October 14, 2020
The Challenges of Our Times
The other day I read a post on twitter (@SteeleThoughts): “I’m supposed to be an ‘instructional leader.’ But I told our teachers this week, that I don’t know how to do that in the middle of a pandemic…” Honest. Refreshingly honest.
The job of school leaders, at any time, let alone during these times, is too much for any one person. These days, it’s clearer than ever: We. Need. Every. One. Of. Us.
The Opportunities Before Us
For half a century, we have known that one of the keys to drawing out the potential in each and every child is to draw out the potential of each and every adult: Working together.
Some call it collaboration, others call it Professional Learning Communities (PLCs).
We also know that in most schools, meaningful collaboration just isn’t happening. In most situations, the pandemic has forced our hands to do more of it. In others, we have turned to each other on social platforms to gain ideas and learn from each other. And in still others, we have doubled-down on old habits: closing our “doors” and doing our own thing.
Meaningful collaboration doesn’t just happen because we know it works, or because we want it to. Leaders need specific knowledge and skills to create this culture: Some have it, while most have gradations of what they need to know.
I was stumped
What does a principal need to know?
Do they know it?
So began the journey to Put the C in PLC: What a principal needs to know in order to create a collaborative culture. Ten elements were identified from the research.
Next time I’ll give a brief overview and then start digging into some of them over the coming months.
Possibilities
In the meantime, I’m really excited about the possibilities before us. Winston Churchill is reported to have said to never let a good crisis go to waste.
If there was ever a crisis in education, it’s now. Let’s not let it go to waste. Let’s get better. Let’s work together. Let’s understand what it is we need to know and do, and then do it. Let’s Put the C in PLC.
Craving Meaningful Collaboration
A little while back a very good and highly respected teacher came and specifically told me how worthless the school-imposed “PLC” meetings were for them. This was a veteran teacher, and they found that the forced time with colleagues was a waste–they could clearly be more effective on their own time, doing their own thing. They enjoyed their colleagues enough, but could get more done on their own.
This teacher expressed to me how close to retirement they were, and that as soon as they were able, they would be out of there–and that a big reason for their departure was the forced PLCs.
Fast forward: We worked to implement the elements of effective collaboration over time. At least five years after this teacher could have retired, they are still teaching. On many occasions this person has expressed to me how much they love teaching, and it was the creation of an effective collaborative environment that made all the difference.
Effective collaboration works.
Questions for reflection
Think of a time when you and/or colleagues were engaged in effective collaboration. What were some of the characteristics of that time?
Think of a time when you and/or colleagues were engaged in INeffective collaboration. What were some of the characteristics of that time?
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