FOUR WAYS TO MAKE PROFRESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES (PLCs) EFFECTIVE

Professional learning communities refers to a group of teachers who meet periodically to share ideas to enable them improve their skills in teaching and also improve learner outcomes. Professional learning communities have two main goals: improve the teaching skills of educators and assist students to achieve better outcomes.

Today, professional learning communities have become the new normal in Ghanaian schools since its introduction in September 2019. As this (PLC) is new in most schools in Ghana, the big question remains, how do we make our professional learning communities more effective and sustainable?

 UNCOVER PLC

Uncovering professional learning community is my own description of extensive literature review on professional learning community. While professional learning communities may be new to some teachers, others may have their own understanding about what professional learning communities really is. I think teachers who are really interested in enhancing their knowledge about teaching and learning for the ultimate benefit of learners should read extensively on professional learning communities. There are tons of literatures on professional learning communities on the internet and teachers must take advantage of it. For most teachers in Ghana, professional learning communities are new and we cannot afford not to read more about it.

 SET RULES, ROLES AND GOALS

In every community there is the need for rules to guide the actions of community members. Teachers who come together to form professional learning communities must be guided by rules to drive members towards the achievement of set goals. Some schools have made rules governing meeting times and how discussions are carried out.

Roles have to be assigned to group members to ensure that all group activities are carried out without hitches. For example a group member could be assigned the role of time keeping, the role of collecting data or the role of coordinating activities.

Goals are very important in every professional learning community as it drives the group toward a certain direction. Before any progress could be made, the group must have clearly stated goals which are achievable and measurable.

 COLLABORATION

The concept of professional learning communities holds that teachers come together to form ‘communities’. These communities cannot function properly if there is no collaboration among the community members. Collaboration will help teachers to assist each other in areas one may need help. This collaboration will go a long way to improve learning outcomes.

Teachers are individuals and are expected to have diverging views on issues relating to teaching and learning but if professional learning communities are to be effective, members must agree to collaborate.

 USE DATA

We are certainly in a data world today. Almost everything revolves around data today. I strongly believe that data has got a big role to play here. Teachers work with data almost every day in their schools and these volumes of data cannot be overlooked.

For instance, a group of teachers seeking to find solutions to poor student outcomes would want to look at the data provided by previous and current assessment results. This would assist teachers to have a clearer picture of situations.

Data certainly plays an important role in collective inquiry. Data, when interpreted reveals the true state of affairs. Professional learning communities must make use of available data to achieve whatever they set out to achieve.