School as Professional Learning Communities
If we are to engage students in enquiry-driven, relevant and interest-led learning, the professional learning our teachers undertake should be too. In an education system, teachers are our most important asset and their opportunities to learn and grow should be in alignment with our broader vision for learning in Bermuda and what we want students to achieve at school.
The Bermuda Public School System’s new approach to professional learning will strengthen the capabilities of schools to be vibrant professional learning communities (PLCs) in which teachers can continuously develop their practice throughout their careers, and bring to life new pedagogies, curricula and assessment practices in Parish Primary Schools and Signature Schools.
Professional learning that makes a difference
Just as student learning is changing to meet the needs of young people in a changing world, so is the professional learning for our educators.
Four new models of professional learning
Four new models of professional learning have been designed to support the development of schools as PLCs by providing a set of evidence-based tools that Principals and Professional Learning Coordinators can use consistently across the system to quality assure the learning teachers engage with; and to enable collaboration by individuals and teams across schools. Together they work to prepare teachers to implement Bermuda’s new pedagogical model LEGIT.
The LEGIT Pedagogical Model is a research-based pedagogical framework that promotes 21st century skills and competencies. This framework was developed to help secure consistency in quality instruction and engagement across Bermuda’s classrooms. LEGIT Learning is a set of student outcomes that includes mastery of essential academic content; thinking critically and solving complex problems; working collaboratively and communicating effectively; having an academic mindset, and being empowered through self-directed learning.
Action Learning
LEGIT Action learning is an inquiry process in which educators who want to improve teaching and learning in their school come together in teams to identify a problem of practice, learn about and try out evidence-based approaches to addressing their problem, and to evaluate and reflect on the outcomes. Both Action and Learning are important: LEGIT Action Learning is learning by doing. The evidence they learn about to inform solutions comes from both research and practice.
Learning Walks
In a Learning Walk a small group of 2-4 educators, with a facilitator, tour a school, visiting multiple classrooms to observe specific, pre-agreed aspects of teaching and learning. A Learning Walk is not an evaluation of the educators whose classrooms are visited. Instead it is geared to the professional learning needs and interests of the educators in the walking group.
Lesson Study
In LEGIT Lesson Study, a small group of 3-5 educators work together in a systematic way to plan, teach, review and refine new lessons and resources. Their intention is to address specific teaching and learning challenges and to improve learning outcomes. Educators in the lesson study group observe each other teaching the new lesson and work together to iron out any glitches. The process ends when the group decides the lesson and resources are ready for widespread use and can be shared with colleagues.
Peer Coaching
LEGIT Peer coaching is a non judgmental learning partnership between educators that enables collaboration and reflective dialogue. It is a confidential process through which educators share their expertise and provide one another with feedback, support, and assistance for the purpose of enhancing student learning.
In a LEGIT Peer Coaching partnership, no one educator is considered ‘better’ or more expert than another. Instead LEGIT Peer Coaching supports educators to work and learn together as equals to explore and develop their teaching practice.
A Teaching Taskforce
The Teaching Task Force is a team of teachers with expertise in particular aspects of teaching and learning (such as project based learning) who are trained in instructional coaching and will support their peers to adopt specific pedagogical approaches.
Instructional coaches help fellow teachers to set goals, collaborate to uncover resources, research, materials, strategies or ideas that may be useful for achieving their goals, and then support the teacher to design, implement, monitor and evaluate their progress.
Learn more about…
Taster Programmes
How students can get a taste of what happens in Signature Learning Programmes to inform their decisions…
Graduation
How graduating from Signature School looks and feels different. Find out more about how graduation works in signature schools…
Parish Primary Schools
How Parish Primary Schools are changing to become exciting hubs of learning for children, families and communities…