Network of Teacher Learning Communities of Pollack Mihály Primary School in Kazincbarcika

I. Contact details

Contact name

Fürjes Gáborné Csépányi Ágnes

Contact e-mail address

iskolapollack@gmail.com

Contact website

http://www.pollackiskola.hu

Name of the institution

Pollack Mihály Primary School

Additional information about the institution

The details of the member schools are available here: http://www.pollackiskola.hu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=64

II. Good practice introduction

Title of the good practice

Network of Teacher Learning Communities of Pollack Mihály Primary School in Kazincbarcika

Language of the good practice

English

Primary target group of the good practice

Teacher

Primary target country of the good practice

Hungary

Tags

Keywords

cooperation of teachers, teachers' community

Abstract

The Pollack Mihály Primary School is located in Kazincbarcika in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, Northern Hungary. The school was merged with five other primary schools in 2012. There were differences among the schools in terms of requirements for discipline, standards for classroom management and preparation for lessons, and also the methodological skills of teachers were not at the same level. In order to harmonise the different school cultures and to get to know each other’s everyday teaching practice the principal initiated mutual classroom visits and job shadowing. Based on the experiences of cooperation among teachers it turned out that the establishment of so called inter-institutional teacher learning communities would be very useful. Being a member of an inter-institutional teacher learning community seems to be a great opportunity to learn new methods and share knowledge that can bust the individual professional motivation of teachers as well.
Teachers not only visited classes in their own school but also in other member schools. Due to the changes introduced in the Framework Curricula and the Educational Programmes, in some subjects the number of compulsory lessons per week was raised so that some of the member schools did not have sufficient workforce to cover those subjects. As a consequence, teachers from one member school had to become guest teachers in the other member school, had to get familiar with the other school’s practice and had to fit in the other school’s teaching staff as well. Thus, because of practical reasons, teachers were asked to visit each other’s classes and teach in various schools it turned out that the establishment of so called inter-institutional teacher learning communities would be very useful. On the one hand, the forming of teacher learning communities was a top down process, because it was especially facilitated by the principal-in-charge of the Pollack School, and on the other hand it was also a bottom-up process because there was a strong need formulated by teachers to share knowledge, learn from one another and find ways of cooperation. The inter-institutional teacher learning communities consist of teachers who teach the same (e.g. mathematics) or related subjects (e.g. music and art) in the different member schools. This is the so called network of teacher learning communities. The main aim of the teacher learning communities is sharing knowledge and experiences in teaching of their subjects. The overall goal is to contribute to balanced learning outcomes among all member schools of the Pollack School.

III. Good practice details

Introduction of the good practice

short version

Why - roots of the problem at school level

short version

What - description of activities

short version

Impact of measures taken

short version

Lessons learned

short version

Resources needed

short version

Other relevant information

short version

Last edited

2017.04.13. 12:27:06
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