Georgina Luna

SCED 3311 FALL

Field Observation Reflection 1 & 2

For my first observation, I observed a math professional learning community (PLC).

Let’s begin with what a PLC is, according to Learning by Doing, “A PLC is educators

committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action

research to achieve better results for the students they serve. PLCs operate under the

assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous, job-embedded

learning for educators.” There are three big ideas of a PLC, the first is ensuring that

students are learning, followed by a focus on results, then a culture of collaboration. Other

than the three big ideas, there are also six essential characteristics of a PLC:

1. Shared mission, vision, values, goals

2. Collaborative teams focused on learning

3. Collective inquiry

4. Action orientation and experimentation

5. Commitment to continuous improvement

6. Results to orientation

While observing, I saw many ideas and characteristics expected during the hour and 30-

minute meeting at the campus.

When first walking into the classroom where the meeting is held every other day

during their third period, I observed that the classroom was set up with tables being
grouped together, and each group held a section or “prep” as some may call it. All the

Algebra 1 teachers sat together, Algebra 2 sat together, Geometry sat in the back corner,

and Pre-Cal sat across from Geometry. The department broke up into sub sections to be

more efficient in their communities. Combining all the subjects together would not have

made any sense and would not have been an efficient set up. In ne room alone there was

one big PLC broken up into four smaller groups.

Following the set up of the class, I observed the procedure of the meeting. The first

thing to happen was a sign-in sheet that was passed around for all the teachers to sign in

for accountability. Then, an agenda was passed out by the Assistant principle. The agenda

covered all the main points to be covered in the meeting. The first course of action was to

have a training on the use of eduphoria and the section that are necessary for the teacher to

use such as a section where lesson plans are due weekly. Following the training, as a

department, the teachers had to create an action plan for intervention for at risk students

who may already begin showing signs of failure in the upcoming unit exams. As a

department, the geometry section decided to review the TEKS that was to be covered in the

unit and focus on what is expected of the students based on TEKS. Then they looked at

previous years scores and asked each other what techniques and lesson were used by

teachers who were more effective while teaching the lesson.

While observing, I was able to make more sense of what a PLC consist of and

understand the importance of the three big ideas. Though the first portion of the PLC was a

training. I was able to observe in the last 30 minutes a significant amount of enrichment to

my craft.