It's not a meeting friends. It's Learning!

 The school where everyone wants to be or not to be...that is the question!

The biggest mistake we can make as leaders is to write a mission, hang it on the wall and let it be.  We need to live the mission.  No school improves by simply writing a mission statement. The mission isn't worth anything unless all of us begin to do things differently.  The mission, value and belief statements help us to answer the question "why do we exist?"  Finding the answer to this question is key to navigating the waters when the work seems difficult.

Today I want to point out how living our mission is manifested in the work you do as a PLC.

 Let's explore the line: 

Collaboration is the best way to meet the needs of all stakeholders.  

Collaboration is to focus on learning.  The essence of a learning community is to focus on and commit to the learning of each student.  When you function as a PLC you choose to embrace learning at high levels for all students.  We seek to be responsible members of an organization that will ensure that all students learn. You work with each other to clarify what each of you will do to work a plan to realize our vision. Consider the essential components of a successful team. 1. create result-oriented goals. 2. Mark progress 3.  Work to clarify what each student must learn.  4.  Monitor this learning. 5. Provide intervention for students who struggles. 6.  extend and enrich learning when students have master the intended outcome.

I saw this in action last week when I sat in on the fourth grade PLC.  The teachers were asking for support in math.  They had three different assessments prepared and scored. They had a pre assessment for the first module, the screener and their DFA.  The results indicated that 50% of the kids were not meeting expectations.  They were focused on what needed to happen.  We spent thirty minutes discussing options and eventually determined what would happen in their classrooms.  This team is a model not just because of their initiative but because they have a common purpose. They were focused on the work not the obligation.  

• The gathered evidence.
• They developed strategies and ideas to build on strengths and address weaknesses
• They implemented a strategy
• They are analyzing the impact of the changes to discover what was effective.
• They apply the new knowledge to the next cycle for improvement.

So this week as you collaborate consider how you are moving through the components.  What do you need to focus on?  How will you improve together?

"When people see tangible results, however incremental at first, and see how the results flow from the overall concept, they will line up with enthusiasm.  People want to be a part of a winning team.  They want to contribute to producing visible, tangible results.  When they feel the magic of momentum, when they begin to see tangible results--that's when they get on board."  Jim Collins