Team training approach draws praise
By Laura Barrett
Before he retired as the Belmont Education Association president at the end of last school year, Bob Antonellis said that establishing Professional Learning Teams in his district has been “a lot of work, but it’s worth it.”
He added, “It’s one of the things I did as president that I’m most proud of.”
A growing number of districts in Massachusetts and across the country are joining the movement by organizing PLT’s, sometimes referred to as professional learning communities, in lieu of traditional “stand-and-deliver” professional development offerings.
In Belmont, teachers join a PLT organized by grade level, subject matter or common interest each year. The school schedule includes dedicated time for teams to work on initiatives to improve teaching and learning in areas of their own choosing.
In May of each year, PLT members present their projects and findings to their colleagues at a conference that resembles a student science fair. The high school field house is set up with tables and poster-board displays around the perimeter of the room, allowing participants to check out each other’s work. Break-out sessions are offered, during which a small number of teams present their projects in greater depth.
Teachers approached during last year’s conference on May 22 were generally enthusiastic about the approach. Janice Darias, assistant superintendent in charge of Belmont’s PLT program, said that in a survey she administers each year after the conference, a high percentage express support for this form of PD. “The research shows that bringing in somebody for a one-day PD activity is not effective,” Darias said. Under the old model, the speaker “may or may not address a particular need of a particular teacher,” she said.
“PLTs give our professionals time and space and support to work on problems in practice that they have identified,” she continued. “For example, if your students are struggling with organizing their writing, a team can come together to work on that for the year and test out new ways of instruction to make that better. It’s our R&D opportunity to tap into the expertise of our professionals.”
Antonellis agreed. “This is what teachers should be doing,” he said. “They’re the experts. They know what the problems are. They know what needs to be done.”
The initiative began in the 2010-2011 school year under a former superintendent. At first, said Antonellis, teachers were required to use some of their contractual PD time by working together in teams once a month for an hour after school. That first year, the schedule didn’t work well because teachers were tired after a long day in the classroom, he said.
The next year, the district and BEA negotiated a schedule change. The school day is extended by about 15 minutes four days of the week, but students are dismissed an hour early every Wednesday. That extra hour has proven invaluable for giving teachers time during the workday for PLTs, department meetings, curriculum development and other district priorities.
Darias said that the new schedule is symbolically important. “It says that the work we do together as colleagues is important work and should be part of the school day, not an extra,” she said.
The teachers presenting their projects last May were eager to share their findings with others.
“After all three PLTs I’ve been a part of, I’ve come away with something useful,” said Beth Manca, a middle school Latin teacher. “I’ve added something to my teaching every year.”
A team of second-grade teachers at the Burbank Elementary School were also positive about their project. Their team was one of 17 in the district to focus on writing. Their display included a book written and illustrated by second graders that was a takeoff on the classic, “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.” Their theme was, “If You Give a Second-Grader a Dollar.”
A team of second-grade teachers at the Butler Elementary School gave a PowerPoint presentation on how they incorporated newly donated iPads into their classrooms.
“My overall impression of the use of iPads is that it’s a huge success,” said team member Jennifer Mathews.
That said, members of her PLT warned that their efforts required much more than was allotted in the official PLT schedule. They often worked on their own time, learning new apps and figuring out how to incorporate the iPads into their curriculum to improve reading and math instruction. They also said teachers need ongoing IT support and PD if iPads are to be used effectively.
Marnie Wolfe, a member of the Butler team, said that while there are many benefits to the PLT model, it’s a trade-off.
“Under the old model, we used to work as a whole school more often,” Wolf said. “I think that brought us together as a school. Still, everything we’ve done as part of the PLT has been useful. It’s just that there aren’t enough hours in the day to do both.”