Blazing New Trails - Connexions

Professional Learning Communities: A Feasible Reality or a Chimera? 49
CHARACTERISTICS OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES
Harris and Muijs (2005) stated that professional learning communities “configure
themselves differently according to context, phase, size, and external plus internal conditions”
(p. 49). However, they should all present certain key traits. These include sharing best
practice, building a positive school culture, improving student learning, taking collective
responsibility, using data wisely, providing shared leadership, effecting planned change, and
creating supportive structures (Wells & Feun, 2007). They involve teams that are open to
critical thinking, reflective dialogue, self-examination, and resolving issues that might restrict
student learning (Rasberry, with Mahajan, 2008). Sparks (2005) summarized this by stating,
“Everyone is both a teacher and a student” (p. 164).
Although each professional learning community may be somewhat unique, probably
the most crucial characteristic is the existence of peer collaboration in making shared
decisions. For this to be successful, there must be a climate of trust, trust among the faculty
members and trust between the faculty members and the principal (DuFour et al., 2005; Eilers
& Camacho, 2007; Giles & Hargreaves, 2006; Gregory & Kuznich, 2007; Harris & Muijs,
2005; McEwan, 2009; Rasberry, with Majahan, 2008; Silins & Mulford, 2004; Wahlstrom &
Louis, 2008).
Accompanying this shared decision making must be widespread leadership (DuFour et
al., 2005; Eilers & Camacho, 2007; Little, 2000; Rasberry, with Mahajan, 2008; Printy, 2008;
Silins & Mulford, 2004; Wahlstrom & Louis, 2008). Faculty members all bring unique sets of
knowledge, dispositions, and skills; as such, as situations and needs change, leadership needs
to flow fluidly to the faculty member (or principal) best equipped to meet that challenge.
Leadership becomes a process, rather than a role. For this to occur, faculty members must be
acutely aware of their skills and of their colleagues’ skills, and must feel that their leadership
is needed and appreciated.
For shared decision making and widespread leadership to result in actions beneficial to
the school and to its students, everyone (teachers, principals, staff, students, parents, and
community members) must have shared expectations, a common mission and goals, and a
shared value system regarding teaching, learning, and relating to others (Gregory & Kuznich,
2007; Harris & Muijs, 2005; Little, 2000; Rasberry, with Majahan, 2008; Reeves, 2005;
Silins & Mulford, 2004; Wahlstrom & Louis, 2008). These characteristics define the culture
of the school; in the presence of widespread leadership and shared decision making, only
when these beliefs are widely shared and deeply held will the school move in consistent
directions.
Crucial to this shared culture is a need for shared adult accountability (Gregory &
Kuznich, 2007; Reeves, 2005). With teachers sharing decision making and leadership, student
success is no longer just the responsibility of that student’s teacher(s); everyone in the school
bears shared responsibility. A teacher’s success is no longer a matter strictly between the
teacher and the principal; the teacher’s colleagues must now accept responsibility for helping
the teacher to succeed—or to help that teacher to leave the school if success is not
forthcoming.
For this to happen, other characteristics of professional learning communities are
essential: shared practice and peer observations (Gregory & Kuznich, 2007; Harris & Muijs,
2005; Little, 2000; McEwan, 2009; Rasberry, with Majahan, 2008; Wahlstrom & Louis,
2008). Teachers have traditionally been isolated within their own classrooms. Other than the
mentors of neophyte teachers, very few teachers have conducted formal observations of their