Over 60 cross-disciplinary teachers and education community members came together last week to learn how to be teacher leaders. The first of six Professional Learning Community (PLC) Network meetings was held on January 19, 2012 at the U.S. Department of Education regional office in the Wanamaker Building.
Facilitating the session was Gamal Sherif, a local Philadelphia teacher at Science Leadership Academy and a U.S. Department of Education Teaching Ambassador Fellow. Sherif focused the session on the idea of "teacher leadership" and the value of collaboration between teachers.
Before the meeting, participants were asked to read an article from the Standford Social Innovation Journal titled "The Missing Link in School Reform" by Carrie R. Leana, which asserted the benefits of teacher collaboration and networks. The participants discussed their ideas of the meaning of a "teacher leader" and then compared and refined their ideas through a discussion of the article.
The Ed Fund's Carol Fixman, Allie Mulvihill, Diana Campbell and Don McKinney represented the Ed Fund at the session and representatives from Teacher Action Group (TAG), Philadelphia Writing Project, Knowles Science Teaching Foundation and Phila Soup were also in attendance.
The next PLC meeting will be held on February 23, 2012 and focuses on the question: "What is an effective and sustainable teaching and learning environment?"
Meeting schedule: Jan. 19, Feb. 23, March 15, April 19, May 17, June 14.
> Register to attend the next PLC meeting
> Read a blog post about the first meeting, written by a Philadelphia teacher