Reflecting on Teaching Practice and Professional Learning Community (PLC) at School

 

Reflecting on Teaching Practice and Professional Learning Community (PLC) at School

Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

Teachers can assess and enhance their efficacy in the classroom by reflecting on their teaching practices. Because reflecting on one's teaching practice is a crucial component of ongoing professional growth, it is a requirement for becoming an effective teacher. Teachers can evaluate their instructional tactics through reflection, identify areas that require work, and create plans to improve student learning. In contrast, a Professional Learning Community (PLC) is a group of instructors who collaborate in schools to enhance their methods of instruction and the outcomes of their students. It is distinguished by a common dedication to student learning, a spirit of cooperation and ongoing development, and an emphasis on data-driven decision-making. This essay discusses the value of reflecting on teaching practice and the benefits a Professional Learning Community (PLC) provided me in my school.

The Value of Reflecting on A Teaching Practice

An important part of professional development is a reflection on one's teaching practice. Teachers can evaluate their teaching techniques in a variety of ways, including self-reflection, feedback from peers and students, and participation in professional development, which has its virtues and advantages. By reflecting, they gain a better understanding of their teaching strategies, including their strengths and weaknesses, and they advance both personally and professionally as they can spot areas for development and come up with fresh ideas to improve their instruction and better serve their students. Also, they can grow in self-awareness and gain a better grasp of their teaching methods and style by being aware of their underlying beliefs and assumptions about learning and teaching (NSW, 2022).

Teachers can determine what works effectively and what needs to be changed to fulfill the learning needs of their students by reflecting on their teaching practices. Higher academic accomplishment may result from increased student involvement and motivation as a result of this (Morgan, 2021). For instance, a teacher can allot time to consider their performance in the classroom and reflect on themselves to identify areas for improvement and modify their instructional approaches, or they can ask for feedback from their peers through peer observation to gain insightful information about these areas for improvement and help themselves improve their instructional approaches. The other choice is to ask for feedback from students to gain an understanding of how they view their instruction and identify any potential areas for improvement (Bovell, 2014). Also, they can take advantage of professional development opportunities to build new instructional strategies in their teaching practices while also learning about the most recent developments in research and trends in education. Additionally, it enables them to work together with other educators and exchange best practices to develop a more encouraging and helpful learning environment. As a result, there may be a wider variety of instructional strategies used, which may improve student motivation and engagement. It is acknowledged that considering how one teaches should be a continuous process that demands effort and devotion because it can result in better teaching methods and better student outcomes.

The Benefits a Professional Learning Community (PLC) Provided Me in My School

Many schools all over the globe have Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) where a group of teachers collaborates to enhance their teaching methods and student learning outcomes by exchanging ideas, debating instructional techniques, and collaborating to resolve issues they encounter in the classroom (Owen, 2014). Their primary motivation for establishing a PLC at their school is to enhance student learning outcomes by collaborating to enhance their teaching skills. The subject teachers in the same domain gather once a week to talk about teaching methods, examine student data, and devise plans to enhance student learning outcomes. In my school, we also have PLCs set up around subject department areas. Moreover, we also conduct professional development activities among the members of the subject group to stay up-to-date with the latest research and best practices in our field.

One of the key benefits of PLCs is that we may collaborate to exchange ideas, knowledge, experiences, and best practices to learn from one another and strengthen our teaching methods to improve student learning outcomes (Owen, 2014). Additionally, it enables us to work together and examine student data to identify areas that require growth and develop plans for dealing with problem areas and enhancing student learning outcomes. We provide better access to information by exchanging ideas with one another to create creative solutions that will enhance student learning in each of our classrooms (Siano, 2022). As an internal support and feedback system, we also have the chance to accept criticism of our teaching methods and highlight areas that need development so that we can revise our pedagogical approaches and build strong relationships between team members (ISTE, n.d.). Also, it gives us a venue for self-reflection on our instructional strategies through continual professional development, which can advance both our personal and professional development. The most important results are an improvement in job satisfaction and a greater sense of assurance in our capacity to satisfy the requirements of our students.

Conclusion

In conclusion, considering our professional growth as teachers is crucial because it entails evaluating our instructional practices to pinpoint areas that need improvement and capitalize on our strengths. Similarly, PLCs are crucial because they give teachers chances to work together, share experiences, and participate in ongoing professional development. They allow teachers to gain fresh perspectives and ideas that influence their pedagogical practices and collaborate to create successful teaching methods. To advance as professionals and give our students the best learning opportunities, we must engage in PLCs and reflect on our teaching practices.

 

References

Bovell, M. (2014, February 4). Using student assessment to improve teaching.  Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).  https://rd.acer.org/article/using-student-assessment-to-improve-teaching

ISTE. (n.d.). 4 benefits of an active professional learning community. Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/explore/professional-development/4-benefits-action-professional-learning-community

Morgan, P. (2021). A Motivational Journey: Reflecting on Student Surveys to Enhance Motivation and Teaching Practices. Retrieved from https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/educational-assessment/a-motivational-journey-reflecting-on-student-surveys-to-enhance-motivation-and-teaching-practices/

NSW. (2022, December 7). Reflective practice. https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/professional-learning/teacher-quality-and-accreditation/strong-start-great-teachers/developing-focus/reflective-practice#:~:text=The%20advantages%20of% 20reflective%20practice, -Reflective%20practice%20provides&text=It%20allows% 20teachers%20to%20adjust, promote%20a%20positive%20learning%20environment.

Owen, S. (2014). Teacher professional learning communities: going beyond contrived congeniality toward challenging debate and collegial learning and professional growth. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 54, (2), pp 54-77. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1033925.pdf

Siano, J. (2022, October 28). Benefits of Professional Learning Communities. Retrieved from https://www.inspiredinstruction.com/post/benefits-of-professional-learning-communities

Unveiling the Benefits of Professional Learning Communities. (n.d.). Positive Action, Inc. https://www.positiveaction.net/blog/professional-learning-communities