The Road to Developing Communities of Professional Learners

Come on a journey
With me,
To learn with your eyes and heart
What it is to celebrate
A beginning, middle, and end,
To creating and sustaining
P L Cs.
Hmmm!!! They want a school
That wants to improve —
How hard will that be to find?
And they said for it to succeed
Almost ALL need to participate!!!
Where will we find
So many places of this kind?
Each Co-Developer went back
To their domain
Seeking the perfect place.
Each came back with the one they chose,
Leader and teacher in tow.
Work was begun
At each site to
Serve the children within the walls:
Create positive change,
Grow professionally,
Tear data apart,
Learn together as a team,
Network,
Collaborate.
Several trips to the SISSters,
Learning more each time;
Building our own PLC,
Going it alone at times.
Bringing our leaders
To learn what we learned;
They in turn
Go back and teach.
Prodding and pushing
Along the way
All eyes on those they serve.
Some have gone the extra mile,
Some have lagged behind,
Some even changed their course,
And others said, “Good bye”.
The road isn’t finished;
There is more to pave.
The way isn’t straight and clear.
So much to learn,
So much to change,
But our goal is clear.
Keep focused,
Keep trying,
Keep pushing,
Keep going,
And in the end
Children and teachers are helped
Where the course is stayed.
We are stronger
And wiser,
The number has grown, and
We are ready to go some more.

Next Page: Story 1: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: The Dance of Foxdale