Have you ever seen your colleagues consistently prepared with PLC data and ideas for their next steps? Do you wonder how you can do it too?
It turns out there’s no real mystery to it other than simple everyday habits.
Now, if the word “habits” makes you wince a little, I get it. It sounds like a lot of work.
But it’s true what they say:
If you can stick with a new habit long enough, you’ll forget it’s a habit.
Good habits can definitely help you be a more effective educator, prepare your PLC data, and still have time for you.
I know because I made it my mission to build in small practices to help me consistently gather and analyze student data and my teaching practices. At first, I got tripped up by time constraints and competing priorities.
I couldn’t find a way to streamline my PLC data tracking and align it with our PLC goals.
So if you’ve been struggling to find the time or align your daily practices with your PLC objectives, you’re not alone. Most people underestimate the power of everyday habits or make the mistake of trying to change too much at once.
The real key to success is having a strict routine you can follow without fail, and that includes integrating these 3 PLC data habits into your daily teaching.
Read on to discover 3 easy PLC habits to help you feel more prepared for PLC meetings and achieve your PLC goals.
#1. Daily Data Tracking
Honestly, at first it was hard to follow through with this one because I wasn’t used to it.
However, daily PLC data tracking is critical for maintaining a well-informed teaching practice and achieving better student outcomes.
So if you find it challenging to incorporate into your routine, you’re not alone.
You might feel overwhelmed by the volume of your data, and you don’t know where to start. You might not yet have efficient data organization systems.
But remember, you can’t make data-informed decisions without consistently tracking and analyzing student data.
Here’s the good news:
You don’t need to devote hours to PLC data tracking.
Start off by committing to daily data tracking for a manageable timeframe, like 20 minutes each day. You can even break this up into smaller chunks, like using 5 minutes at the end of each class period.
Once you make it part of your routine, it will become a regular habit that you no longer dread or fear doing!
You can also set clearly defined goals to help you track your PLC data every day.
Keep in mind that daily data tracking looks different for everyone, so what works for someone else may not work for you, and that’s okay. All you have to do is commit and the rest will follow.
Start out by tracking PLC data at the same time each day, then you can fine-tune your data workflow.
Having a support system will make it easier.
One of the best decisions I made while trying to track data consistently was to buddy up with a colleague in my PLC team.
This provided us with mutual accountability and kept us on track through our shared commitment. We were able to share resources, solution for challenges in the process, and give each other feedback.
When you have someone counting on you, you’re more inclined to stick with it.
(Want more tips on getting the support you need? Read this post.)
Another thing that helps is to start off slow. Try tracking a smaller set of data points or specific data metrics before diving into more comprehensive PLC data. This could include metrics like attendance or homework completion.
Or take it one step further by initially focusing on a single class or subject area for data analysis.
You might feel guilty at first for not tracking all aspects of your teaching, but it’s actually a good sign! You’re starting to embed PLC data tracking into your teaching practices. You’re on the path to finding a more balanced and effective approach to data analysis. High-five!
And if you’re really ready to set daily data tracking in stone, use a data analysis protocol like the one in my PLC Starter Toolkit to lock it in so you always set aside time for it.
#2. Data Reflection
I underestimated the power of PLC data reflection, but it’s crucial to your success as an educator, so worth paying attention to.
Regular data reflection allows you to gain insights, refine your teaching practices, and make data-informed decisions to support your students’ learning
When you don’t engage in data reflection for your PLC data, you’re likely to miss valuable insights and have less clarity. This undermines your ability to tailor your teaching methods, support struggling students effectively, and meet your instructional goals.
This will ultimately limit your effectiveness as an educator, hindering the growth and success of your students.
Data reflection allows us to identify patterns, recognize areas of improvement, and tailor instruction to the diverse needs of our students. Without this essential process, we miss opportunities to see where our instruction is helping or falling short.
So even if you find it challenging to dedicate time to data reflection, make sure you build in time for this practice regularly to benefit from the invaluable insights it can provide.
If you’re having a hard time reflecting on your PLC data, try to:
Build in a daily review.
After collecting data, make it a habit to reflect on what the data is telling you. Ask questions like, “What trends or patterns do I notice in the data?” and “Are there any outliers or concerning data points?” Start small by selecting one specific data point to reflect on daily and define specific objectives for what you aim to gain by the analysis.
Document your insights.
As you track your data (remember habit #1?), jot down reflective notes and insights from your data analysis. You can also keep a more thorough reflective journal or digital notebook to track your observations over time. Pre-designed data reflection templates can be useful tools to prompt your reflection on key questions.
Plan adjustments.
Based on your PLC data and reflection, determine what instructional adjustments might be needed. End each reflection session by setting clear next steps and action items. Incorporate these ideas into your upcoming lesson plans and instructional materials. For example, if you notice a specific group of students struggled with a concept on a recent assessment, set a goal to re-teach the following day.
#3. Alignment with Goals
This one can be extra challenging, especially if you’re used to relying on traditional lectures or other less engaging teaching practices.
I used to stick with my familiar teaching routines, but this hindered my ability to contribute effectively to my PLC’s goals. Thinking my usual methods would suffice, I instead found they often fell short of the collective objectives.
I also got caught up in trying to strictly follow our curriculum pacing guides. This caused me and my students a lot of stress because we were trying to push on without foundational understanding of essential topics.
When I allowed myself the flexibility to use my PLC data to adjust my instruction and re-teach or take longer on foundational topics, my students did better. We were also able to catch up throughout the remainder of the year in most cases.
You may think that sticking to your “tried and true” teaching methods will meet your PLC objectives, but in reality, it likely will hinder the learning for your students when it doesn’t take into account their diverse learning styles and needs.
When you align your teaching with your PLC team’s goals, you boost the quality of instruction and foster a more engaging and effective learning environment.
Even if you take the simple first step of starting each day by reviewing the PLC objectives and priorities, it will gradually shift your instructional approach towards methods that better align with your PLC data and goals.
Here are a few other ways to ensure alignment with your PLC’s goals:
Lesson planning.
As you plan your daily lessons, ensure that they and your instructional materials align with the goals established by your PLC. Review your PLC data and reflections to consider how your instruction will contribute to your goals. Identify how you will collect evidence in your lessons to measure progress.
Regularly check alignment.
Throughout the day, periodically pause to assess whether your instructional activities align with the goals you’ve set. Adjust your teaching methods if necessary to maintain alignment.
Review progress.
At the end of each day, review how well your teaching practices contributed to your PLC’s goals and responded to your PLC data analysis. Note what progress you made and what adjustments might be needed moving forward.
Wrapping it up
Whether you’re new to using PLC data and participating in a PLC, have been at it for a while, or you just want a way to expand your results, these habits will help you achieve your PLC goals.
All you need to do is stick to a routine.
Remember it takes time and dedication, and failure is part of the process. So if you go off track at any point, that’s completely normal. Don’t beat yourself up and lose time worrying about it. Get right back to it. You got this!
To help you stay on track, I created a free PLC Starter Toolkit. It’s a blueprint for establishing effective PLCs that focus on data and get results for student and school outcomes. Click here to download the PLC Starter Toolkit >>
