Proposition 5 states that effective teachers are members of learning communities. It has been my practice to create PLCs within my school and district for several different purposes. We always focus on singular issues and share articles, ideas, and troubles about that issue. The articles presented here both evolved from PLCs I started in my school. The first is a Powerpoint presentation that offers a solution to the fact that Harmony Schools do not have counselors. We simply cannot afford to pay for trained psychiatric health providers and therefore, an alternative solution was needed. I asked several teachers to meet once a week for 20-30 minutes to discuss the issue and look for solutions. This was my offering in the end. The second artifact is a Prezi that I created to teach a professional development class after I started a PLC concerned with creating a more reflective student body. The presentation was eventually used for district training as well.
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Artifacts
This is a PDF copy of a Powerpoint I made to pitch a possible solution to a major issue within Harmony Schools. This pitch was made as part of a Professional Learning Community I put together to discuss and solve the issue of grief in our school.
This is a downloadable version of a Prezi that I made for professional development at my school. The process explained within is called Translations and deals with teaching students to write reflectively. There is also an embedded version below.
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Reflection
A lone teacher is an ineffective teacher. Teaching is a team sport and it should always be remembered that schools are attended by more than just YOU. I actively look for ways to better the school. When I see a problem I go to my fellow teachers, administrators, teachers from other schools that I know. I ask for advice, or create a PLC group to meet and offend the issue. I feel like a better person for trying to make my school better. My father always told me to leave a place cleaner than I found it-of course he was talking about camp grounds, but the lesson stuck nonetheless. I plan to continue looking for professional clubs and organizations, organizing PLCs, and attending professional development as often as I can.
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