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When teachers work together, knowledge and rapport grow

Unlike school teams that are organized for other purposes, learning teams focus on teacher learning as a way to address student needs and improve student learning, she said. (In some schools, these teams are known as "study groups,’’ "impact groups,’’ or "collaborative teacher groups.’’)

Learning teams enable teachers to keep up with the knowledge they need to do their jobs well. They also help teachers support each other as they change their practices.

"Learning teams are the most effective, cost-efficient way for teachers to learn what changes are needed in their practice and then to make those changes. They also have the added benefit of building rapport, trust, and support,’’ said Jolly, now an education program specialist for SERVE, the regional educational laboratory serving the southeastern states, and author of an upcoming NSDC book on learning teams in middle schools.

Making a case for learning teams

Generally, the principal is the instigator for creating learning teamѕ. But, if such teams are going to be effective, Jolly said, teachers must be involved in the final decision. "If teachers don’t support the concept, learning teams will not be successful," Jolly said.

Unsatisfactory test scores can often be used as a prompt for creating the learning teamѕ. But, even when that’s the case, the principal or an outside facilitator who specializes in such work will still need to present teachers with substantial information about the value of teachers learning and collaborating.

"Teachers also need to understand that learning teams have a disciplined focus. They are focused around teacher learning, not school management. This is not a staff meeting. This is about student needs,’’ Jolly said.

Getting started

After the principal has significant staff buy-in to the idea, the next issue is membership of the learning team.

Jolly recommends including no more than six persons on a team. Typically, a team would include members of a single department or a grade level. But teachers could self-select according to interest in a particular topic, Jolly said.

Taking advantage of an existing organizational structure often helpѕ because teachers already know each other. Building on a team that already works with one group of students, as in a middle school, is also very beneficial.

A learning team needs to meet for at least an hour at a regular time once a week. Ideally, teams should meet during the school day and plan to meet together for the entire school year.

First, the data

To establish its focus for the year, the learning team should assemble and examine student data: standardized test results, district assessment results, examples of teacher assignments and the resulting student work, climate survey results, demographics, and information regarding discipline, attendance, and parental involvement.

By closely examining the data themselves, teachers will be able to identify clear priorities for students. "Data also can create a sense of urgency that’s needed to drive change,’’ Jolly said.

Jolly cautions that teachers must also look below the surface of the numbers and probe for deeper explanations. For example, if students are doing poorly on a statewide writing test, teachers will want to ensure that they know what’ѕ being evaluated. Students may be quite successful grammatically and structurally but fail to understand how to present a cohesive idea — or vice versa. Students may be quite successful writing stories or poems but less proficient at informational writing.

Develop a learning plan

After a learning team has its focus, the next step is crafting a learning plan.

At a minimum, the learning plan should include responses to these questions.

o What do students need to learn to do better? For example, drawing from the example above, the learning team might say that "Students need to improve the quality of their informational writing.’’
o What specific knowledge or instructional skills do teachers need in order to address student achievement in this focus area?
o How will teachers acquire this knowledge and these skills?
o What information do teachers need?
o How will teachers know if they have achieved their goal?

Jolly said teams should consider the learning plan a "work in progress’’ that will be revised as teams learn more.

Doing the research

After identifying its focus, each learning team should query its own members to learn what knowledge they can share with others about the focus of their inquiry.

For example, ask team members about workshops they have attended that bear on the topic. What articles or books have they read that relate to this topic? What did they learn in graduate courses about this topic? Have they done any writing or presenting on this topic? What other knowledge do team members have that might be related to this topic?

"This helps teachers view each other as resources. It’s a strategy to begin bringing out different strengths,’’ Jolly said.

Beyond that, however, Jolly believes the facilitator should be the group’s primary researcher. "Teachers are already pretty well overwhelmed. The facilitator needs to make it as easy for the teachers as possible. Teachers don’t need to go out and beat the bushes to find everything,’’ she said.

Sharing the wealth

Initially, teachers may spend a great deal of time reading articles and books, interviewing experts, or watching videotapes. In each instance, they should spend time reflecting on what they have learned.

At some point, they should be ready to put what they are learning into action. During one meeting, they may visit the classroom of a teacher using a strategy they want to see in practice. They may examine samples of student work, both before they begin changing their practice and after introducing new strategies to discover their impact. They may develop a lesson at one meeting and follow up the next week by discussing their experience with it.

At every step, the learning team needs to maintain a journal that is the weekly record of its work, Jolly said.

The learning team journal should be kept in a public place, such as the teachers’ workroom so other staff members can also read the record.

Evaluate your work — and identify your next inquiry

Finally, learning teams need to evaluate their work.

At the end of one year’s work, Jolly said teams will often have numerous ideas about the inquiries they want to make during the next year.

"By the end of a year, teachers will have realized that this is a teacher learning experience. This is not just about coming up with a new strategy for the classroom. This is all focused on teachers learning more about their students and their teaching,’’ she said.