Ten minutes is typically the amount of time that I give for this section of the meeting. Leading the meeting with exciting or positive news can be helpful in setting the tone for the PLC. Celebrations and “wins of the week.” I’m very big on celebrations and wins, especially if it’s been a tough week or if a challenging topic is being covered.Reserving five minutes at the very beginning of the meeting to welcome everyone and give key updates about what’s going on helps start the meeting off positively, as well as providing important information that can help inform practice. If you couple that with celebrations or “wins” that you have been noticing, it can help you and your team be solution oriented. Determining areas of need or concern is always a great way to help tackle pertinent issues that departments or content areas may be facing.

Determine critical needs-and celebrations- in each department or content area.Examples include “Please be on time,” “This is a brave space,” and “Encourage participation.” Community agreements give the opportunity for the PLC to identify qualities that are important to them to function as a group. Give faculty and staff time to develop shared community agreements.Aim for a minimum of one meeting per month. If a vertical PLC meets intermittently, there are missed opportunities for growth and collaboration. Shared time is important, but consistent shared time is even more important. Encourage your faculty and staff to find a shared, consistent time to meet.For example, in a science vertical PLC, future ready might mean studying and understanding new advances in STEM, whereas in a related arts vertical PLC, future ready might mean connecting with industry professionals to speak about their career pathways. The important thing to consider with vertical PLCs is that, by department or content area, these indicators should look different. Mission and vision connect the entire school together, so why not do the same with vertical PLCs, where the entire department or content area has the opportunity to connect? For example, if it’s a core component of your school’s mission for your students to be future ready, vertical PLCs can define key indicators of success for each subject. Link vertical PLC purpose to the school’s mission and vision.

Plc agenda template solution tree