“ A community of practice is a group of people who share a common concern, a set of problems, or interest in a topic and who come together to fulfill both individual and group goals” (Cambridge, Kaplan, & Suter, 2002, p.1.).
What is my Practice?
I have been teaching for 20 plus years, in the Primary Sector for most of that time, and mainly in year 5-8 area, however I did spend a few years in the Year 0 - 2 area and then to a Year 7 - 13 High School, where Year 9 and 10 were part of the teaching (and learning ) journey.
During this time I have had the benefits of a multitude of different groups of people to learn from, develop with, interact professionally and socially, sometimes deliberately, at other times by attrition, all have a role in contributing to the "meaningful knowing" Wenger (2000) that shapes my practice today.
What do I consider my Community of Learning (CoL)?
Within my school I work within a MLE and the CoL of everyday practice is the Year 8 syndicate, however that in itself is a subset of the Junior Team (Year 7 - 10) which again is under the umbrella of a Junior Academic Adviser and a Junior Manager. We also have Professional Learning Groups (PLG) which are made up of a mixture staff from all academic and pastoral areas of the school, and a Mind Lab group as four of us are currently doing the course.
It is a common fact of human nature that we are naturally drawn to people who are similar to us, the people we feel most comfortable with when seeking our 'CoL' ( learning and sharing group), and who we believe will support us as we choose and hope support them.
These "in School" groups are my immediate CoL, however influences are far more extended than that.
Wenger (2000) highlights the three dimensions of Spirit of Inquiry; Comfort and Trust; and Reflection which are needed for a COP to work efficiently.
There are many others who have had far reaching influences on my Teaching and Learning Practice, sharing their stories, resources, and helping me to push through the daily grind. People whom I respect for their ability to drive learning, push and challenge my understanding, raise my self awareness, affirm my knowledge, capability and contributions they are the critical influences to inspire development of new practice.
I now need to reflect more on the impact these CoL have on my practice and they way that I can support members with their practice. Wenger talks about 'competence' developed through direct participation within the group and the norms and expectations formed through the engagement and interactions of its participants , it is my belief that we must ensure we are in a CoL that does develop an inspirational development of change and nurtures our growth positively. That we are firmly believing in the process and not just being pulled along for a ride that does not develop capability but actually erodes ones belief and contributions.
Some of these communities are inspiring, uplifting and valuable however not all nurture or support growth and we need to be reflective on whether the CoL we are with is the best fit for us and how we can make it more productive. It is of critical importance that myself as an "individual practitioner" is "self-aware and critically examining" my own responses to "gain new understandings" and improve my future practice. Finlay 2008.
As we develop professionally and have opportunities of PLD which then open up the ability to connect and interact with others we form new CoL networks. Within these CoL, some specialist and often more dynamic relationships have formed outside of the employing school CoL between colleagues I have previously worked with or worked alongside and presenters who have resonated to myself and with whom I have continued the connections formed through the PLD, conferences and presentations. .This is the group I believe are my most important CoL, they nurture my retrospection, they encourage and support my self-evaluation, they are the ones who I value as either a friend and/or a critical colleague that I trust and respect. They are the ones I also hope I feed in return with the mutual sharing of resources, in all its' many forms,and knowledge. They share the good, the bad and the ugly. putting things into perspective, offering clarity, people whom we can laugh with, allowing total honesty in a safe group.
References:
"Communities of practice and social learning systems - Wenger-Trayner." Retrieved http://wenger-trayner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/09-10-27-CoPs-and-systems-v2.01.pdf
(n.d.). Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge .... Retrieved from http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/2855.html
(2010, May 18). Finlay, L., (2008) Reflecting on reflective practice. PBPL paper 52 .... Retrieved from http://www.open.ac.uk/opencetl/resources/pbpl-resources/finlay-l-2008-reflecting-reflective-practice-pbpl-paper-52
That's a really good illustration - it captures the essence of what a CoP is. Interesting to see that you can now see the need for further reflection.
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