Support from the Principal

This week our principal sent out an email with some directions for PLT for the rest of the term and the beginning of term 2. As stated previously, we want teachers to give an interim report of their research early in term 3.
The idea of this is to continue the momentum which starts to wane towards the end of term 3.
Besides the moaning from some people, most took it on the chin. I think this is an important way to keep staff accountable.
He also announced that they will need to present this information at their annual review by the principal.
Some people are already coming to me to show what they have done. Sometimes it's hard to be interested but a lot of this stuff is blowing me away. We are so lucky to have such an incredibly creative group of teachers at our school.
Meeting five is coming up this Tuesday but not before TK and I participate in some CELT training. I have lots of ideas here but I want to particularly focus on how to enter a set of lessons that flow and how to add a variety of student work so that other teachers can help with the moderation process.
To the batcave...

The machinary behind the PLT

There were a few instances recently where the support behind making the PLTs work at our school had problems.
Two teachers applied to get money to go on very specialised and once only professional development courses. Both had done the right thing and got their forms in to me on time and I had passed it onto our School's admin for processing.
As this was a new process, one person that was part of the approval chain was not aware of the importance of processing the information quickly. The person involved was new and that combined with the newness of the whole thing meant that they just were not aware of what needed to be done.
As a result, those two people got their forms back too late and appeared to miss out on going to their course. In both instances, the course was not going to be repeated and so there was no chance to go later.
Fortunately, one of the people rang the organisers and pleaded her case - and got in! The other did not.
It was worth reflecting on this because it was reminder that even though all the teachers and leadership are au fait with the process, those in support staff are not and have to be taken through what might be a fairly confusing process.
It is absolutely essential to work your way through the whole concept and to see who needs to know and who needs to be involved in decision making. Support staff are a key decision making group - something that is often forgotten in the hurley-burley of school life.

And Term 2 begins...

Things are happening at our school.
Our school is being geared up to handle the CELT for implementation in 2012.
Presented to the staff on what we should be doing in Term 2.
It went like this:
"Professional Learning plans are in.
Don't forget to apply for $600 funding and up to three release days - but your plans must be finalised.
Focus for Term 2

• Professional Reading
• Interview/survey/assess students
• Discuss with colleagues
• Visit other teachers/schools/experts
• Join online communities e.g. Diigo, Twitter
• Undergo training e.g. CELT, IWBs

Leading to:
Short presentation of your research to your team in week 2, Term 3.

Term 3

• Analysis of results
• Put into action
• The effects of that action e.g. how has student learning improved (depends on your plan)

Term 4.

• Presentation of methodology and findings to your team
• Final showcase to staff (format to be announced).

The great things is that lots of people are excited by what they are studying. Lots of people are not and consider it to be a burden. What we need is a tipping point of people to drag the others into the enthusiastic corner. I would have hoped we have done that already but I am not convinced.

Two ideas were flagged in the last week:
1) What if we want to buy an iPad with our $600. We won't encourage it this year, but will look at it next year with the school subsidising the cost and you get to keep it after 3 years.

2) Unconference. The idea that the final showcase might be an unconference. All people who are willing present their ideas for discussion that they will lead. This is pinned up and then the rest of the staff map out their day based on whatever discussion they want to join.

We have gone so far in a few years.

The importance of evidence

Not just data.
Its been strange in many ways, but the more involved we have got with our Professional Learning Plans, the stronger I feel about the importance of gathering evidence when researching the plan's focus.
I had a conversation with one of our language teachers and she could see that it wasn't just her own development that was important but the development of her students. She highlighted the issues she was having with teaching Year 9s. How disengaged they were and how many she had sent to our focus room during the lessons.
My conversation steered her towards this: why not make resources that help these students become more engaged with the subject. Get them up using the IWB, get them involved. BUT FIRST she had to find out how much they were learning NOW. How engaged were they now. I asked her to conduct an 'exit pass' where they students had to indicate three things they had learned during the lesson before they could go to a break.
One she had done that a few times, she could then focus on the lessons that were not working, and find an alternative (i.e. IWB) approach to the lesson. So, what could happen is that she learns how to use the IWB and her students are more engaged. Nice theory!
Another teacher was quite stung by the question I wrote on his plan. Again,what evidence do you have that this is an issue. So he decided to do an analysis of the students 'visiting' our withdrawal room (the Focus Room). It was pretty comprehensive, and very convincing that there was an issue of disengagement with our boys.
Now, he and his partner need to talk to those boys and find out WHY they are not engage and WHAT they would prefer to do. Then they can decide what action to take.
In both cases, when I talked to the teachers, my 'beliefs' in importance of using evidence to make decisions was strengthened.
I am now challenged to fully role model this belief for my own plan - what is moderation, how does it work now, will an online course management system allow it work even easier, and, very importantly, will students benefit.

An email sent today

"Hi all

Just a reminder that these meetings are on this Wednesday after the staff meeting.

Could I ask that you spend some of the meeting time reworking your plans (if necessary). I would like them back before the end of the term for final approval.

Thanks to those who have already resubmitted.

I would suggest that you revisit the Method in your plan for this week's meeting. Hopefully your ideas have begun to crystalise and you are clearer about what procedures you will use to implement your plan.

I would further suggest that Term 2 should be a time for research, reading, planning, writing surveys, journal writing, and conducting the interviews that were mentioned in a lot of the plans.

I would like all teachers to present a provisional summary of the above research that you have completed by the end of Term 2. The first meeting in Term 3 then should be a short presentation of that provisional research to your team.

Finally, I just want to remind you that it is not up to the leaders of your team to decide on what you will do in the team meeting. They are facilitators and are not there to run professional learning sessions.

Having said that, they are all quite generous with their time and will help people where they can. However, the idea of doing the Professional Learning Plan is so that each teacher can identify what learning / action research they are going to do and how they are going to do it. You should then spend the 12 hours (now 10) of the PL Team meetings and the 15 hours expected of you in the current EA carrying out your PLP as proposed."

No reaction yet...

Very interesting conversation with one of our leaders

Talked to one of our professional learning team leaders today.
She said that at the last meeting, people still expect to be 'taught' by others (ie the leaders) during the Professional Learning Team meetings!
It still hasn't got through to some people! She said she caught some flack about it i.e. 'why do we have to do this extra stuff', 'where are we going to find the time to do this?'.
They just don't realise that they have been given time at the meetings and are expected to find another 15 hours (as part of the EA) to do this professional learning. It is their responsibility to work out what to do not the leaders! Fuck me. Some people are thick.
So I told her that if it happens again, to pass it on to the leadership and we will deal with it.
It's just like teaching students!

All plans were returned to teachers

Sorry, bit of a busy week last week.
We decided to return all plans last week.
A significant minority were approved without comment.
Most were asked to reconsider their plan and make minor changes.
Some were asked to refocus the point of their plans.

Most people seemed to take any criticisms well - only one person questioned the criteria I had used. However, she is changing her plan anyway.
Next meeting is in two weeks time.
Need to look at what the leaders can do for this: maybe revisit the planning section of the PLPs and crystalise what they want to do in Second Term.
Must watch the decline in interest that occurs late in Term 2 and early Term 3.
Maybe have guest presenters at the staff meeting?