Learning circles are an important part to education. As Zepeda (2012) notes it at "consists of any group of teachers that meet on a continual basis over a long or short period of time" (p. 240). It is a center that discusses not just a single problem, but a system for professional development that allows for action research and other collaborative models of professional development. Groups start large and then it can be split into smaller subgroups that focus on different aspects that is then in an effective manner, then come back to talk. "Learning circles have a purpose, a shared commitment to and interest in a specific topic, and a climate of democracy and trust" (Zepeda, 2012, p. 241).
With learning circles there are specific features (as cited in Lovett & Gilmore, 2003): a selection of a theme, discussion and storytelling, observations in the classroom, discussion about the observations, and sharing of practiced examples (Zepeda, 2012, p. 242). The model could be extremely useful for my school. Since the school is Title 1 and has a diverse population we, as teachers are designing lessons that meet the different cultural norms of the students. To have it implemented properly it would have to be accepted by the administration. Afterwards the department would have to accept it as well. Some departments do not have a high level of trust among each other. Afterwards there it can be implemented. In the district contract a school is allowed to have one fully day dedicated to PLC professional development, if needed. For the observations we can use that time to do observations.
We also have after-school learning time twice a month and that can be a great time to have a session to share practiced examples. Overall, this is a system I would like to implement into my school. It would help many of our veteran and new teachers become stronger teachers. There needs to be trust sessions to be used a prerequisite in order for all teachers in a department to trust each other.
