How Teacher Leaders Can Tangibly Improve Their PLCs

Imagine you’re a teacher leader—a department- or grade-level head—walking into your professional learning community (PLC). You’re about to review student achievement data from an assessment your team just completed. How do you ensure that your team moves from analysis to actionable strategies in the next 45 minutes?

Research has shown that PLCs can improve student learning and build teachers’ collective efficacy. But after the inspection phase—identifying core goals, reviewing lessons and units, analyzing data, building assessments, and reflecting on our impact—some PLCs struggle to move into the action phase, where strategies are implemented. 

Teacher leaders can serve as the WD-40 of the PLC process, reducing friction in order for ideas to flow seamlessly into practice. Here’s how you, too, can dodge PLC pitfalls and help drive instructional excellence.

1. Avoid the Trap of Analysis Paralysis

Endless data discussions can lead to analysis paralysis, when too much time is spent inspecting impact at the expense of making changes. One reason for analysis paralysis is a commonly held habit known as motion, which is preparing to take an action without actually taking the action. Penning a grocery list, signing up for a gym membership, and building an initial rubric are all examples of motion habits. Motion does require real effort—but there’s a certain safety in preparation, which avoids the fear of failure.

Teacher leaders can bridge the gap, and shift the focus, from motion (planning and preparing) to action (implementing strategies). Once the data and analysis have revealed areas for growth, the next questions should be as follows: 

• “What is one key challenge we need to address in the next two to three weeks?”
• “What’s the observable difference we want to see in students, the teacher, and the task within that time frame?” 
• “Which high-impact strategies can we implement to address this challenge now?”

These questions help teachers ensure that PLC meetings result in tangible improvements in the classroom.

2. Use a Framework for High-Quality Instruction

Without a solid framework, PLC discussions tend to center on certain settings, like putting students in small groups. But simply arranging students into small groups doesn’t automatically lead to better outcomes. In fact, this is a motion-based strategy. 

What matters are the actions that students are taking within those groups. Are students engaging in structured academic conversations? Differentiated tasks? Targeted questioning? PLCs should focus on building and refining a shared understanding of what high-quality instruction looks like—for instance, checking and responding to questions during the “I do phase” of a lesson. The goal is for every type of setting to be infused with purposeful, effective strategies. 

3. Reduce Friction for Implementation

Even with the best of intentions, it can be quite challenging to implement new strategies gleaned from PLCs. One key implementation barrier is called the friction of execution, which is when obstacles make it harder to put ideas into practice. 

To reduce the risk of friction of execution, PLCs must prioritize simplicity, slow pace, and clarity. Leaders can help ensure that other teachers do not feel overwhelmed. The more manageable, the better; new strategies should be scalable and linked to current practices, and teachers should also be provided with ample opportunities to model and observe others who are employing new strategies. The goal is to make implementation as easy as possible, so that PLC strategies become a natural part of a daily practice, rather than an added burden.

4. Balance Support with Accountability

Implementing high-impact strategies requires a delicate balance of support and accountability. Too often, PLCs emphasize accountability without providing the necessary support, leading to frustration and burnout. On the other hand, support without accountability can result in a lack of follow-through.

The best form of accountability is through high support. Leaders who provide high support are constantly checking in with team members to make sure they have what they need, while simultaneously identifying other ways to give structure to staff during the implementation of a new strategy. 

Once consistent, supportive practices are established, teacher leaders’ focus can gradually shift to precision: refining and perfecting strategies that are already in place. By regularly revisiting and celebrating the small wins, educators feel motivated to keep improving, and accountability becomes a positive force, rather than a punitive one.

Here are a few consistent, supportive accountability plans:

• End every meeting with “who… does what… by when.” Establish an expectation that everyone will take responsibility for an action and that they’ll lay out the specific time and place for that action.
• Begin every meeting with “who… did what… by when.” Start meetings by reaffirming the importance of closing the loop between taking action and inspecting our actions. 
• Incorporate observational strategies to ensure that teachers and students are in action together. Teachers may otherwise implement an action that puts all of the responsibility on themselves. New strategies should lead to observable changes for the student and the teacher.

Move Forward in Your PLC

The transition from inspection to implementation of high-impact strategies requires teacher leaders to avoid analysis paralysis, rely on a strong instructional framework, reduce friction, and balance support with accountability. By following these steps, your PLC can become a useful and effective part of the change process.

Remember, the goal of a PLC isn’t just to reflect on, and analyze, our teaching—it’s to celebrate, improve, and sustain it. By focusing on actionable strategies and supporting each other during the implementation process, teachers can ensure that PLC efforts lead to real, lasting improvements in student learning.