Answer to Question #319874 in English for thabo

Question

Discuss how PLC's support teacher development within the school context

Answer 1

PLCs allow teachers opportunities to directly improve teaching and learning

PLCs allow teachers an easy way to share best practices and brainstorm innovative ways to improve learning and drive student achievement. Good communication is key so that educators can share opinions and feel that what they are doing in the classroom matters.

These learning communities also enhance teacher reflection of instructional practices and student outcomes. Meeting with your PLC gives you the ability to share student progress, and when the data is shared across grade levels within the building, educators and administrators take ownership of every child's education.

2. PLCs build stronger relationships between team members

The very essence of a PLC is a focus on and a commitment to student learning. Meeting weekly creates a bond and builds a team of leaders within the school or district that eventually extends regionally and globally.

To build a strong team, it’s important to define roles and relationships of team members. This starts from understanding everyone’s strengths within the department and throughout your PLN. Enhancing the strengths of others builds trust and makes relationships come to fruition.

3.PLCs help teachers stay on top of new research and emerging technology tools for the classroom

Collaboration within a district and beyond is essential in order for educators to have ongoing and regular opportunities to learn from each other. A global PLC allows teachers to share and learn from each other daily. Twitter and other social media sites let teachers collaborate worldwide and create a community of practice that far exceeds their classroom walls.

Within your district or school, you can use a variety of tools to set up communication channels so you can share ideas and best practices or easily join text chats or video calls to collaborate in the moment. 

This type of ongoing professional development informs teachers about new research and emerging tools for the classroom, and it gives educators a look at what other schools, cities, states and countries are doing in their schools

4. PLCs help teachers reflect on ideas

Learning from others in your PLC allows you to reflect on ways to enhance your teaching and to adjust your practice. The more minds that come together from different backgrounds, the more likely you are to add value and purpose to the field of education. 

When PLC’s come together, they must focus their efforts on questions related to learning and create products with the end result of answering questions that lead to student achievement. Student success must be the focus of PLC collaborations.

5. Research shows that PLCs enhance teacher quality in various ways: - They help bridging the gap between education theory, policy and practice, creating spaces for addressing practical issues and connecting pedagogical practice with subject content knowledge.