BEYOND COLLABORATION IN A PLC Shared Leadership

What is Shared Leadership? Groups taking ownership of a problem Working interdependently toward solutions Open, honest, critical communication Seeking a common good Learning for all participants in the group

What isn’t Shared Leadership? A leader directing a team’s activities and goals One person determining answers Top down communication Secrecy  Goals  Learning

Why Shared Leadership in a PLC? Can one leader answer all the questions?  What do we want students to know and do?  How will we know when they’ve learned?  What will we do when they don’t learn?  What will we do if they already know it?

What are the Advantages of Shared Leadership? Ownership of the problem Learning toward solutions Sharing of best practices and knowledge Synergy  Building a better mouse trap

Are There Disadvantages? Responsibility for problem  Can’t point fingers Time and effort  Different results don’t happen with the same procedures Exposure  You can’t hide or “take a free ride”

Isn’t This Just Good Collaboration? Yes and No  Must work collaboratively to achieve goals  Common target  Collaborative protocols  Shared tasks  Beyond Collaboration  Elevating  Responsibility and ownership

How Can Shared Leadership be Developed in Our PLC? Break from traditional leadership  What hierarchy currently exists?  How do you solve problems? Bump it up?  Who provides answers and solutions Change communication procedures  Must do s change to opportunities for conversations that are open and honest  Set norms and expectations for the work  Define the problem clearly, and the need for ownership for all participants

How Can Shared Leadership be Developed in Our PLC? Begin to change the culture  Relationships become professional, not just social  Learning becomes the target of PLCs  Adult learning will grow as the answers to the PLC questions are tackled Don’t expect overnight changes  Long road toward change  Reason for change must make sense

Last Word Activity Take 10 minutes to read “Shared Leadership,” by Michele Erina Doyle and Mark K. Smith Highlight portions that make you connect with or about which you have questions Form a group of three One person begins the conversation by reading her highlighted portion Both of the other two in the group comment on their thoughts regarding the portion just read. The reader remains silent, and once the other two have concluded, she makes her comments, getting “the last word.” Repeat for the other two participants, and continue discussion of the article

Conclusion “In the final analysis, the success of each generation of students will depend not upon the knowledge of researchers and authors, but upon the collective expertise, shared commitments and purposeful action of the mean and women who shape students’ school experiences each day.” DUFOUR, EACKER, DUFOUR ON COMMON GROUND, P.6

References Doyle, M. E., Smith, M.K “Shared Leadership” infed.org downloaded 11/6/08