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Bloom says Professionalizing Education the Way to Go

Author trumpets effective professional learning communities

By Roderick Benns
Editor

In the medical model of professional learning, expectations are clear. When a patient is lost, everyone debriefs to find out what went wrong and what could have been done differently.

It's an approach Gary Bloom wishes education would emulate. Bloom is associate director of the New Teacher Center at the University of California, Santa Cruz and the lead author of Blended Coaching.

"When was the last time we did that for a student who drops out of school?" asks Bloom. "We believe in best practices for medicine, but why not for education?"

Bloom recently brought his insights to Toronto where he spoke to a packed room of Ontario's student achievement officers from the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat.

The author and educator said that professionalizing education is of paramount importance to effect system change. Part of this goal is only realized through the establishment of effective professional learning communities (PLCs).

"Not everything is a PLC. You can't simply call your staff meeting a PLC and talk about school scheduling. That's not what they're for," Bloom said.

Bloom likes Etienne Wenger's definition for a PLC, though the author refers to this more broadly as a community of practice.

"Communities of practice are formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavor: a tribe learning to survive, a band of artists seeking new forms of expression, a group of engineers working on similar problems, a clique of pupils defining their identity in the school, a network of surgeons exploring novel techniques, a gathering of first-time managers helping each other cope. In a nutshell: Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly."

Bloom noted that a PLC's attributes must showcase "a shared commitment for the greater good" but is probably not a forum where everyone is always agreeable.

"There should be some level of conflict. In fact, you can't have a powerful team without conflict. It's important we have the courage to say some things that need to be said," he noted.

PLCs were one facet of professional learning Bloom talked about but overall school leadership, the author noted, was critical. Bloom said research shows that principals and other school leaders are vital to school improvement. He said it is known that intensive support from a coach or mentor yields tremendous benefits, making it crucial if "professionalizing education" is to occur.

"Effective leadership at the school and at the district level is critical to principals and its critical for teachers," said Bloom, noting one-on-one coaching for new administrators can make a great deal of difference in the first two years on the job.

During his presentation to the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, Bloom pointed out that research shows quality teachers make the biggest difference in student achievement, but the identification and recruiting of these teachers is important to understand the process.

"It's important to have a quality principal who can retain effective teachers through his or her professionalism."