to those behaviors that will most likely help us survive.
So, if you are a forward-thinking optimist who believes in the magic of human connection, you may recognize that dedication to the PLC process gives you the formative elements to make that magic show up more often. If you are perhaps a skeptic, just know that our human condition generally rewards working together in an organized and disciplined fashion, and evidence shows that consistently working on a team will make you feel good and stimulate your brain in a way that working alone can’t (DuFour et al., 2016; DuFour & Reason, 2015; Pfeffer & Sutton, 2000; Reason, 2010). Either way, we’ve observed that those who do the work to implement the PLC process become the thankful recipients of deep and sustained levels of joy and fulfillment. For that reason alone, PLCs make a lot of sense, don’t they?
Chapter Overview
We begin our tour of PLC implementation in chapter 1 by looking at what it means to be a PLC, including the three big ideas of a PLC that drive improvement (DuFour et al., 2016). Real examples from SCSD2, often presented in the words of school leaders and educators from the district, accompany these basics. In this chapter, we also provide definitions of key PLC terms and concepts. In chapter 2, we look at teams in a PLC, including types of teams and how teams in PLCs differ from teams in traditional schools. In chapter 3, we examine the four critical questions of a PLC (DuFour et al., 2016), using experiences and examples from SCSD2 to illustrate how these questions shape outcomes and change a school or district’s culture. In chapter 4, we get real about conflict. We talk about strategies for building a dynamic and innovative collaborative culture and managing conflict, again guiding you with real examples from SCSD2. In chapter 5, we address the all-important job of making the PLC process the system and the spirit behind ongoing intervention, extension, and innovation in your school or district. We believe that schools haven’t adequately explored their power to innovate. The book ends with a look ahead as we passionately evaluate the PLC process’s future in SCSD2, in your school, and everywhere in between. In the appendix, we offer tools that can help guide your work during your PLC journey, including a PLC resource list (page 116). Visit go.SolutionTree.com/PLCbooks to download the free reproducibles in this book.
Conclusion
In this introduction, we shared the beginnings and continuing results of one school district’s truly remarkable PLC journey. With this district’s example, we intend to show that the PLC process is more than a straight series of steps toward school improvement. Rather, it looks more like a curving mountain road that leads to transformation and includes successes, challenges, and celebrations along the way. While you go on this tour with us, we ask that you refrain from playing it safe. Don’t keep your hands inside the vehicle. Reach out and learn. As you learn things, push yourself to get out there and try them. This may be a guided tour, and we will get you through it safely, but you’ll learn a whole lot more if you stay on the edge of your seat and embrace the twists and turns.
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CHAPTER 1 The Big Ideas in PLCs |
Clarity precedes competence.
—Mike Schmoker
As we were writing this book, we considered whether you, the reader, require a review of the big ideas of the PLC process. After all, don’t we already know what PLCs are by now? In reflecting on the wisdom of revisiting these foundational elements, Casey recalled an experience from his youth involving NBA legend Larry Bird. It occurred before a preseason game late in Larry’s career when his team, the Boston Celtics, was playing the Detroit Pistons. The game took place in Toledo, Ohio, Casey’s hometown. The Pistons used to play in Toledo during the preseason in hopes of keeping fans interested in the team just to the north of them in Michigan.
Casey arrived at the University of Toledo stadium an hour early, hoping to get a glimpse of several all-time-great players before the game. But he did not get his hopes up, thinking that these basketball legends might not care much about a preseason game against a rather mediocre opponent (at the time). Plus, they were playing in a midsize college stadium in a small town a long way from Detroit.
Upon looking at the court, Casey noticed from a distance that one player was shooting baskets all by himself. As he descended the stairs toward the court, he realized it was his basketball hero, Larry Bird. At the time, Larry was arguably the best shooter in the NBA. Although he wasn’t the best athlete in the league, he certainly had some of the best basketball skills.
Casey slowly got closer, trying not to miss a moment of his hero’s warm-up. He noticed that Larry clearly had a very disciplined practice routine. He had a set of shots he took from different angles and different places on the court. Although the crowd hadn’t gathered yet, noises and distractions surrounded him. Larry just continued to shoot and didn’t seem to notice the noises or voices. Casey remembers quite vividly Larry’s dedication in that moment. He was the best shooter on the planet, playing in a town that didn’t even have a professional basketball team. And before what was ostensibly a meaningless game, he remained dedicated to revisiting the fundamentals with a simple routine, making him an even better competitor.
In recalling that story, we realized that SCSD2 operates an awful lot like Larry Bird in his precious moments of routine. Each and every year, SCSD2 begins by revisiting with great precision what it means to be a PLC. According to an SCSD2 district administrator:
The process begins early each summer, right after the school year finishes, with principals reflecting on their goals from the previous year. They work together to process and refine their plans for the coming school year. Even though these principals have been doing and leading PLC work for years, we still spend focused time each summer to reflect on and set new targets. (M. Craft, personal communication, June 13, 2018)
Each school in the district reviews its purpose and evaluates its mission, vision, values, and goals (which we will cover in chapter 2, page 35). Collaborative teacher teams revisit and recommit to their norms and evaluate their intervention strategies, gearing up for new levels of excellence in interpretation and application.
We began this chapter with a quote from Mike Schmoker (2004): “Clarity precedes competence” (p. 85). This is a sage insight, indeed. People gain momentum when they have great clarity about their exact goals. This applies to leaders as they decide what action to take next. It also applies collectively to teams in a PLC or an entire staff. Schools that make the greatest progress in PLC implementation have clarity about their goals and understand that challenges and opportunities lie ahead.
In this chapter, we offer a succinct review of what it means to be a PLC and the three big ideas of a PLC. This review will help give you the clarity you need to build and sustain momentum whether you’ve already begun your PLC journey or you are just beginning. Focusing on these fundamentals is important because in far too many schools we’ve worked with, leaders and staff have only a casual understanding of what a PLC is all about. Or, to quote Rick DuFour, they tend to embrace “PLC lite” (DuFour et al., 2016, p. 1). Those schools that engage in PLC lite find themselves picking and choosing the elements of implementation they want to embrace. As a result, they often do
