Protocol

NORMS
//(The following are excerpts from Chapter 2 of Professional Learning Communities for Science Teaching published by NSTA. I have strung together many excerpts to try to capture a flavor of the authors' work and, in so doing, offer a framework for our PLC.)//

Professional learning communities (PLCs) provide a process for organized professional development that results in raising student achievement. This process provides an opportunity for teachers to come together as a community in order to engage in collective learning with a focus on enhancing learning, both the teachers and students.

PLCs provide opportunities for teachers to meet and collaborate and to engage in meaningful conversations. The process requires that we use real data for instructional improvement and that we forge and sustain a focus on student learning.

It is the intent of the community to collaborate, de-privatize their teaching, and infuse their practices with a host of student-centered strategies. There is a critical need for teachers to be able to take what they have learned from professional development and employ it in a safe environment where progress is measured incrementally and social support is provided. Such personal involvement builds positive relationships, which engender trust, collegiallity, and sharing.

To keep our meetings and interactions on a positive note, the following norms have been agreed to by all.
 * 1) Show up to our meetings on time.
 * 2) Be prepared for the meeting.
 * 3) Participate to the best of your ability that day.
 * 4) Be respectful of others.
 * 5) Don't blame the student.

We all are professional educators and have something to offer the entire group. If we get on the same page, our jobs will be more rewarding, we will not feel as if we are alone on an island, we will provide better instruction to all our students, and they will perform better.