AECENL is inviting Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Administrators across the province to join an online Professional Learning Community launching this May!
What is a community of practice?
A community of practice, or PLC, is a method to foster collaborative learning among colleagues within a particular work environment or field. It is often used in schools or early learning settings as a way to organize educators into working groups of practice-based professional learning. (2023)
Who can join?
If you identity as an Administrator, Licensee, or Owner of a regulated child care setting in Newfoundland and Labrador, this Professional Learning Community is for you! Professional Learning Communities are a safe and confidential place to reflect critically on important topics with a group of peers that bring diverse and valuable worldviews and background knowledge.
What are the benefits of joining a PLC?
The Administrator’s PLC will give participants an opportunity to:
· Network and build relationships across the ELCC sector.
· Engage in reflective practice and critical inquiry.
· Share and gain knowledge from diverse perspectives.
· Work towards SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely), and focus on improvements in daily practice.
· Engage in professional learning through workshops, articles, and other resources.
· Gain professional learning hours towards CCS Certification renewal.
When and where will we meet?
The Professional Learning Community will start with a 5-part workshop delivered over two evenings in May and June, 2023. These workshops will be delivered online via zoom and be facilitated by Julie Hansen of Inspired ECE. All certified ECEs will be invited to attend these sessions, but only administrators will be invited to carry on and meet for future sessions in the Administrator’s PLC.
There will be a break over the summer months while AECENL surveys participants for their feedback on the workshops. Starting in September, the group will meet online every second month on a Monday evening for approximately one hour online via zoom to further explore these topics.
Who will moderate?
AECENL’s PL Coordinator will moderate the meetings and provide resources and topics for discussion. The administrators participating in the PLC will serve as the experts in their field, while the moderator will be there to guide conversation and reflection.
Tentative Timeline and Schedule for the PLC:
Monday, May 15th, 2023: 7-9:30pm Administrator’s Workshop Part 1, facilitated by Julie Hansen
Monday, June 5th, 2023: 7-9:30pm Administrator’s Workshop Part 2, facilitated by Julie Hansen
July and August: Break for summer as AECENL prepares for the 5 PLC meetings, which will each explore and expand on a topic covered through Julie Hansen’s workshops.
Meeting Schedule:
Meeting 1: Monday, September 18th, 2023: 7pm-8pm
Meeting 2: Monday, November 20th, 2023: 7-8pm
Meeting 3: Monday, January 22nd, 2024: 7-8pm
Meeting 4: Monday, March 11th, 2024: 7-8pm
Meeting 5: Monday, May 13th, 2024: 7-8pm
How many Professional Learning Hours will I gain?
Depending on how many hours you choose to log on for the meetings and workshops, you could gain up to 10PL hours or more depending on what articles, videos, or other learning material we decide to explore around learning topics.
Is attendance mandatory for each session?
No. We respect the busy schedules of administrators and want this to be a helpful networking community to learn and grow from. We understand that not all participants will be available for all sessions; we hope to build a learning community that promotes a growth mindset and has value for participants in whatever capacity they are able to attend.
What topics will be covered in the workshops and subsequent PLC meetings?
Topic One: Setting Boundaries/Work Life Balance (learning about the importance of setting boundaries for team members and yourself as an administrator. It assists in creating a cohesive team culture and supports more opportunities for work life balance for everyone).
Topic Two: Becoming a Reformed Yes Person (Discover how delegation can assist in the learning journey for educators as well as yourself. We discuss that it is ok to say No and how to go about that in a healthy team culture).
Topic Three: Staffing Crisis/ Team Retention (Suggestions for supporting team retention and thoughts on how the staffing crisis is affecting our sector now and in the future).
Topic Four: Effective communication in early years settings.
Topic Five: Learning From Mistakes (Looking at the importance of reflection in our daily practise and how we learn from mistakes as individuals and in teams).
What happens after the last meeting?
At the end of the last meeting we will reflect on the pilot and brainstorm next steps in the event that the group wishes to proceed as an ongoing Administrator’s Professional Learning Community.
I’m an administrator! How do I sign up?
Email plcoordinator@aecenl.ca with the subject “PLC” and let us know you would like to join. Joining the Administrator’s PLC automatically enrolls you in Julie Hansen’s two workshops. Registering for the workshops by emailing admin@aecenl.ca will not automatically sign you up for the PLC.
Questions? Ideas you want to share? Reach out to AECENL’s PL Coordinator, Sandy Gow at plcoordinator@aecenl.ca or (709) 579-8993.
References:
Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, February 15). Professional Learning Community. Wikipedia. Retrieved April 27, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_learning_community
