How Potatoes are Like a PLC
In the last decade we have seen the rise (and fall) of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). The idea itself is a really good one… bring professionals together, collaborate and learn, and walk away with agency to do amazing things for students. What could possibly go wrong?!
Well, like many things in education, we took an effective structure/idea, made it a compliance issue, then told people they would “PLC” and like it, or else! If we could take a step back and look at the real purpose behind the PLC, we can see how it parallels many industry and career practices outside of the world of education. We need tiny communities in our day-to-day work so we can talk, problem solve, and grow our brains. What we don’t need is another mandated meeting, a secretary to take fake notes, or a piece of paper to sign saying we did what we were supposed to do.
ERG challenges you to rethink your PLC as if it were a relaxing dinner party. When we come together at the table we cannot help but collaborate. Sharing and passing food is a process. It sustains relationships and creates face-to-face contact. It forces us to slow down and be present. If you need something, you ask for it. When people talk, you listen. It’s ok to sit and think and digest (literally and figuratively) what you are taking in.
If we could authentically and purposefully set up PLCs so they can function in a healthier way, maybe we would no longer eye roll about them. Maybe they would become a respite, a place to gather and share and collaborate and lift each other up.
Our schools have become places that demand instantaneous results. Our meetings and professional conversations often mirror this, and we end up just going through the motions. There is nothing instant about working with students and we need to break this unrealistic cycle.
Learning, even for adults, is a process. Let’s treat our professional communities more like a dinner party and less like one more obligation. Slow things down, bring people to the table, and make sure to pass things around.
Questions for Reflection & Discussion:
- What is working with your PLCs? What would you like to do differently?
- Are there more authentic ways to gather professionally?
- How can your PLCs be improved to truly impact student achievement?
The following is a recipe we love and hope you will, too.
Peggy’s Potatoes
From the kitchen of: Hope Reagan. “My friend Peggy Messenkopf gave me this recipe 10 years ago. After dinner at her house, I asked for the recipe. She took the time to hand write the recipe which I still use and love. It is a family favorite. I would put this in the comfort food category.”
Why is this recipe significant? Hope said, “I believe that food brings people together. One way of looking at food is that it is a social agent. For this reason, I cook as much as possible. Every time I make this dish someone at my table talks about its yumminess, even if they have had the dish before. The familiar taste of this dish and how satisfying it is, is the reason I keep this recipe in my rotation.”
Recipe:
- 2 lb bag of frozen hash brown potatoes (thawed)
- ½ cup melted butter or margarine
- ½ cup chopped onions (can use frozen)
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 pt sour cream (large container)
- 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Mix ingredients and spread into a greased 13 x 9 pan. You can refrigerate at this point until ready to bake.
Top with 2 cups crushed corn flakes.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 40 minutes (less if needed).
