Chapter 8

Abstract:
This chapter is about leadership and its importance in teaching, learning and relationships. Leaders are extremely important for the long term maintenance of professional learning communities. The quality of leadership by principles and teachers, directly effects how effective teaching and learning will be in a school. Leaders are extremely important to overcome the barriers which most professional learning communities come across. There are three fundamental barriers which all professional learning communities come across. These are a lack of clarity regarding values, intentions and beliefs, a dependence on people outside of the school to tackle school problems, and a sense of resignation that robs educators of energy.
Successful learning communities are places where everyone is both a teacher and a student. Leaders need to invest time and energy into engaging those around them into the idea of both teaching and learning. A leader needs to commit to teaching, create the conditions being taught and help students have self confidence to engage and teach as well. Leaders need to have Teachable Points of View. Teachable Points of View are cohesive sets of ideas and concepts that a leader can clearly articulate to others. It’s basically like having a mission statement or a cohesive goal. Creating these TPV’s is what makes people great leaders. The chapter recommends writing as a way to create a TPV, specifically writing about plc’s., and other important subjects to a school. These range from 5 minute power speeches about visions or a mission to full day interactive activities. TPV’s have many different purposes, and can be implemented as a dialogue answering the question “who am I?” “Who are we” or “where are we going?” Dialogue in PLCS should focus on shared meaning and learning, should respect differences, should suspend role and status distinctions and should involve sharing responsibility and leadership.

Reflection:
I definitely agree that good leadership is really important if you want to have an effective PLC or an effective school in general. Schools that lack strong leadership also suffer academically and in student learning in my opinion. A good leader isn’t an authoritarian dictator who tells everyone what to do and accepts no other ideas. A good leader is accepting and is a teacher and a learner in my opinion. I was kind of confused by the way TPV’s were explained in the chapter, but I think they are pretty much just mission statements, speeches or activities about certain important aspects of PLC’s or important aspects of teaching and learning. I think it is important for leaders to implement these kinds of activities to get everyone on the same page, especially if you want to have a successful PLC. I don’t think a PLC would ever work with an unenthusiastic, unmotivated leader. These are two extremely important qualities in any leader, as well as the fact that they need to be accepting and open to ideas. I think that like in any situation, a group, community or an institution without a good motivated leader will rarely last long. Leadership is very important.