Professional Learning Communities

John Gaskell is a science educator with over 20 years of classroom, leadership, and professional learning community implementation experience nationally and internationally, having spent the past 12 years in Singapore.

In this session, we will explore how teams develop effective mathematics instruction using 6 elements of lesson design. The process of designing engaging, targeted, and high quality instruction allows teams to dig deeply into both best practices in mathematics and grow in content knowledge. Participants will leave with a set of tools and discussion protocols to enhance their instructional planning and teaching of mathematics.

The focus is to show how your urban school can make an impact on student achievement and change the trajectory of student lives using the time available during the day, the resources in the book, and the Brilliance in the Building - your amazing staff! The greatness of this webinar is the review of all the resources in the book available for educators to use immediately. I created all of the reproducibles based on 25 years of extensive research and actual use in schools. Leaders and staff in urban schools cannot do this work in isolation; they must work together to accomplish their goals, so therefore the work in this book is grounded in the PLC at Work principles. Let’s go!

Alvin Thomas, EdD, is a principal in a school district in Georgia and a part-time professor at Kennesaw State University and Georgia State University. He has 17 years of experience as an assistant principal, student behavior program specialist, and teacher.

Kristina Leckliter is an innovative educational leader who has served as an elementary teacher, instructional coach, reading specialist, and induction mentor specialist. She is also a professional learning community trainer for a Model Professional Learning Community at Work® district in Phoenix, Arizona.

Paul M. White, PhD, is the superintendent of New Prairie United School Corporation in Northern Indiana. He has experience as a secondary-level special education teacher, social studies teacher, middle school principal, and high school principal.

Kimberly Moore, EdD, is a high school principal at Vista del Lago High School in Folsom, California. She has over 20 years of experience as a classroom teacher, intervention coordinator, assistant principal, and principal.

Rebecca Terry served as the early childhood coordinator and instructional specialist in the Pasadena Independent School District for the last 19 years. She worked closely with campus administrators, coaches, and teachers to transform education practices for young learners.

Adam R. Hill is an assistant superintendent overseeing 13 middle schools in a large metropolitan school district in Georgia.

Brooke Gantt serves as the Nixa Public Schools curriculum specialist. Her 23-year journey in public education encompasses roles as an urban and suburban classroom teacher, instructional coach, and education advocate.