TLN Teacher Voices

Here's Why Teachers Quit

Back in 2007, we titled a post at our companion blog Teacher Leadership Today this way: "Why Do Teachers Quit?" Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that over the intervening 3 1/2 years, a number of teachers have found their way to that post and added a comment. The most recent appeared just this week. It comes from a young teacher in Louisiana and is worth highlighting, because it may offer an answer. It certainly expresses the frustration many feel.

I am a young, motivated third-year third grade teacher. I have moved schools, moved grade levels, and had my first child in the last three years. I have also survived a district-wide reduction in force. My mother is a former classroom teacher and currect administrator, so I knew what I was getting into. However, I am starting to realize that eventually we get burned out.

In my opinion, it isn't the teaching part that is exhausting. Teaching is the most enjoyable part of my day. Surprisingly, I also enjoy analyzing data and using it to create effective lesson plans. I think it is exciting and challenging to develop ways to close the gap of educational deficits of my students.  I am like many young teachers. We are not incompetent or unwilling. 

Despite my enthusiasm concerning instruction, I am burning out as well. It seems that I must continuously manage extra things for which there is simply no time. For example, tonight I'm consumed with a plethora of technology issues, an action plan for updating classroom workstations with excercises to address weaknesses my class as shown on formative assessments, and papers to grade. You see, I have had much constructive professional develoopment. However, these in-services leave me with a list of new things to implement and...you guessed it...no additional time to put what I have learned into practice in my classroom. I feel that if I had just one student-free day in my classroom, I could keep my head above water.

Additionally, paperwork as a teacher is a nightmare. There are times at work that I neglect my paperwork because I place my students as first priority. After being reprimanded, I realize that I'm just going to have to learn to place my students on the back-burner. I suppose paperwork is simply more important to administrators. 

So why am I burnt out? I don't have enough time to plan and coordinate quality instructional strategies, and I have to spend much of my available time pushing paper. Did I mention I have a family at home to take care of?

Top 5 Reasons Teachers Don't Get Involved in Education Policy

Teacher Ariel Sacks blogs at the TLN website under the banner "On the Shoulders of Giants." In a recent post she identifies the top five reasons teachers avoid contact with education policy -- and refutes each one. Here's the first:

* * * * *

Recently on the Teacher Leaders Network, I landed in a discussion about the many great teachers we know who, for a variety of reasons, stay far away from education policy.  In this post, I'm trying to respond to what I see as the top five reasons teachers tend not to get involved.

One: It's not my job to be involved in education policy.  

My Response: While it's not in our job description to be involved in education policy, it is in our best interest to voice our perspectives, because policies directly affect the conditions of our work, our ability to do our best for our students, and our willingness to stay in teaching. 

Historically, teachers have been the recipients of policies written by outsiders, higher up on the ladder than we are. We experience the results of decisions and usually have plenty to say about how they play out in our schools.  How many times have you issued some choice words about the latest education legislation at lunch with a group of colleagues?  Why not hone that message and share it with a wider audience?  Also, if the policy makers are at the top of the education pyramid, who does that leave at the bottom?  Students and parents.  And that's just not right.  We need to challenge the current hierarchy so that the people who matter most in American public education, students, parents, and teachers, have a bigger voice. Teachers, especially, who are most directly responsible for the' education of students, need to be heard on the issues. 

via teacherleaders.typepad.com

A Long Journey to a Balanced Life

The Well Balanced Teacher
by Mike Anderson
(ASCD, 2010)

Reviewed by Kristen Sluiter
Fifth Grade Teacher (WA)

New Millennium Network

In the spirit of full disclosure, it took me months to finally finish Mike Anderson's The Well Balanced Teacher: How to Work Smarter and Stay Sane Inside the Classroom and Out. Anderson taught for 15 years and shared that around his 5th year he realized he was working more than in his first year. In my fourth year of teaching, Anderson’s observation was one I’d recently happened upon, too.

One of the main reasons it took me months to finish this book was that, frankly, the first chapters did not resonate with me. I was looking for advice on how to set up a weekly schedule to balance my needs as a person and my needs as a teacher.

Each chapter takes on a new topic about how to create balance in one’s teaching career. By chapter 3 entitled "Belonging: Becoming an Integral Part of a Community," I was fed up. The previous two chapters were about the importance of managing stress and meeting my most basic needs like sleep and nutrition. As far as I was concerned, I didn’t need any more ho-hum reminders that eating well, keeping an exercise log, feeling safe at school, finding a way to disconnect from school, and getting enough sleep were key.

I dismissed the book for months as I struggled to find my own routine for balance. After discovering for myself that it takes small steps to create balance (and sometimes in the most unexpected ways), I picked The Well-Balanced Teacher back up again to give it another try.

As I neared the end of the book, I finally engaged. It was in the very last chapter, "Balance: The Importance of Balancing Our Time and Energy," that I found what I needed. It had sample schedules of two different teachers with varying needs/lifestyles. And it offered solid advice that anyone who might be struggling could get behind.

To paraphrase, it acknowledged that there isn’t enough real time for all we need to do but that if we carve out time for nonnegotiables, figure out what to eliminate, learn to say no, work more efficiently and leverage the strictness of our schedules, we might just have it made.

And there in the Afterword, was a note from the author that validated what I’d figured out in the months away from the book: Take small steps and start now.

"Why Boys Like to Sew in My Class"

Susan Graham blogs under the TLN brand at Teacher Magazine. Her blog A Place at the Table offers a wonderful mix of reflections on education policy and practice, spiced with savory observations on the teaching life. This article for the ASCD Express online magazine draws on Susan's three decades of experience as a middle school home economics teacher who survived the transition to "Family and Consumer Sciences." In the Express's recent themed issue on Teaching Boys, Susan reveals that she actually has more males than females in her FACS classes these days. Quite a few more, in fact. And here's why:

The terms "machine" and "construct" provide insight into why my boys like to sew. At the risk of stereotyping by gender, boys are more likely to be kinesthetic learners; they are concrete, independent learners who are much more interested in solving problems than in absorbing content. Most students are more motivated when they "do" rather than when they are told, but a 13-year-old boy often really needs hands-on experiences at school. A sewing project requires students to read and follow sequential instructions and translate words on a page into a three-dimensional object. A boy who is resistant to literature often finds technical reading more engaging and more aligned to his long-term literacy needs. The mechanics of the sewing machine are a real-life lesson in the physics of interconnected simple machines.

However, workplace readiness skills are the core of my curriculum, and workplace readiness skills seem particularly appropriate for middle school boys. Although the adolescent transition of middle school girls may be dramatic, it is usually gradual. But middle school boys frequently explode into young adulthood in a period of months rather than years. They are impatient to be men, but they retain the impetuousness of childhood. Their enthusiasm to test their newfound skills and ideas is too often perceived as defiance or disruption.

They want control and independence, but rather than providing opportunities to develop responsibility and personal accountability, these boys are held to expectations that reflect values, priorities, and goals set by adults who never ask the boys what they thought was important. Adolescent boys tend to have more self-confidence than judgment, and they need to learn to assess their own level of competency. Working independently or in a small group to produce food or clothing is about as personal and immediate as learning can get. And performance is measurable when it goes in your mouth or on your back.

Great insights that reveal (once again) what the folks over in "electives" and "voc-tech" have to teach us all about engaging curriculum. Read more of what Susan has to say at the ASCD website.

Inside NBC's Teacher Town Hall

Elizabeth Stein, a special education teacher from Long Island NY, was invited to attend NBC’s Teacher Town Hall on Sept. 26. Stein, who is also National Board certified in literacy, shared this report with colleagues in the Teacher Leaders Network. (For another TLN account, see this blog post by Ariel Sacks.)

I consider myself lucky to have been one of the teachers in the crowd yesterday at the Teacher Town Hall. I’m still trying to make sense of the experience.

I actually experienced a full range of emotions. It was exciting to be around so many educators with a mission. It was exciting to speak with many teachers and get involved in some meaningful discussions. And I have to say, the energy in the place was riveting. However, frustration wins as my emotional theme for the day. I went in energized…and left even more so…
 
Interested and curious, I entered the makeshift studio of the NBC Teacher Town Hall (on the spot of the actual skating rink at Rockefeller Plaza). I had no idea what to expect.  According to the invitation, the Education Nation website, and all of the advertising leading up to the moment, there was that hint of hope that teachers would have a chance to make their voices heard.  

To register, participants were asked to think about and be ready to “brainstorm” what works in the classroom and what are the challenges in education today. In addition, teachers who registered for the online chat were asked to submit a brief (about 100-200 word) response to identify “one change you think could help to transform education in America.” I still was not sure how the actual experience would pan out. But I was ready. I was in the moment.

Just to be in a room with fellow educators was really a gratifying experience. And as Brian Williams came out five minutes before we were to go on air, I was still hopeful that we would have a chance to have our voices heard. And many did. Yet, as it unfolded I found, too often, that my hope got swept up in the messy swirl of frustration. What I thought would be a coming together of the minds turned into teachers sharing the challenges—with no opportunities for brainstorming and seeking solutions. (Ok, so I tend to be a tad idealistic at times.)

The best part was when Brian Williams introduced the “lightning” mode. He tried to allow the long line of teachers who stood waiting for their turn at the microphone,the opportunity to fit in whatever they could say in 15 seconds or less. I couldn’t help but wonder, what was the purpose? It seemed to be just to appease the teachers as if to say, "see you had your chance for your voice to be heard." Yet, I couldn't help but think, "sure these teachers are being heard...but who's really listening?"

It also seemed to me that the teachers who were able to share just validated points that we are all aware of. Or they shared personal stories that served to make them feel better for the moment. That's fine, but I continue to wonder, what about some real solutions?
 
Brian Williams definitely had a pre-determined list of topics that he was determined to mention. These topics included teaching with passion (teaching as a calling), recruitment and retention, low income schools, summer school, STEM, and teacher evaluations. Yet that’s all it seemed to be — fragmented mentions. Each teacher who was able to find his or her way to the microphone had a chance to mention whatever was on his or her mind. It was all just so fragmented. From where I sat, it felt like a venting session… some valid thoughts, but with no solutions in sight. And no one to really listen anyway.
 
I'd love to return to what the registration form claimed we'd discuss, but never really did.
 
What is one major change you think could help to transform education in America?
 
I'm still ready to discuss...and dare I say, hopeful?

Mandatory Reading for Teachers Coming into Spaces They Don't Understand

 Holler If You Hear Me (Second Edition)
by Gregory Michie
(Teachers College Press, 2009)

Reviewed by José Vilson
Middle School Math Teacher & Coach (NYC)
Teacher Leaders Network

It's been 11 years since Gregory Michie's book Holler If You Hear Me was first published, but the lessons we glean from this book are just as relevant. Take that how you will. With all this talk about education reform, a book like this would do well in everyone's teacher prep curriculum, particularly for those who are coming into an environment disparate from their own. Allow me to explain.

Gregory Michie goes from idealistic newbie to inspiring veteran in a few critical years. He does an excellent job of letting the actions and events of his career speak for themselves rather than bludgeoning points onto our heads about how to approach children. He tries his hardest to meet the students where they are, and give them the tools to analyze themselves and the people around them, only implicitly moving them in a good direction. We see the toil of his transformative curricula, arguing deftly for thematic classes and media literacy. We see the mistakes that trickle into disasters.

Throughout, I found myself putting the book down often, wincing at every sad tale of a misunderstood kid getting in trouble with the law and nodding delightfully when he reached those small moments of euphoria. Unlike other teacher-story media, you're pulling for Michie because he gets it. This "get-it"-ness comes through even in the introductions by Sandra Cisneros and Luis J. Rodriguez, who give insightful perspectives on this seminal work. With the droves of teachers now coming from all parts of the country into spaces where they don't understand the people they're working with, this is the type of insightful material they need to have on their list of mandatory reading.

In the last few pages, Michie likens some of the reviews of his first edition to a bad made-for-TV movie, where many of the experiences the reviewers describe are more fiction and exaggeration than actual text from the book. And it's probably best left that way. Books are much better than movies at conveying stories like these. Michie keeps it real.

José Luis Vilson is an educator, writer, and president of the Latin Alumni Network of Syracuse University (LANSU). He's co-author of the upcoming book Teaching 2030 and blogs his life.

An Excellent Teacher Restorative

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teacher Tales
by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor & Amy Newmark  with a Foreword by Anthony J. Mullen
Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishers (2010)

Reviewed by Laurie Wasserman, NBCT
Middle School/Learning Disabilities (MA)
Teacher Leaders Network

I love teacher books that inspire, and was longing for a book that could be read in quick bites that would revitalize and nurture my teacher spirit. Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teacher Tales - 101 Inspirational Stories from Great Teachers and Appreciative Students is the perfect book to pack in your book bag to read at school with lunch during a stressful day, savor with a cup of tea or coffee on a Sunday morning, or read on a plane.

The foreword is written by Tony Mullen, the 2009 National and Connecticut Teacher of the Year, who articulates why we need this book: These stories will restore our feelings of being valued, respected and appreciated, as well as some energy and passion too.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teacher Tales is divided into several sections, each written by a 2009 state teacher of the year, a former student wanting to publicly thank a special teacher, or a teacher who longed to share a laugh or tribute to a special student. The 11 sections are titled: “Why We Teach,” “First Year Tales, ”Learning From the Kids,” "Great Ideas,” “Thanks, I Needed That,” “That was Embarrassing,” “Touched by a Student,” “The Teacher Who Changed My Life,” “Tough Kids,” “Reconnecting” and “Reflections on Being a Teacher.” The stories are short, averaging just 3 pages each, but they are so articulate, beautifully written and motivating. They will make you laugh, cry and touch your heart. At the end of the book is a mini biography about each contributor, and some have even shared their e-mail addresses, should the reader choose to contact them.

The book includes several classroom tales written by colleagues of mine in the Teacher Leaders Network. In the reflection titled “Springtime Memory,” Cindi Rigsbee, the 2009 North Carolina Teacher of the Year and National TOY finalist, writes about Brian, a student she had in her 4th period class in 1990-1991 who was killed in Iraq. She reminiscences about the grin he always had on his face and how as his teacher, she has learned to look at her students not for who they are, but for what they will be someday, including possibly a hero. In “Going the Distance,” Bob Williams, the 2009 Alaskan Teacher of the Year, shares his thoughts on Cassidy, his angry student, and his difficulty trying to reach her with the assistance of her equally angry mother. He honestly shares his yearlong building of trust not only with Cassidy, but with her mom as well.

Teacher Tales is candid in its stories shared from the classroom. As teachers we often think back to that special student like Patricia Marini’s Kevonna, a frequent visitor to the principal’s office, who made us tear our hair out, but who we loved and wanted to help. Marini’s story will bring tears to your eyes and melt your heart. There’s a lighter side too, with stories like that of Illah Breen, who tells of being overly confident and having a fourth grader remind her of neglecting her spouse’s birthday. Her student, Jason, wrote a note to her spouse, begging forgiveness for her memory lapse and promised she would take him out for a nice birthday dinner. Or the revelation of Sarah Smiley, when she realizes that she is not just a teacher, but also the shocked parent of “The Naughty Kid” – after her 5-year-old son Owen tells her that “I switch tables every day, Mom. Each time I get in trouble the teacher finds me a new seat.”

Although I had never read any of the Chicken Soup books before, after having a wonderful first experience with this book, I look forward to savoring some of the others.

Day of the Teacher: Our Letters of Recommendation

A timely blog post by 2010 national teacher of the year finalist Kelly Kovacic – “Thank You Notes” – celebrates California's Day of the Teacher on May 12 by thanking teachers who were very important in her life and career. Kovacic got the idea after receiving a two-page letter from a student she had in advisory for seven years. "She attached a short note to the letter," explains Kovacic, "saying that, after all the letters of recommendation I wrote for her, she wanted to write one for me because 'you can never have too many letters of recommendation'."

Inspired by Kovacic's example, members of the Teacher Leaders Network daily discussion group set about writing thank-you notes and letters of recommendation of their own. A selection will appear today at the Teacher Magazine website. The rest, which we are sharing here, will be linked to the Teacher article. We encourage you to offer a thank you or recommendation letter of your own!

______________

Tayor Ross is a young first-grade teacher in Birmingham, Alabama. She serves on the Governor’s Teacher Quality Commission and is featured in multimedia that demonstrates state teaching quality standards.

Dear Mrs. Gaffney-Hsu,

When I entered your English class in ninth grade, it was like a dream come true. You were intelligent, thought-provoking, and interesting. You asked us questions that forced us to consider opinions and beliefs outside of ourselves. You helped me recognize a deep appreciation for writing that I didn't know existed. On a personal level, you began to invest in me as a student and friend. Your commitment to my learning, my confidence, and my overall well-being was a testament to your character. So much, in fact, that I remained a student of yours in the Theatre Department for two more years, choosing to stay behind the curtain with props and directing.

I will never forget the many hours we spent after school and on weekends in rehearals and preparations, but mostly I remember how most of us were dedicated because it meant we could share more time with you. You encouraged me to always expect more from myself, to be honest and compassionate when dealing with others, and to use my gifts and talents to make the world a better place. As a student in your classroom, I never dreamed I would end up in the same profession as you..but in all honesty, I don't think I would have if you hadn't shown me the impact one teacher can have. Thank you for being the teacher you are -- and were -- to students who needed you the most.

Cossondra George teaches seventh grade mathematics and social studies in rural Michigan. Her article for new teachers, “Taming the Dragon of Classroom Chaos,” is a perennial favorite at Teacher Magazine.

Kelly Kovacic inspired me to write this "letter of recommendation" for Mrs. Fair, my own 7th grade math teacher. During my years of school, I had many wonderful teachers who touched me in personal ways, serving to create the “me” of today who now teaches middle school. However, of all those teachers, Mrs. Fair stands out as the one who made the most significant difference in my life. When she came to our junior high -- young, pretty, in her impeccable clothes -- all of the girls looked up to her, wanting to be like her some day. She always looked the part of the perfect teacher, and best of all, she smelled wonderful! We were entranced from the start.

Once we got past being mesmerized by her picture perfect appearance, we discovered this wonderful, soft spoken, caring, kind, patient, guiding person who pushed us further than we'd ever been pushed before. Math had always been mundane, something I had done with rote patience, a task to be completed. But with Mrs Fair, math became exciting, engaging, a subject that made my mind twist and turn, thinking about concepts in a new way. I was hooked, forever hooked on math!

Even when I was struggling, she encouraged me. When I was confused, she believed in me. When I wanted to give up, she pushed me harder. Seventh grade was a turning point for me. I learned how to be a student, how to experience success through unconditional teaching. Mrs. Fair was the reason. And the reason I would someday stand in front of 7th graders, trying to impart the same skills to them in the way she did to me.

Review: In Difficult Times, a Positive Message for Teachers

Finding Mrs. Warnecke: The Difference Teachers Make
by Cindi Rigsbee
(Jossey-Bass, 2010)

Reviewed by Gail Tillery, NBCT
High School English & Literacy (GA)
Teacher Leaders Network

Every day in this country, it seems that teachers are being bashed somewhere. Budget cuts are affecting every school system in the country. A Georgia leader was recently quoted as saying, “Teachers will have to make the sacrifice” as the state legislature fought to balance the budget. Entire faculties are being fired in the name of not achieving “adequate yearly progress.” Across the nation, it seems that teachers are being blamed for all the ills of public education. As a result, morale is hitting an all-time low as we struggle to maintain our positive attitude and continue to persevere and do what’s best for kids. Increasingly, we feel powerless—as if our voices are going unheard and our needs and those of our students are being ignored.

In the midst of the angst, a refreshing book has arrived which reminds its readers of the true power and magic of what we do every day. Cindi Rigsbee’s new memoir, Finding Mrs. Warnecke, is a lovely little book which sends a message of the positive power which every teacher can tap into—if only we can learn to find it.

Rigsbee’s story reads like a movie. She went from scoring at “below standard” on an early teacher evaluation to becoming a finalist for National Teacher of the Year in 2009. As a child, after a dismal beginning in first grade, she was rescued from a cold, militant teacher when the principal removed her and several other children from the classroom, one month into the school year. She and her classmates followed her principal to a dank, dark, basement classroom, where she met Mrs. Warnecke, the teacher who would transform her life and inspire her for years to come.

Besides describing her “magical” year with Mrs. Warnecke, Rigsbee also recounts her early career as a teacher. In her first school, she was given five class preparations and three coaching/sponsoring assignments. While this should not surprise any veteran teacher, it still qualifies as teacher abuse. At the end of that year, facing a forced transfer, she resigned and did not return to teaching for seven years. When she did return as a sub, her first class literally left the room and ran away. When she got her own classroom in February, she was the fourth teacher in that position in a year’s time. It would be an understatement to say that she got off to a rough start.

Rigsbee’s determination and perseverance, however, proved invaluable. She writes more than once, “I asked for help.” She tried different methods and lesson plans; she looked for ways to connect with her students, and over time her practice began to bloom. She began to receive accolades (she was twice named a regional North Carolina Teacher of the Year), and she continued to work with students to help them achieve their full potential.

Rigsbee is at her strongest when she writes about her love for kids. The theme that permeates her work is to build strong connections and relationships with all students. She writes about the importance of making the kids feel as if everyone is on the same side. She realizes that making kids the enemy will cause her to lose. She has learned that connecting with students keeps her classroom from being a battlefield, and it is obvious that her students over the years have responded to her unconditional love and care for every one of them.

PLCs at Work: An Interview with Teacher-Author Bill Ferriter

Bill Ferriter’s participation in the Teacher Leaders Network began in March 2003, on the very first day of TLN’s existence. We kicked off TLN with an email conversation among 200 accomplished teachers, mostly from states in the southeast. The idea was to stage a series of 3-day chats exploring some key professional issues and then see who wanted to stick around and become the nucleus of a national virtual community of classroom educators.

By the end of the six-week startup, Bill’s provocative questioning and his willingness to reflect on his own professional practice — tarnish and all — made him a leader in our fledgling community. He’s gone on to serve as a TLN Senior Fellow, co-author of a major TLN TeacherSolutions report, and the internationally respected TLN blogger known as The Tempered Radical, whose lively mix of classroom practice, policy and politics, and digital learning topics attracts a broad audience and recently led to a monthly column, Digitally Speaking, in Educational Leadership magazine.

As it turns out, Bill’s willingness—compulsion, even—to bare his teaching soul makes him one heck of a book author, too. Building a Professional Learning Community at Work: A Guide to the First Year, co-written with principal Parry Graham, grows out of a several-year struggle by Bill and a group of teacher colleagues at his North Carolina middle school to learn to collaborate in powerful ways. In this interview, Bill recounts some of the pain and gain of that trial by fire, and how he and Graham went about translating their own experiences into a practical primer for other educators who might be willing to set forth on a similar journey.

As a bonus, I've asked Bill to speak to fellow teachers who harbor their own desire to write a book from their teaching lives. Bill generously shares his secret to publishing success, but I’ll warn you in advance. It involves a lot of writing. – John Norton, co-founder and moderator, Teacher Leaders Network.

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What created the burn to write a book for teachers just beginning to explore PLCs? Give us some history.

Bill Ferriter: I think the burn to write a book for teachers just beginning their work with professional learning communities is a product of my own early struggles and successes with collaboration. About five years ago, I had the opportunity to open a new middle school being built as a PLC from the ground up—and I was paired on a learning team with five of the most intelligent and capable language arts and social studies teachers that I’d ever met.

The problem was that we had no real idea what it was that we were supposed to be doing with each other, and that led to early frustrations. Our initial meetings were rambling, unfocused affairs and we often felt like failures. We fought through personal conflicts and professional disagreements, though, and eventually found a working rhythm and synergy that made all of us better teachers. I wanted to try to make those early struggles transparent to other teachers, hoping that the lessons my team learned might sustain others when the inevitable challenges of collaboration arise.

Collaborative work can make any teacher more productive and professionally satisfied, but only when early efforts at collaboration are structured and meaningful. Parry and I believe that Building a Professional Learning Community at Work can provide some of that structure for learning teams at any stage of their professional work together.

Your book is filled with action-oriented subheads, reproducibles, practical recommendations — there's even an annotated chapter guide divided into seasons of the year. It has the feel of authors who have been there and done that. How much easier might things be for teacher teams who take your advice?

Bill Ferriter: I think the real strength of Building a Professional Learning Community at Work is that Parry and I are both full-time practitioners. I still meet with a learning team every week, trying to identify instructional practices that work and ensure the success of every child. Parry still works as a building principal, trying to create the systems that enable teachers and students to thrive.

That first-hand experience with the real work of learning teams is evident in every chapter, handout and subtitle in our text. Our suggestions, strategies, and materials are suggestions, strategies and materials that we’ve used successfully in our work—and the text is really nothing more than a public reflection of the learning that we’ve done as we’ve tried to make professional learning communities happen in our own schools.