PLC Topics for Teachers in Ghana and NTS

PLC Topics for Teachers in Ghana

Professional Learning Community(PLC) and FOI. Highlights of the CCP Training

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A professional learning community or PLC, is a group of educators that meets regularly, shares expertise, and works collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of the students.

The Facilitator for the PLC activities is called the Curriculum Lead

Check this Fresh Guidelines for PLC During the WASSCE Period

Guidelines and Expectations

The membership of the PLC(HoS, CL, other staff) in consultation with key stakeholders(SISO, PTA/SMC etc).

Agrees on the PLC sessions( or meetings) schedules for the semester or term.

Identifies for the PLC sessions individual challenges in effective lesson delivery and innovative practices in teaching.

Creates common platform for members to share ideas, skills, knowledge and experience.

Identifies and invites good and willing facilitators for each session.

Keeps record of attendance of members during PLC meetings.

Sets SMART goals for best practices in the school to meet expected performance outcomes and targets.

Benefits of PLCs

Improves the skills and knowledge of educators through collaborative study, expertise exchange and professional dialogue
Builds effective team spirit
Improves trust among colleagues
creates enabling environment for openness and sharing of new ideas and resources.
You get CPD Points

Challenges

Some few challenges includes Facilitators not taking part in the PLC
Disrespect among Colleagues
Unsolved problems

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How do we overcome the challenges

Getting everybody to participate fully and actively in PLC activities
Building mutual respect among colleagues and sharing personal challenges and experiences.
Finding solutions to identified problems on time.

Curriculum Lead

Develops agenda, schedules and leads PLC meetings
Facilitate meetings, Prepares reports and keeps PLC records.
Collates challenges of teachers and in consultation with the head of school arranges for resource persons.
work closely with colleagues in building formidable leadership teams and learning school
sustains the changes process required to operate as a PLC

JHS/SHS Teacher

Participate actively in all PLC sessions and activities
Implement the CCP Curriculum, prepares scheme of lessons according to specification and keep track of challenges or difficulties encountered
Try new teaching, strategies and practices discussed during PLC sessions and share challenges and success stories with colleagues.

Topics for PLC Sessions

SHS

Senior High Schools in the country have been provided with a manual to assist in guiding their Professional Learning Community (PLC) sessions. These sessions are held weekly, either in one session or two, to cover a specific topic.

Although the schools are provided with a manual for PLC sessions, they still need to adhere to the rules set for these sessions.

The purpose of PLC sessions is not to re-teach teachers what they already know, but to facilitate professional growth and support among colleagues, allowing them to act as agents of change and support for one another.

SB-PLC School Based PLC

At the senior high school level, PLC sessions are typically school-based. However, each department within the school may also organize their own PLC sessions to address internal departmental issues. Usually, the heads of departments (HoDs) act as the curriculum leads for these sessions.

DB-PLC Departmental Based PLC

Some schools also organize Cluster Base PLC sessions, where multiple teachers who teach the same subject at the same level (e.g., SHS 1 Social Studies, Science, or English Teachers) meet to share ideas, notes, and discuss the duration needed to complete a particular topic. This ensures that no teacher feels isolated, and they can teach the material in a similar manner. Afterward, they reflect on what happened during the previous topic and move on to the next one.

This allows the HoDs to stay informed about the progress and challenges in various aspects of the curriculum.

PLC sessions also provide an opportunity to review the chief examiners’ reports and recommended remedies.

The curriculum lead takes the time to review each topic, helping teachers who may struggle with certain strands or sub-strands.

These teachers are either given the necessary support to teach the topic or other colleagues step in and teach for them while they work on mastering that area.

PLC sessions in Senior High Schools are crucial for professional development and collaboration among teachers. It ensures that teachers are equipped with the necessary knowledge and support to deliver quality education to their students.

For the The National Teaching Standards and PLC Hand Book Volume 1.

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Basic Schools

In Basic Schools, NaCCA provides a Guide for PLC sessions; however, it does not specify specific topics like in the Senior High Schools (SHS).

Nevertheless, as a curriculum lead, there are several topics worth exploring during PLC sessions. Here are a few examples:

1. Effective teaching strategies for literacy and numeracy development.
2. Integrating technology into the classroom.
3. Differentiated instruction to meet the diverse learning needs of students.
4. Assessment and feedback methods to enhance student learning.
5. Collaborative learning strategies to promote student engagement.
6. Developing critical thinking skills in students.
7. Strategies for promoting inclusive education for students with special needs.
8. Culturally responsive teaching practices to create an inclusive and respectful learning environment.
9. Effective classroom management techniques.
10. Strategies for fostering positive parent-school partnerships.
11. Incorporating project-based learning into the curriculum.
12. Promoting social-emotional development in students.
13. Updating and aligning curriculum materials with the National Teaching Standards (NTS)
14. Addressing gaps in student achievement and implementing targeted interventions.
15. Strategies for promoting creativity and innovation in the classroom.

These topics are just a starting point, and curriculum leads can tailor them to the specific needs and priorities of their schools and students.

It is important to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the PLC sessions and adjust the topics accordingly to ensure continuous professional development and improvement in teaching practices.

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