Customer Reviews

Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don't Learn

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The heart of the entire idea of Professional Learning Communities is that they respond to the needs of the students in a more directed, individualized way than before. The other books on PLCs ("Professional Learning Communities at Work" and "On Common Ground", for example) talk in passing about the intervention part of a PLC, but this is the book that finally tells you what that intervention model can look like.

There's something in here for every school. The most convincing chapters are probably 3 and 4 wherein we hear how one high school evolved into a responsive learning environment that really did manage to be all things to all people. Chapter 5 (on a middle school) didn't really add much to the book, but chapters 6 and 7 talk about two different elementary schools that adopted the PLC framework and the great results they achieved.

The content that makes this PLC book stand above the rest is the focus on details. At times the other books on PLCs fell into platitudes and back-patting about how nice PLCs are; you don't find that here. There are lots of specifics, lots of details, and after reading it I felt really good about the direction that my school could go.

In short--highest recommendations, and must-read material for anyone working with PLCs!

Basic ideas are sound, but I think nothing ground-breaking. I felt that each chapter could have been shortened into a paragraph or two. At most, this should have been an essay. Based on the way the book was written, I got the feeling that the authors were trying to influence the reader much the same way as a cult would try to brainwash a prospective member. While I agree that teachers should teach children to learn, I feel that the student will be in trouble upon graduation as the system of support will be gone. They will have to perform or fail... period. I felt the book to be too wordy, too preachy, too liberal... did I say too wordy?

I find it troubling that so much of this author's claim lies at the fountainhead of what he calls learning, but where does he explain what "learning" actually is? He appears to skirt around this issue in every chapter. After reading the book, I am left with the feeling that learning, for DuFour, is something that I do as a teacher when I fill students' heads up with information. I take my pitcher of what-is-to-be-learned and carefully pour it in each student's head. According to DuFour, some heads are not equipped with funnels, so a cadre of teachers assemble to cascade what-is-to-be-learned, pouring waterfall-like liquids of learning over various student heads in the hopes that some of the precious liquid will stay. By the end of twelfth grade, because a deluge of learning has been cast at the students, enough of the learning-liquid should be present for adult proficiency. There is one major part with this metaphor that bothers me, though: What role do students play in learning? Again, according to DuFour, students are only vessels to contain learning. To be honest, I've never thought of my students as cups or glasses.

The author documents an intervention for severe student apathy towards studies. The book is a quick read, appropriate for general readers as well as school staffs.

DuFour and associates' (2004) Whatever it Takes: How Professionals Respond When Kids Don't Learn offered a comprehensive collection of definitions relating to teacher leadership and professional learning communities. The authors challenged the utopian concept of "learning for all" and suggested collaborative remedies when typical student interventions did not work. The authors suggested to the reader that support for remediation should not be left up to the individual teachers. Examples of schools demonstrating PLC's framework and new methods of administrative leadership are presented in the text.
The strengths in DuFour and associates' (2004) book included the emphasis on finding solutions from the "collective intelligence" within the campus. The four schools described in the writings illustrated interdependency among the staff. Extra effort was included to define collaboration and the need to create a team vision to guide further group decision making. The text offered solutions on what to do when students are not learning. The book would be a valuable tool for a new principal. DuFour and associates (2004) definition of PLC's would help in understanding the purpose for aligning the school mission with the school structure.

Studies of this sort seem most relevant when the overall budgets decrease the numbers of those professionals with time to concentrate on the poor performers. With specific kinds of testing and follow through individual students can be identified and helped before too much time has passed and the road to recovery looks too difficult. There are some excellent suggestions and descriptions of tried and true programs in this book.

Good ideas, well presented with real life examples and explanations for some of the easy criticisms. As stated in the book, this is not a new math or reading program, it is a strategy for reaching all students.

Honestly, I was sure the quiz was pretty simple. Direct object and indirect object. If you just followed the pattern I purposely set up in most of the sentences, you'd be fine. But, sure enough, I'm looking at a fair amount of F's in my pile of papers. I hand them back the next day. Any kid with an F, has a note stapled to the front about where to go for the reteach and the retest.
"Mr. Bowen, what if you're fine with your grade?"
"Then it's my job to care in your place. Until you come around."

It's air-tight. The teachers in the PLC take turns doing the reteach and test at lunch each week. During the PLC meetings, teachers take another look at that quiz, figure out what percentage failed and who had the best results. Discussions continue about how that teacher's strategies might work in other classes.

A few years ago, none of this would have happened and now it's second nature. The teachers have adopted the PLC model from this book and it has made a huge difference for our kids. There are still so many strategies from the book to try and incorporate with what we're doing now, but the PLC model alone has helped us raise grades, raise test scores, and raise student confidence. I highly recommend this book for any staff looking to make a real difference.

Chris Bowen
Author of Our Kids: Building Relationships in the Classroom

I really enjoyed reading this book. The hard part is realizing how long it can take a school to get to the point of really responding appropriately when a kid isn't learning. I love the idea that it is the whole schools responsibility, not just the teacher. If you are really looking to change the culture of the school this book is a great resource.

This is a fantastic book that demonstrates what a committed community of learners can accomplish to improve learning for all students. The ideas are testimonials of ways to bring about change through Professional Learning Communities (PLC's). The most interesting findings in this book are that lots of money was not available to bring about these changes, in fact, most of the strategies involved taking what already existed and using time or professionals in a different manner. I am spellbound by the changes shared in the schools featured in this book. I applaud the commitment of each staff member that embraced the clarity of purpose, the collaborative culture, the collective inquiry into best practice and current reality, the action orientation, the commitment to continuous improvement, the focus on results, the support of strong principals who empower teachers, and those that remained committed to face adversity, conflict, and anxiety. BRAVO!!!