Teachers pool tricks of trade
Everyone in the classroom benefits when educators share their know-how
culties of measuring effect in any quantitative sense were recognised, a number of positive outcomes have been reported. More varied and pupil-centred methods in the classroom have been observed, improvements in practical skills can be tracked and, in some cases, improved results have been attributed to learnings from PLCs.
In the online space, geographic isolation can be countered and technology expertise improved.
There are also tangible benefits. Principals from the Bridge communities, for example, do collective fundraising and involve their teachers in “reteaching” each other in the context of a collaborative maths analysis project. Teachers can call on each other for what Badasie called “just-in-time assistance when they need it”.
Vitally, collaboration and sharing spreads good practice. The strongest common thread came through in a comment by Cereseto: “PLCs increase teachers’ confidence and morale — they feel they can take charge of their own learning and become agents for change, and this can change the culture in a school for the better.”