Professional Development Through Professional Learning Communities

Professional Learning Communities allow faculty to focus their professional development efforts in an area of unique or strong interest. Following successful completion, each member will be provided a certificate of completion by the Brobst Center for Teaching and Learning Services to document their faculty development work in their Quality Faculty Plan.

The following assumptions underlie professional learning communities:

• Faculty is energized and more effective if they can collaborate with their peers about teaching and learning.

• People learn more through active construction of knowledge rather than through passive reception of information.

• Personal interest increases motivation to learn. Great questions create enthusiastic, inquisitive learning.

• Good teachers are grown, fostered, and supported.

• Teaching excellence increases student learning.

• A collaborative culture strengthens an organization’s ability to achieve goals.

• People have an inherent desire to learn and contribute.

• Learning is both fun and rewarding.

Getting Started

1. Identify an area of study, a goal for improvement, or a collaborative project for which you have an interest.

2. Find three to five more people who share this area of interest. A community size of four to six is best.

3. Together, complete the Professional Learning Communities Charter form and have your community facilitator send the completed form to the Director of the Brobst Center for Teaching and Learning Services.

Meeting with your Professional Learning Community

Begin meeting as outlined on your Charter. At the end of each meeting, the facilitator will send the meeting notes and each member’s completed activity/reflection sheet to the Director of the Brobst Center for Teaching and Learning Services.