From PD to PLC: The Next Step in Our Writing Journey

Learning is always occurring whether in the classroom
 or PLC; with students or with adults.  

If you missed the beginning of our writing journey this school year, you can read about it here. At that time I mentioned that the journey had just begun and this is only the next step as our journey to better meet the writing needs of our students continues.

As with most everything, it's through much collaboration
that our systems are perfected. 

With resources in hand, our building began to use the Lucy Calkins materials to help guide writing instruction with a clearer idea of what grade level rigor should look like. Our principal provided  an opportunity for grade levels to talk about writing during a half-day PLC. During this time, we were able to bring unit writing samples and talk about grade level proficiency. Although calibration was not our primary focus, it was definitely a great opportunity to start those conversations. Administrators, facilitators and teachers all sat around the table to get a better understanding of grade level work and participate in the process. The rich conversations were enlightening especially since the provided rubric is based on grade level standards instead of generalized indicators. The positive feedback indicated how the rubric focuses on what the student can do and matches those indicators to grade level proficiency. We walked away from our time with a deeper understanding and writing SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely) goals set for our next writing PLC. Because of our current level using data to drive instruction as Miss Mills discusses here, this protocol was a natural next step. This protocol for analyzing student data was introduced by another school in our district to the principles, and the assistant principals and finally to the instructional facilitators. With this common message presented at the district level, we were able to see how the benefits of this protocol could help guide the conversations at our building.

Once a few modifications were made, we were ready to implement. One thing I greatly appreciate at Jones is not having the pressure for a system to be perfected before we give it a whirl. As with most everything, it's through much collaboration that our systems are perfected.

These PLCs occurred at each grade level in late November/early December. Fast forwarding to January, we again focused our professional development on writing and used an entire in-service day to meet with grade level teams to reflect on student progress toward meeting goals, score additional writing, and start the protocol again with the current unit of study. The current information will be incorporated into grade level interventions. Learning is always occurring whether in the classroom or PLC; with students or with adults. 

Shifts in Writing Instruction

Lucy Calkins helped guide our uncertainty when it came to the shift in instruction under common core with her book Pathways to Common Core. She states, "As challenging as it must have been to write and finesse the adoption of the Common Core State Standards, that accomplishment is nothing compared to the work of teaching in ways that bring all students to these ambitious expectations. The goal is clear. The pathway is not." 
This book was our starting point a few years ago and read at the building level to help staff begin unpacking the standards and understand the key shifts with instructional implications. It was only natural that we returned to her resources when struggling to figure out what writing should look like.  
Because our curriculum units are collaboratively designed by teachers across the district, writing conversations within planning meetings included the benefits of using her resources by teachers in other buildings. Mrs. Pianalto, a first grade teacher passionate about writing, approached me about the Units of Study resources to support our writing instruction. Our journey with her resources began during our back-to-school professional development where I highlighted many common concerns with writing and how her resources could begin to bridge the instructional gaps. Some of the obstacles I see these resources helping to tackle are:

1. I want to communicate expectations to my students in a way they can understand and use when the current rubric doesn't.
2. How can I make sure my writing workshop supports common core standards?
3. I don’t understand the writing process for my students several grade levels behind?
4. Help me know specific skills my kids should be able to do throughout the year to reach end of the year standards.
5. I need grade level common core writing samples for all three types of writing from a credible source.
6. I always need more examples of anchor charts and annotated student work.
7. I’m out of ideas for specific feedback and next steps for my students
8. Sharing resources is difficult.

As an instructional facilitator, I continuously look for solutions to problems. During our professional development, I was able to address these concerns and point to resources. We found that the Writing Pathways Book (in each grade level set) includes student-friendly checklists for each domain of writing at grade levels K-5. A Common Core alignment is given on the back cover of each of the 4 writing area books. Writing Pathways shows grade specific alignment of the writing process learning progression K-8 throughout the year based on CCSS’ Levels of Proficiency. In the Writing Pathways book, you can see grade level samples across level in each of the areas of writing as well as annotated writing samples organized by type of writing and grade level. If...Then...Curriculum organizes student or conferring group descriptor, suggested conversation/strategy, and an artifact to leave with the student in their notebook when conferring with writers. To help make materials easy to access, a Google folder was shared with staff that organizes checklists, student samples, anchor chart examples, continuums, etc. by grade level.

The hunger for these resources was amplified as teachers incorporated further study with these books into professional growth plans and PLCs. This step is only the prologue as our journey has just begun, but I appreciate the teacher enthusiasm and the feedback I have received in just a short time. I can't wait to continue these words with teacher and student success.