Here's a post we could all talk about

Just thought I would mention that Mr. Page has posted a comment on their blog inviting folks in the 5-6 building to comment on the SIT process......interesting reading which will most likely get lots of comments. I would bet that constructive comments on this topic would be welcome here as well:) Blog on!

What a Crowd!

Thanks to all who attended the fourth and final book chat of the summer! We had so many, we had to split into two groups! I hope everyone has had the chance to reflect and share ideas that will help shape this PLC journey. The PLC team met Friday, and I am sure Mr. Dawson will be telling everyone more about that. The overwhelming idea of teaching the "whole child" rose to the surface of many conversations, and I am excited to see how we can tackle this issue as a community. I also want to give a shout out to Mr. D at this point, to say thanks for hiring me, and I think this building ROCKS! Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts so honestly with one another....now go enjoy your last weeks of summer! :) See you at the pool!

Another Great Book Chat!

Yesterday was meeting #3, and many friendly faces showed up to discuss and share-including cute little baby Bacon! Once again, many of the same topics from earlier meetings rose to the surface. One new thing that came up was pre-assessment- perhaps one of the areas of curriculum development that we can develop in the future. Other topics included differentiation, vertical teaming for special area teachers, and some different ideas about how we might organize our PLC teams. The more I sit, listen, reflect, and have conversations with others, the more I realize that everyone has a different idea about exactly how this PLC thing is going to look. I know it is still not clear to me, and it may not be until we actually jump in and start meeting. So here's the question of the day folks- what are your expectations for PLC? Are you coming in with ideas about what we will accomplish, or are you more of a clean slate? What do you think will be the hardest part of getting started? What are you bringing to the table?

Just Checking In!

The 4th of July has come and gone, and I always feel like that is the turning point in the summer for me. I begin to look at my summer "list" and panic...oh my gosh, doesn't it go quickly? Next week will be the third summer book discussion...is it on your "list"? I hope to see you there. You may notice that I have added some links to the sidebar. Take some time to look, and feel free to comment and start a discussion on what you read! That is what this blog is all about! I think we can learn so much by reading about what is happening on the cutting edge of education, both in and outside of Branson:)

One Down...Three to Go!

The first summer meeting to discuss the book happened on Monday, and it was great! Thank goodness Pam was there, or we may have never gotten to eat the bagels! We hope that those of you who came to that meeting will take a minute to comment here and reflect. The more discussions we have about this before August, the more focused the PLC team can be about what is important to everyone in our building. Let your voices be heard!

Keep Reading....it gets better:)

Last night I got myself a diet coke, curled up on the couch and opened my getting started book with high hopes and anticipation...five minutes later I was thumbing through the first chapter looking for a good place to stop...yawn. OK, but then I saw a few things that peaked my interest, and before I could stop myself I was scratching notes furiously in the margins and wanting to read on! Phew! I was beginning to think this was going to be work!

OK, so here's the what I have run across. First, I was encouraged once again as I began to read chapter two....I felt like I was reading about US! The release time, the focus on learning, all the things we have created! That sounded just like us!

Second, I saw a big yellow flag go up when I started reading pg 37 about the "I have 3 weeks to learn this unit". I feel like for the most part we are not really like that, but I fear that the more we define the yearlong plan and make it more and more specific, the more people may see that as a "deadline". What are your thoughts on this? How can we be sure that we are all on the same page without imposing deadlines on ourselves and our students?

Welcome To The Conversation

I don't know about you guys, but I am having a bit of trouble deciding exactly how to get my feet wet with all this PLC stuff. I thought it could be a good idea to discuss things as we are reading the book "Getting Started" . I tend to think while I read, and want to have a place to ask questions while I am reading. This can be a place to share, question, or clarify for everyone....check back occasionally and let's help each other figure this out together!

I will also be posting websites that I run across as I continue to learn about PLC. This one has some video that apparently goes with the book, and also some great recordings of conversations about PLC and how it has worked in other schools.