Belonging, Networking, Learning and Sharing: A Professional Development Group as a “Community of Practice”
In winter of 2011-12, a group of elementary general music teachers in the Flint area began discussions about start- ing a professional development group. With planning, teamwork, and the support of MMEA, they created the Flint Area Music Educators (FAME). In 2012-13, FAME will offer five 3-hour workshops--presented by nationally recognized presenters from a variety of methodological backgrounds—designed for elementary general music teachers in Flint and the surrounding suburban and rural areas. This article is a discussion of FAME—as not only a provider and organizer of professional development, but as a “community of practice.”
Need for a Community of Practice I am the only ‘elementary music person’ in my dis- trict. I see 800 students per week, which is half of the student population in our district, and an improvement over years past. With this large number of students, and traveling between buildings, there are a whole slew of challenges with lesson planning and prepara- tion, assessment, student challenges, concert expecta- tions, budget, and administrative views on the impor- tance of the program. On top of that, I have a family. Trying to balance my job with my personal life was and still is incredibly challenging. Sometimes, I felt that I needed to talk to someone who was experienc- ing similar challenges to get input and advice on how to handle the obstacles. This would have been ES- PECIALLY helpful my first few years in the field!!!! (RS)
The above vignette may sound familiar to many teachers, who feel increasingly isolated and under pressure. Band- ing together and supporting one another is one way to fight these feelings, but can be difficult when you are the only teacher who “does what you do” in your building or district. Wenger, McDermott, and Snyder (2002) defined a community of practice as “people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis” (p. 4). The idea of a community of practice was attractive to the organizers of FAME, who each expressed feelings of isolation as the only elementary music teacher in her building or her district. This feeling
Karen Salvador Lisa DuPrey
Gretchen Coles Rachel Solgat
of isolation was exacerbated by a lack of local professional development opportunities:
When I first began teaching in the Flint area I was surprised at how isolated I felt... Growing up in the Detroit area and attending MSU, I had always felt connected to everything around me… I think that because [in the Flint area] there are so many districts that are so spread out, teachers have a tough time reaching out to one another. (LD)
Several organizers of FAME mentioned attending pro- fessional development in other parts of the state, but “it was tough to justify two [or more] hours of driving for a three-hour meeting.” (LD) Moreover, connections made at workshops across the state did not serve the same function as local connections: “Something close is not just conve- nient, but I can meet other teachers in surrounding districts and build professional relationships with teachers in our area.” (RS)
How Does a Community of Practice Differ from other Professional Development?
For… networks to become communities of practice in the way described by Wenger and others, such gatherings (1) would need to be voluntary, (2) should not only allow but also make it necessary for all participants to learn from each other in mutual respect, and (3) would include learning from and sharing knowledge with colleagues who, despite having similar knowledge domains, hold different viewpoints and have other life experiences. (Froelich, 2009, p. 98).
In designing FAME, the board was not aware of the recom- mendations enumerated by Froehlich in the quote above. However, the board’s vision for FAME matches Froehlich’s description quite well. Workshops are open to anyone who wishes to attend (for a reasonable fee). Although we offer certificates of completion for State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECHs), and participants have the option to register for college credit, membership and attendance are voluntary. Therefore, FAME is made up entirely of people who sought it out (or responded to invitations), and thus has a different “feel” than mandatory professional develop-
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