Professional Learning Communities

Introduction

This paper examines the need for teacher professional learning communities as part of the value of reflecting on my teaching practice. Teachers can design a professional learning community beyond the constructed curriculum to challenge their evaluation and learning by using student assessment to progress teaching. The notion that the mission of schools is to teach the curriculum is only part of the learning process; teachers must focus on the learning perspective of how, what, and why students are learning better to inform them of their pedagogy and teaching practices (Dufour, 2004).

Examining the Value of Teaching Practice

Teachers are the most visible aspect of students learning. The love of learning, knowing, and understanding how students’ progress and how teachers influence students' self-regulation and inquiry into education becomes a continuous practice teachers must embrace (Hattie, 2012, p. 1). Observing how students learn assumes that they are always on a continuum and seeks to define the learning order irrespective of their background in the classroom. Teachers can express and communicate the learning goals and deliver and design instructions that recognize students' need to improve their learning (Bovell, 2014). Usually, schools identify the specific learning outcomes students need to achieve and build on knowledge and skills to enhance student learning and whether additional understanding is warranted (Bovell, 2014).

Teachers' understanding of students' stages of analytical, rational, and logical development is essential to inform teachers of how a student is thinking and advises the teacher on a suitable selection of materials and task difficulty relevant to the student's level of comprehension. The other influence is teachers' intentions and expectations for students learning in formative evaluation. I often asked how my teaching has helped my students understand what was taught. This reflection has demonstrated the effectiveness of how I taught the subject and the student's ability to attain the knowledge and skills for their application. In my practice, standardized assessments like multiple-choice questions to solicit and gather students' understanding of a topic are also used to improve my lesson plan (Bovell, 2014).

In examining the value of my teaching practice, I will usually analyze and interpret several results, such as which students have not achieved my teaching goals, did my teaching prevented students from making progress, what I can do to get my student to improve their learning in the next lesson; how should I adjust or change to ensure that students are learning; how can I approach my peer teachers to discuss the assessment results; which of my peer teacher can advise me on instructional methods to improve my teaching; do I have a complete understanding of the subject I am teaching; and do I need some coaching on the subject matter. The classroom is the best place for teachers to make sense of the information they have gathered to inform their teaching practices (Bovell, 2014).

Creating a Professional Learning Community

My school currently needs a Professional Learning Community. However, I am very interested in starting one as I have learned how it can benefit teachers by coming together to share their findings and take some action research to improve their teaching and instructions. Initiating professional learning communities (PLCs) can effectively build teams for teachers, education leaders, and networks to promote, share, and practice skills and knowledge within schools, online contexts, pre-service, and undergraduate and postgraduate studies. In my school, teachers can collaborate to assist one another in improving student learning. The team members can reflect on and share their practice and personal experiences. Team members can observe each other's practices and apply action research and best practices together (Owen, 2014, p. 58). The idea that a professional learning community brings the vision and shared values of student learning implicitly and explicitly through inquiry into teaching practice is a good platform for action research. For example, they make teaching and learning visible, share expertise and experiences, and are willing to explore and experiment with alternative strategies and engage in reflective dialogues. The Professional Learning Community (PLC) is responsible for student learning, addressing teaching and learning challenges, and fostering mutual respect and support for teachers' collaboration and membership. Teachers can engage in in-depth interaction about how students learn regarding the curriculum content, pedagogy, instruction, and student assessment, which can be shared in the Professional Learning Community forum (Owen, 2014).

To get started with a Professional Learning Community (PLC) in my school, I will need to interest my school leadership in the benefits beyond the contrived collegiality of PLC. The help of nurturing students' and teachers' expectations and engagement in challenging debates on professional growth transformed educational practices, and ultimately, student learning is the right direction towards holistic learning. The PLC is a platform to get teachers to become more informed action researchers on their student's learning continuum and explore a culture of respect and collaboration with other teachers facing similar challenges in improving students' learning (Jasper, 2021).

Conclusion

The investigation of the value of teaching practice and the initiation of a Professional Learning Community has informed teachers that curriculum, instruction, and student assessment must be integrated into students' learning. Continuous assessment aims to draw the best approach for students' learning. Teachers can meaningfully share students' learning through a Professional Learning Community where teachers highlight student struggles and how teachers can collectively and constructively develop solutions for their subject domain to help students (Owen, 2014).

References

Bovell, M. (4 February, 2014). Using student assessment to improve teaching. Retrieved from ACER: https://rd.acer.org/article/using-student-assessment-to-improve-teaching

Dufour, R. (May, 2004). What is a professional learning community? Educational Leadership. Retrieved from Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development: https://www.allthingsplc.info/files/uploads/DuFourWhatIsAProfessionalLearningCommunity.pdf

Hattie, J. (2012). Visible Learning For Teachers, Maximizing The impact on Learning. New York: Routledge.

Jasper, K. (21 October, 2021). What is a Professional Learning Community? Retrieved from [YouTube]: https://youtu.be/A3uWriUexSg

Owen, S. (July, 2014). Teacher professional learning communities: going beyond contrived congeniality toward challenging debate and collegial learning and professional growth. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 54(2), 54-77. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1033925.pdf