As these doctors planned for this moment, no doubt every conversation revolved around the needs of the patient and any skills the doctors needed to learn or hone.  They continually asked questions and gathered the necessary data.  What is the desired outcome, what do we know about the patient, what other information do we need to gather?  Is there a particular part of the surgery we need to rehearse, understand at a deeper level, or bring in a another expert who can consult or participate?  Every doctor, every nurse, every assistant, each must bring their best to the table.  During the surgery each doctor is intensely focused on the task, trusting his years of experiences to guide his hands but acutely aware of the devices continuously monitoring the patient.  No doubt, established protocols are being followed to ensure no minor detail is overlooked.  Even after the procedure is completed and the patient is resting quietly, their needs and progress remain front and center.  Is she recovering as expected, are we seeing the desired outcome, what went well, what went wrong, what are the next steps?  
So it is with education.
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Chief Collaborative Team Work

Key Components of a Professional Learning Community

Development a comprehensive plan for sustained improvement
  • Integrating a targeted and systematic intervention system
  • Determine if current assessments are driving instruction
  • Using technology to create personalized and authentic learning
  • Developing instructional practices that engage, empower, and motivate
  • Teachers supported in preparing and delivering effective lessons
  • improving school culture
  • Bridging the achievement gap for ALL learners
  • Improving student performance and engagement in Reading, Math, and Science
  • Expanding teacher leadership

Four Guiding PLC Questions


1.  What do we want students to know
2.  How will we know when they have learned it
3.  How will we respond if they have not
​4.  How will we enrich if they have

Has Your Grade Level or Content Team...

1. Identified priority/promise standards that are based on leverage, endurance, and readiness of next learning.  Identifying Essential Standards

2.  Applied the proficiency scale to each of these selected standards

​3.  Have I Can statements related to these standards so the students know what they are to be learning

4.  Created assessments aligned with the standard

5.  Lesson planning with team around instruction

6.  Taught the lesson with fidelity

7.  Assessed the standard
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8.  Reviewed the outcome and have adjusted according to student needs

We Must Ask Ourselves These Questions


What is the desired outcome?
How will they demonstrate their mastery of it?
What do they need from our team?
What do I need from our team?
What are the consequences if changes are not made?
What information do we have?
What information do we still need?
What will we have to learn, practice, or be able to do?
How will we monitor their progress?
What will we do if they are experiencing difficulties?
What will we do if they are progressing faster than expected?
What are our next steps?
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And the cycle begins again...because learning is a process, not a destination.

Emotionally Intelligent Teams

Indicators of Low EI:
  • Avoidance of eye contact
  • Distracted by technology, side bar conversations, and other things
  • Frequently interrupt each other
  • Often the first response to new or different ideas is challenge, disagreement or skepticism
  • Low level conversations dominate the time
  • Often a sense of stress, tension,  anxiety, or confusion 
  • Gossiping or slander aimed at peers or leaders, tearing others down
  • One or two people dominate with their opinions, and others are not allowed to express their disagreement
  • Blaming of others (parents, admin., other teachers)
  • Often "solving the world's problems" 
  • Hold grudges, walk away mad
  • Aggressively defend personal agendas or ideas
  • Resistent to change and have excuses why it won't work
  • Little follow through  on activities or doing them just to check them off the list
  • Disregard others on the team as less important
  • Easily offended
  • Seldom admit wrong doing and rationalize mistakes
  • Ask few questions but tell others how to do it
Indicators of High EI
  • :​Engaged body language
  • Members paraphrase other's ideas
  • New ideas are explored 
  • Members express empathy to each other and others outside the group
  • Conversations focus on realistic solutions and specific outcomes
  • Emotions and ideas are addressed respectfully, such as:
    • Can you tell us more, you seem .... by/about this?
    • We'd really like to hear your thoughts, we haven't heard much from you today.
    • I'm feeling...do others feel this way?
    • I appreciated your thoughts, but before I can agree I need .... 
    • You seem to be having success with....can you help me...?
  • Hold themselves and each other accountable 
  • Take responsibility for and can identify emotions
  • Take work seriously but not personally
  • Appreciative of own abilities and those of others
  • Negative talk is quickly stopped
  • Apologize quickly, "I am sorry, that is not what I intended, can we try again?"
  • Collaboration replaces competitiveness

Raising your own Emotional Intellegence

Become more aware of your own emotions and name them. Write them down and reflect on what triggered them and you naturally responded.
Consider other points of view, develop and offer empathy.
Self regulate your responses, pause and take a deep breath before responding.
Check your own motive