Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)

Support for New and Mature Teachers

One of the nonprofit’s most popular supports is for teachers of the curriculum in both middle and high school. This coaching model for new and mature teachers of the curriculum provides an opportunity for instructors to learn about the curriculum pacing and additional resources, share ideas on teaching strategies, and support each other in this new role. Most teachers of the curriculum have never taught a career class before, and although they may have received an initial training, they are grateful to receive this additional support during their first semester of teaching the class.

Some Quotes from Our Teachers

“Karen would help me with planning for the week and what to expect from the content coming up. She would also direct me to resources that I could use in order to help me out with my first semester of teaching. The professional learning community was a life saver for me this first semester because it allowed me to hear how other people have taught the curriculum and to present it to my students in innovative ways.”

–     Adam Rule, Pioneer Valley High School

“Pay attention to each other and to Karen. A lot of great ideas were shared throughout the PLCs on how to make the Careers class more meaningful for students.”

–     Kevin Smith, Tommie Kunst Junior High School

“In Santa Maria, we have to make a bridge to the idea that there are choices to make. We can learn how to help students realize that many choices are available to them, not just the more affluent segments of our community. In the PLC we worked on ways to raise that awareness.”

–     David Wells, Fesler Junior High