Attending to Context When Facilitating Professional Learning Focused on Continuous Improvement and Multilingual Learners

• In Event: Incorporating Contextual Knowledge in Facilitating Professional Development for Teachers of Multilingual Learners

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explain how intentional listening effectively supports distributed leadership and democratic practices during professional learning focused on continuous improvement.

The theoretical framework underlying this work is distributed leadership. Gronn (2000) identified distributed leadership as concertive action through intuitive working relationships, spontaneous interactions, and institutionalized practices.

Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, and Wahlstrom (2004) expanded on the definition of distributed leadership. Their review of effective leadership practices identified three positive leadership patterns: (a) concertive action that conceptualizes leadership as people working together in such a way that they pool their initiative and expertise prior to engaging in leadership activities, (b) open boundaries that provide access to involvement in leadership activities at any time by any member of the school community, and (c) recognizing that all staff (rather than a few administrators) have specialized, expert knowledge that should be shared with others. Distributed leadership, when framed appropriately, can support democratic practices in schools (Woods & Gronn, 2009).

The paper draws on work that involves a 12-18 month professional learning partnership with a district or school to facilitate continuous improvement cycles through coaching and multidisciplinary teams. Methods include an introductory and mid-year site visit, a coaching institute, monthly calls with coaches, as well as five workshops with coaches and leadership teams to support continuous improvement and shared responsibility for decision making focused on multilingual learners. Throughout this time, intentional listening is crucial to ensure that distributed leadership focused on multilingual learners is integrated into and interrogative of existing systems that often marginalize these students.

Specific data sources used to understand distributed leadership through intentional listening include data from one-on-one and group dialogues as well as artifacts of reflections on how the professional learning content relates to educators’ and students’ backgrounds as well as existing school initiatives and structures. Throughout the year one-on-one calls and related reflection documents as well as observations and survey data are collected. Ongoing communication and feedback are used to adjust and create professional learning content.

Results have demonstrated that intentional listening has supported the sustainability of distributed leadership practices that are identified and enacted by educators during the professional learning experience (such as professional networks, shared goals and vision, and ongoing reflection and action based on data). Furthermore, the integration of coaching into the professional learning experience provides an expectation and model for intentional listening not only by the external facilitators of professional learning but also by local educators who work collaboratively to make decisions and build a culture of trust, cooperation, and shared responsibility.

Professional learning that supports distributed leadership through intentional listening about collaborative relationships and school communities has the potential to contribute to scholarly literature. This type of work can support democratic environments that foster active participation of educators and students to promote equitable opportunities for multilingual learners (Scanlan & López, 2012).

Author

• Amanda Nell Spalter, University of Wisconsin - Madison