At G-Town, we have a high school Literacy Leadership Team. We’re a group of teachers who meet once per month to LEARN what we can about reading and comprehension. In turn, we hope to help our students to read and understand in the content.
The unique thing about this group of 11 or 12 teachers who stay with me for about an hour after school, once or twice per month, is that it really is about learning. We formed last year as a result of some item analysis on the Regents exams that led us to really look at literacy issues for our students. Every teacher in G-Town is invited to participate and no one has to come. I admire this group of educators because they’re staying on their own time to advance their own learning.
Hopefully, it will remain a learning group. I don’t want it to ever become a group who feels as if they’re just meeting to follow my agenda. For the next meeting on November 27, each member of the group will return with one source we’ve found that speaks to our topic in a meaningful way. We’ll share what we’ve learned individually, reflect on each other’s input, and determine our next steps together.
This is the shape professional growth and learning should take, one that’s meaningful for the participants because they get to decide everything from the content to the format to the follow through. Teachers are in charge of their own learning rather than having a “canned” program delivered to them in a one size fits all pattern.
I’m energized by this group and think we should consider the format for additional learning groups in G-Town. I wonder what our topics could be?
I think this professional learning community sounds great; it has the potential to do so much – not just for the students, but for the teachers as well. Reviewing the data from the Regents exams is so valueable; it adds meaning to what we do and offers insights= into instruction.
How nice to hear about a group of professionals who are so dedicated. I would love to hear more about the progress of the group. What are some of the other topics you’ve addressed?