around me and that makes the difference

So that's our room in G12. It's pretty simple, but it's home. It's our space to share. A little colorful. A little chaotic. A little messy. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

The Power of Why

The proverbial “they” say that the best way to learn is to ask questions. Not to break my own arm patting myself on the back, but if that’s the case, then I’d have to say I was at Einstein level learning from an early age. My favorite response to anything was “Why?” Not the crossed arm tantrums pout why of a toddler, but more the wide eyed innocent just curious about the world type of why. Sure, it was annoying. I’m sure my mom and dad grew tired of explaining why feet smell, why people had to die, and why our family dog scooted across the carpet like that, but they always explained the world to me. It’s also no surprise that shortly after I could read I receive The Big Book of Questions as a gift so I could look up my own questions and let my parents enjoy their episode of The Cosby Show.

It’s no surprise then as an educator that I to this day remain a question asker. Sure, my colleagues and administrators I’m sure are as worn down as my parents were, but they too give me answers and ask even more in return. And sure, my students are probably tired of me asking their opinion on things, but they also find the power in the well phrased inquiry. So my first blog, I figured I’d start where all good lessons do: questions. Below are 5 of the more important questions I have been asked in my educational career.

1. Why aren’t you going to be a teacher?

To keep a long story short, I actually started college as a pre-med major. I knew I loved working with kids and I sort of liked science, so pediatrics seemed a logical step. I dissected my worms and cow hearts, worked through millions of organic chemistry problems and found myself in a volunteer position working with pediatric oncology at the local hospital. After a particularly grueling day where I had to watch a mother hold her son while he got sick after a round of medicine, I couldn’t do it. I had to walk away. Sitting on the porch of my dorm that night with a good friend, I explained how badly I wanted to change the life of kids, but how I was too empathetic to ignore their sickness. I was not strong enough to not take it personally when a kid failed. The daughter of a school teacher, she said her mother struggled with the same thing but more often than not saw the success of her hard work. And that’s when she turned to me and said… “You know, for someone who wants to help kids so badly, why haven’t you thought of teaching?” The rest, as “they” say, is history. (As to why I ended up in English and not science? Perhaps and other question for another blog.)

2. Why would you use that?

Once I got my first teaching gig, I jumped in with both feet. I helped advise several groups at the high school I was teaching at, including the Renaissance team. (Short plug… if your school doesn’t have a Renaissance program, go here http://www.jostens.com/educators/edu_svcs_cp_get_started.html. It’s one of the best things you’ll ever do at your school.) I co-advised with several other teachers and our principal, Dwight Carter. While trying to figure out a way to engage our student body more, I suggested we use Facebook. After a few moments of thought, he turned and gave me a polite, no. Being the new teacher I was, I foolishly continued to push the issue until he asked me “Why? What could it do?” Anyone who knows me knows I’m a bit of a tech junky (a novice for sure, but a techie all the same). I use technology daily in my classroom and daily life, so to me it made sense. We had used Facebook in college for organizing programming board meetings, advertising student government events, and engaging our student body in asking what they needed. So I was quick to whip up a PowerPoint (Isn’t it funny how even though this was 3 years ago, PowerPoint seems a bit… dated?) of my proposal. To his credit, he accepted and now the Renaissance Action Team uses Facebook for all promotional events, group reminders and group discussions. I am in no way taking credit for sparking a light in the incredible visionary and now very social media savvy @Dwight_Carter (who also now blogs at http://dwightcarter.edublogs.org/ and at http://glhsprincipalspage.blogspot.com/ ... And runs a school now named Best in Tech http://www.gahannaschools.org/NewsDetail.aspx?article=9863169 … See where I’m going here?) But like Dr. Frankenstein, I am both proud of my question and fearful of the monster I’ve created. (Much love, chief. It’s only because I can’t tease you to your face daily any more.) Technology will be a big part of my blog and this moment of questioning was the first time I needed to stop and think “Why?” and defend my stance. It was both healthy and helpful.

3. Why would you give a child a zero if you want them to learn?

This question came from one of my dearest friends and best educational minds I’ve ever worked with, Jeni Hawkins-Newman. We were talking about the idea of zeros and what they convey. (See Carter’s great post about it http://dwightcarter.edublogs.org/2011/06/27/no-zeros-until/) I was of the somewhat dated mentality that if a kid doesn’t turn something in, it’s a zero. Sure, I was more lenient than my peers regarding due dates and I could hound a kid for a paper like it was a life or death situation, but there were still zeros in my gradebook. That was until Jeni turned to me during the discussion and asked “What is your job as an educator?” Skeptical at best, I replied “To teach kids.” She smiled, knowing she had me where she wanted me and said “Right. So if a student gets a zero and never completes an assignment, how are they learning?” If you can’t tell from this quick antidote, Jeni is one of the few people who can get me to shut up and think. I am ever grateful for that.

4. Why are we reading this?

My seniors asked me this upon starting Macbeth a few weeks ago. To their defense, they had for the most part openly accepted the heaping spoonful of Brit Lit I had put on their plates. A grumble here and there, yes, but they obliged. But for some reason they dug their heels in hard. Seniors, for anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of working with these magnificent creatures, can be a stubborn tribe of people when they want to be. And this was their day. Despite my plea to give it a chance, (Witches! Murder! Lady Macbeth! Psychological breakdowns!) they still grumbled on like the cast of Grumpy Old Men. To best honest, I had the same question. So it wasn’t until a student asked me on Facebook (See the transition there? Carter was right to listen!) that I started to think why we teach the “classics.” The following is our conversation:

A: I kindly vote we stop reading Macbeth now.

Chris Wagner: Provide me with the reasoning for your thoughts please.

A: I have read 5 plays by him so far. Romeo and Juliet. Julius Caesar. Othello. As You Like It. and A Midsummer Night's Dream. I clearly understand that he was a revolutionary writer. I understand the significance of his writing style. But Macbeth just bores me. I don't think anything has been significantly interesting yet. And another beef I have is why do we spend all this time reading his work when we are obviously just doing to do appreciate his significance in the literary world. Otherwise, you wouldn't give the story away before we even read it. But I'm saying that there are SO many new books that bring new, deep literary ideas to the table. Why be stuck in the past so much. Why are there no "Classics" from 1990-onward? Did classics just dead stop with The Catcher In The Rye? I Guess I just hate being stuck in the past when there is so much good in the future. Book wise.

Chris Wagner: This is why I appreciate your presence in my class, A. I mean that. I like students that ask these kinds of questions and can give support other than to say "It's boring" or "I don't understand it." I guess I see it this way, just because you enjoyed Fight Club didn't mean that you just assumed all Palahniuk novels were the same. Like each of his books, each play has a different strength. His topics are universal. Macbeth in particular helps us get insight into the powers of suggestion and the depths to which we explore doing what we want vs. doing what we know is right. Lady Macbeth is perhaps one of the strongest female characters of his time. She's very Palahniuk to be honest... she breaks the mold and does as she wishes and let's nothing get in her way. Perhaps I am not conveying that in class. As for "ruining" the story, it's actually how his stories are meant to be understood. Shakespeare's audience would have known the story of Macbeth, including his downfall. It's why he lets us know that *spoiler alert* Romeo and Juliet

Chris Wagner: That being said, I 100% agree about the modern novel. (I'd say 140% but Hoslar I'm sure would tell me that's not a possible number.) That's why I've been such an advocate for doing 50/50 with choice and classics. It's fairly radical. It's also something I've been arguing since I sat in my high school English program. I HATED my teacher for ruining The Scarlet Letter by overemphasizing symbolisms. I just wanted the text to be as I read it and interpreted it. That's why I avoid saying "no... you're wrong, this is what it means." If you can support it, it's right. (The key being IF) There is something to be said for the feeling of reading something that challenges you. Older texts are challenging. Do they frustrate? Sure. But that's healthy. But I agree that there are "new classics" being written every day. The key is that we all recommend them to each other and expose each other to new authors all the time. For example, I've got the book you were reading loaded in my Kindle for my next read. THAT is more important than me assigning a text

Chris Wagner: Out of curiosity, what would you add to the list of "new classics" that every high schooler should read?

A:  Well thank you for telling these things to me Mr. Wagner, because I was, infact, very frustrated. As for new classics, I would suggest things that open doors in the way people think. Or in plot twists. ( I REALLY like good plot twists.) Watchmen, although being a 'comic', is one of the greatest things I've ever read. Each character is so down to earth. V for vendetta, because (unlike the movie) there is no fighting in the book, but it is intellectual and challenges you to think a new way about government. Of course, I have to say Fight Club, there is just an overwhelming sense of, I guess, coolness in the book. The narrator is funny. The way the sentences are fragments, like the real way people think. The only thing the movie didn't do justice to was Tyler himself. In the movie, which I greatly respect ( David Fincher being one of my favorite directors) it portrays Tyler as crazy, wild and free. But in the book, I felt he was more James Dean - Badass- esque. He had the answer for everything. He took care of everyone. He knew what to do. I think the book does a little more justice than the movie in that respect. And even though it's old (and a classic), it still throws me that we don't have to read 'A Clockwork Orange', because it's so good. The reason I like Palahniuk is, prior to his books, I disliked reading. It's safe to say I hated reading. But with new classics like this, it opened my eyes that books dont have to be all about B.S. love stories and trivial plotlines. A book can deliver an experience that no other medium can.

This simple conversation lead on to several more with A of course, but you get the picture. Without having asked the simple question of why, we both would have remained frustrated with the situation. With that one question, I knew more about A and he about me, than we could have hoped.

5. Why aren’t you writing more?

This last one actually came from myself. I love the way words fit. The way you can feel someone’s voice through what they write. I’ve always loved writing. I have a measly talent at being sometimes humorous on a good day and a more decent talent at saying what I think. I am not the keeper of the secrets. I learn and grow and change on a daily basis because I ask “what could I do differently next time?” I love learning something new and love it even more when it comes from a colleague or student. I am writing this blog both as a reflective tool for myself but also a space where I can explore and ask questions. A place where fellow educators can ask me questions and challenge me on my beliefs/ideals/thoughts/lessons. No one grows without feedback. I want to write to maybe change something, someone, somewhere.

With all of these questions the biggest one remains… what to write next!?

Until next question, all my best,

CW