This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend a PLC conference in beautiful downtown Minneapolis. I attended with our two new principals and 5 fellow educators from my building. I believe that it was one of most inspiring conferences that I have attended. Imagine a concept of teachers working together, rather than in isolation, to form common goals and assessments for student learning and committing to making sure that every student is successful.
Gone are the days of leading those horses (students) to water (the well of knowledge), but not being able to make them drink (learn). It is our responsibility as educators to do whatever it takes to make those horses (students)slake their thirst(learn the material) whether they want to or not. We have to change our mindset and communicate to our students the belief that education is important and that they are capable of learning and achieving, and that we are not going to give up on them.
I'll post more as I learn more, but what I learned this past week is inspiring and practical and logical. In fact, one of the concepts about PLC that I carry with me is that working together as a team, using the best teaching practices, and maintaining a focus on providing the kind of education that we would want for our own children simply "makes sense".
It's going to be a lot of work to change a school climate and educational culture that has been in effect for 100 years, but the time to change is now. We can no longer waste time using outdated tools and strategies in this ever changing world. It makes no more sense to continue teaching with the traditional educational model of the 20th century, than driving a Model-T Ford car to work every day in 2011.
It's going to be an interesting journey.......
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