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Professional Learning Teams
Teaming to improve
the quality of instruction
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
Anne Jolly
[email protected]
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Please notice the wall chart
1. As you enter, please read the 12 statements
on the handout titled Tool 1:3 – Look at
teacher needs.
2. Get three colored dots and move to the wall
chart. top
3. Place a dot beside the three things you think
teachers in your school would regard as the
most important needs.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Table share
• In your school team, talk about what you need
from this workshop
Community share
• Do a walkabout and introduce yourself to three
people you don’t know.
• Tell them what your team hopes to get from
today’s workshop.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Workshop Norms
• The Comfort Rule
• The Hand Signal Rule
• The Finger Tap Rule
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New study on professional learning
To meet federal requirements and public expectations
for school and student performance, the nation needs
to bolster teacher skills and knowledge to ensure that
every teacher is
• Able to teach increasingly diverse learners,
knowledgeable about student learning
• Competent in in-depth core academic content
• Skillful at the craft of teaching.
Darling-Hammond and Wei.
Professional Learning in the Learning Profession
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Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
In PLTs, the focus is on
student achievement
and success through
the education and
learning of adults.
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PLC and PLTs
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Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
AMSTI PLTs
Small teams of teachers who focus on
student success through continually
increasing their own knowledge and
skill; and through building their
collective capacity to deliver effective
instruction in STEM subject areas.
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Session Purpose
To give you tools, tips, and information for
▫ Planning and implementing productive PLTs
▫ Guiding successful team meetings
▫ Sustaining progress over time
▫ Monitoring teams and their work
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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What You Should Know
I plan to introduce you to some of
the tools from this book that you
can use to help team members go
through the phases of becoming a
cohesive and productive team.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Book Overview
Prepare to do the work: Pages 15 – 41
Chapter 1: Build the foundation…..p.15
Chapter 2: Preview the process …..p. 23
Chapter 3: Prepare and organize….p.33
Page 2 in your handout
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Book Overview
Do the work pages 45-93
Chapter 4. Define team expectations……..p.45
Chapter 5. Set data-based goals……………..p.53
Chapter 6. Plan for learning and action…..p.61
Chapter 7. Conduct successful meetings.…p.67
Chapter 8. Maintain team momentum.……p.81
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
Page 2 in your handout
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Book Overview
Examine Results
Chapter 9. Assess Team Progress …..p. 97
Facilitate the Process
Chapter 10. Lead for success………….p. 107
TOOLS……………….………………After page 119
Page 2 in your handout
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Book Information
Order from the
National Staff Development Council
http://store.nsdc.org
800-727-7288
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Prepare to do the work
Chapter 1: Build the foundation…..p.15
Chapter 2: Preview the process
Chapter 3: Prepare and organize
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Tool 1.4: Will Collaboration Work?
1. Follow the instructions on the card.
2. Write your responses on chart paper.
3. Prepare to share your responses.
You have 12 minutes.
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Tools 1.6 & 1.7: Reading
• Count off 1 - 4.
• Scan the section of the article that corresponds
to your number. (3 min.)
• Group with others in the room who read your
section. Talk about what you found most
interesting in your part of the article. (3 min)
• Return to your table and share information.
Based on the article, discuss answers to the four
questions. (6 min)
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Tool 1.3 Look at Teacher Needs
• Direct your attention to the wall chart,
Teacher Needs.
• What might this accomplish for
teachers in terms of teacher buy-in to
the PLT process?
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Tool Talk
Locate all tools online!
See the inside fold-over flap
www.nsdc.org/books/teamtoteach/facilitating216
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Task List: Step 1
Come up with some tentative ideas
for how you might introduce this
initiative to teachers in your school.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Prepare to do the work
Chapter 1: Build the foundation
Chapter 2: Preview the process: p. 23
Chapter 3: Prepare and organize
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Tools 2.6a & 2.6b
Team Meeting Skit
• The skit scenario is highly contrived.
• The skit is designed to help teachers
identify components (activities and
behaviors) that might be characteristic of
a PLT meeting.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Tools 2.6a & 2.6b
Directions:
• As you listen to the skit, observe the
requested information.
• After the skit, share your observations.
Then list on chart paper some activities
and interactions that seemed to make
the meeting successful.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Tool 2.4: Appropriate use of PLTs
At your table, read and discuss each
statement. Decide whether it goes in
the Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down stack.
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Task List: Step 2
With your group, come up with some
tentative ideas for how you will help
your teachers understand what they
will be doing in teams.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Prepare to do the work
Chapter 1: Build the foundation
Chapter 2: Preview the process
Chapter 3: Prepare and organize….p.33
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Tool 3.1: Grafitti Walk
• Group around a chart. People from table groups
scatter among the four charts.
• Grab a marker and write a word or sentence
that answers the question.
• Move to another chart and repeat the process.
• Return to table groups and discuss your
thoughts about these questions. (See Tool 3.1
for questions.)
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Team Logistics (Tool 3.4)
• Who will be on the teams?
• When will teams meet?
• Where will teams meet?
• What resources will teams need to begin?
• Who will begin as team leader and recorder?
• How will teams communicate their work?
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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“Historically, we haven’t paid sufficient
attention to these crucial organizational
questions, yet an infertile environment
can block the success of even the most
skilled and motivated individuals.”
Allison Rossett (1999)
First Things Fast
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Resources on Time
1. Finding Time for Professional Learning by
Valerie von Frank (NSDC) is available at the
NSDC book center.
2. Go to the NSDC website and type time for
professional development in the search area.
3. Google Time for Professional Development.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Task List: Step 3
In your table groups, make a tentative
plan for organizing for this initiative and
preparing for the rollout.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Do the work
Chapter 4. Define team expectations: p.45
Chapter 5. Set data-based goals
Chapter 6. Plan for learning and action
Chapter 7. Conduct successful meetings
Chapter 8. Maintain team momentum
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Tool 4.5 Develop team norms
Norms . . .
• Provide an opportunity to understand what
behaviors and qualities each person values in
other team members.
• Provide an opportunity for conversations that
can begin to build trust.
• Provide a way for the team leader to guide
productive teaming.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Reach Consensus on Team Norms
1. List (six) behaviors you value in others
during team meetings.
2. On chart paper, list norms your team
could put in place to promote these
behaviors during team meetings.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Task List: Step 4
Make a tentative plan for how
you will involve team members
in setting team norms.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Do the work
Chapter 4. Define team expectations
Chapter 5. Set data-based goals: p. 53
Chapter 6. Plan for learning and action
Chapter 7. Conduct successful meetings
Chapter 8. Maintain team momentum
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Look at a Variety of Data
Use data to decide on a general
area for the team’s focus. In what
general area do students need
teachers to be more skilled?
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Goal Setting Guidelines (Tool 6.5)
• Clear
• Needs-based
• Shared
• Measurable
• Doable
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Sample Team Goals
• Sample Question: What research-based practices
can we use in our classrooms to help our students
better understand and apply the scientific process
to questions about energy transformation.
• Sample Question: What can we do differently in our
classrooms to improve student achievement in math
computation across all grade levels?
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Sample Team Goals
• Sample Purpose Statement: We will increase our
knowledge and skill in using number talks to identify
student knowledge gaps and misconceptions, and to
create effective cross grade-level teaching practices
for overcoming these.
• Sample Purpose Statement: We will increase our
expertise in using inquiry-based methods of teaching
science to engage students in higher levels of
thinking and learning.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Role-Play
Role-play a school PLT.
1. In what areas do your students have needs?
2. What area will your team focus on.
3. Use Tool 5.7 to set and write a team goal.
4. Write the team goal on a card or paper.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Tool 5.8: Check out that goal
• Volunteers from each team - carry your
team’s goal to another table and share it.
• Participants at each table use Tool 5.8 to
check out the goal shared with them.
• Return to your tables and share the
feedback you received.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Task List: Step 5
How will you go about helping
teams in goal setting?
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Do the work
Chapter 4. Define team expectations
Chapter 5. Set data-based goals
Chapter 6. Plan for learning and action: p. 61
Chapter 7. Conduct successful meetings
Chapter 8. Maintain team momentum
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Chapter 6 Planning Tools
• These tools are sequential
• The process (Tools 6.1 – 6.3) is
more important than the product
(Tool 6.4)
Handouts, pages 4, 5, 6, & 7
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Team Role-Play
You are a team of science (or math) teachers from
different grade levels. Your PLT will work to help
students by incorporating more inquiry-based
instruction. Your team members have different levels of
experience in this area. Discuss about the questions
from Tool 6.1 as you think this team might discuss
them. There are no right or wrong answers.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Task List: Step 6
Decide how you will engage teachers
in developing a thoughtful and doable
plan. Will they need additional
knowledge in order to make good
decisions?
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Do the work
Chapter 4. Define team expectations
Chapter 5. Set data-based goals
Chapter 6. Plan for learning and action
Chapter 7. Conduct successful meetings: p.67
Chapter 8. Maintain team momentum
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Productive Conversations
• You are a group of teachers who have met in
the faculty lounge for a break during a busy,
somewhat frustrating day.
• You find this memo from the Sugar Treat
Donut Company in your box and read it.
• Carry on a conversation that might result
from a group of teachers reading this memo.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Productive Conversations
1. Share facts
2. Share feelings and reactions
3. Discuss applications and implications
4. Make a decision
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Communicate, communicate!
Team logs should contain . . .
• Big ideas
• Decisions
• Plans for the next meeting
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Communicate, communicate!
Regular logs provide . . .
• Opportunities for instructional feedback
and interaction between the principal and
team members
• A way to mentor and nurture teams as
they grow.
• A way to share information with other
teams.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Communicate, communicate!
Regular logs provide . . .
• A way to make the team’s work public.
• Documentation for professional learning
credit, personal growth plans, mentoring
activities, school accreditation status,
funding proposals, etc.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Communicate, communicate!
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Sample Logs
Examine the Sample logs.
1. What can you tell about the team meeting?
2. What feedback would you provide?
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Tool Talk
• Divide up the Chapter 7 tools among the people
at your table.
• Read the purpose and instructions for the tools
you select.
• Decide what each tool might accomplish.
• What other ideas do you have for this tool?
• Discuss this information at your table.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Task List: Step 7
What tools do you think would be
most effective in helping team
members have productive meetings?
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Do the work
Chapter 4. Define team expectations
Chapter 5. Set data-based goals
Chapter 6. Plan for learning and action
Chapter 7. Conduct successful meetings
Chapter 8. Maintain team momentum: p.81
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Let’s Play Top-Tips Poker!
• One person at each table, please deal the cards.
• From the cards you hold, choose your two top
tips and share these with those at the table.
• As a group, select five favorite tips and put
these together to make your best hand of five.
• Share your five top tips with the large group.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Tools 8.1 and 8.2 CBAM
What you can expect from team members and
teams.
• Personal concerns. How will it affect me?
• Management concerns. How will I do it?
• Impact concerns. Is this working? Is there
something that will work even better?
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Providing Good Feedback: Tool 8.6
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Specific
Clear
Consistent
Positive
Frequent and timely
Provides useful support
Constructive
Upbeat when public
Sincere and honest
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
• Provides information to
help find solutions.
• Gives the right amount
of information.
• Avoids overloading
with advice.
• Indicates support and
caring.
• Acknowledges PLT
accomplishments.
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Tool Scan
Distribute the Chapter 8 tools on the
table. Examine your tools. Then talk
with colleagues about what you think of
the you examined and when these
might be useful.
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Task List: Step 8
Which of these tools might be useful
in sustaining progress, given the
teachers with whom you will work?
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Examine Results
Chapter 9: Assess Team Progress . . . P.97
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Tool 9.2: Pre/post survey
• Take the pre-post survey
• What would you learn about the
teaching staff from this survey?
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Information you need about PLTs
1. To what extent and in what ways are
participants learning and growing
professionally?
2. To what extent is the group cohesive and
functioning productively as a team?
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Information you need about PLTs
3. To what extent does the team’s work
result in teachers acquiring and building
collective knowledge and skills that
benefit all students?
4. To what extent and in what ways is the
PLC work building relational trust and a
culture of caring and mutual support for
adults and students?
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Task list: Step 9
How often will you formally assess team
functioning, what tools will you use, and
how will you use the results?
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Facilitate the process
Lead for success . . . Page 107
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Rotating conversations
• Move to one of the tables in the room and
select a table host. The table host will:
▫ Make sure that everyone gets to speak.
▫ Write down good ideas.
▫ Share ideas briefly with the next guests that
rotates to him/her.
• Discuss the question on the table tent.
What do we need to know and do to help
teams be successful?
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Building relationships with
teams takes direct learning,
ongoing awareness, and
regular, intentional practice.
See Tool 10.3
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Task List: Step 10
• What facilitation practices can we
adopt to help this initiative succeed?
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Put it together
1. When will you start working with teachers?
2. How will you begin?
3. What processes and activities will you use
to inform teachers and begin team
implementation?
4. What materials do you need to prepare?
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Put it together
1. How do you plan to help teams conduct
successful meetings and sustain progress?
2. What data will you collect and when?
3. What do you need to learn to facilitate this
effectively?
4. How will you work together as a team to
learn, share, troubleshoot, and accomplish
your tasks?
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly
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Concluding Thoughts
Thank you for being here!
If you have questions or run into
rough waters, contact me at
[email protected]
Team to Teach: Anne Jolly