Module 4

Collaborative Learning Communities

      I really enjoyed reading the case study for this week. As a teacher and a instructional coach, I found the norms that these leaders set to be very beneficial. As I read the case study, I reflected on all of my PLC meetings thus far. I work with an amazing group of teachers who are naturally very reflective. I know that my team is probably not the norm but we have found PLC meetings to be less than beneficial. 
     While reading, I tried to note any information that could help us have more successful PLC meetings. One thing that I really liked about this case study was the emphasis placed on setting group norms. As a leader,  I would probably be a little aggravated that it took three meetings to establish norms but I believe that this is helps future meetings be more successful  I also liked the theme of being a reflective practitioner. I know that I am naturally very reflective. In fact, I am almost annoyed by how reflective I am. I did not however think about teaching my students to be reflective. I have moments in which I have asked my students to stop and reflect, but I do not think that I have provided them with adequate time to do so. In the future this is an area I would like to work on.
     Several ways that I have had students reflect in the past is by having them take math notes on the right side of their paper and after the lesson, have them reflect on the left side. I started off being consistent with this practice however, overtime I began to stop having students do this. 
     One way that reflection is a part of my own practice is through the use of notes. I always try to write on my lesson plans things that went well and how to alter the lesson in the future. This allows me to better meet the needs of my students the following year. I also meet with my team members to discuss what I could have done differently in my lessons.

How can mathematics leaders help operationalize reflective practice for teachers?

     One way that mathematics leaders can operationalize reflective practices with their teachers is to have them reflect often. I like the idea of having teachers write quietly during their PLC time. This allows teachers to record their thoughts and to look back at them over time. I would suggest asking teacher leaders to come to each meeting with a journal. This way they can refer to their journal over time. I even suggest collecting the journals and writing notes to teachers in them.