As part of our Erasmus+ project, we have developed a comprehensive set of structured activities to support leaders and facilitators of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in fostering inquiry-based and reflective professional learning.
The activities are organized across seven key dimensions that are central to effective collaboration in schools: Relational, Communication, Collaboration, Learning and Knowledge Building, Inquiry and Reflection, Organizational, and Digital.
They are designed for use by student teachers, experienced educators, and school leaders alike. Each activity is grounded in current research and offers practical approaches to strengthen professional dialogue, deepen collaborative learning, and connect theory with everyday teaching practice.
These resources are freely available for download and can be used in both in-person and online PLC settings. We invite educators across Europe to explore and integrate them into their PLC work to support reflective, inquiry-driven school development.
Relational Dimension
| Activity | Focus | Stage of PLC development | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laying the foundation: Building trust and collaboration in our PLC | Building connections: Initial activity to strengthen interpersonal relationships and collaboration among members of a PLC | Beginning of PLC development | 01_Relational_German 01_Relational_English 01_Relational_Greek 01_Relational_Spanish |
| Walk in my shoes: Mapping emotions to grow empathy | Exploring Empathy Through Emotional Mapping: Building attitude of PLC participants’ regarding Empathy | Start of PLC development | 02_Relational_English 02_Relational_German 02_Relational_Greek 02_Relational_Spanish |
| Openness begins with one and grows with many | Team Building | Early Stage of PLC development | 03_Relational_English 03_Relational_German 03_Relational_Greek 03_Relational_Spanish |
| Meta in motion: From talking to thinking about talking | Reflecting team – a common source and starting point for meta-communication | Middle stage of PLC development | 04_Relational_German 04_Relational_Greek 04_Relational_Spanish |
Communication Dimension
| Activity | Focus | Stage of PLC development | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| The power of questions: Navigating misunderstandings and sparking insight | Using language to avoid misunderstandings and enhance reflection (I): Clarifying and probing questions | Early Stage of PLC development | 05_Communication_English 05_Communication_German 05_Communication_Greek 05_Communication_Spanish |
Collaboration Dimension
| Activity | Focus | Stage of PLC development | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge map: Making our strengths visible | Making the skills and resources of the group visible | Early or middle stages of PLC development | 06_Collaboration_German 06_Collaboration_Spanish 06_Colllaboration_Greek |
Learning and Knowledge Building Dimension
| Activity | Focus | Stage of PLC development | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reflect, choose, evolve: Evaluating actions through inquiry | Becoming aware of the choice and evaluation of actions based on inquiry and reflection | Middle stage of PLC development | 07_Learning and Knowledge Building_Greek 07_Learning and Knowledge building_Spanish 07_Learning and Knowledge_German |
Inquiry and Reflection Dimension
| Activity | Focus | Stage of PLC development | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uncovering what matters: Exploring needs and challenges | Exploration of PLC participants’ needs/challenges regarding the initial issue of concern/interest | Start of PLC development | 08_Inquiry and reflection_English 08_Inquiry and reflection_German 08_Inquiry and Reflection_Greek 08_Inquiry and reflection_Spanish |
| Beyond the question: Verifying the effectiveness of clarifying and probing questions | Using language to avoid misunderstandings and enhance reflection (II): Verifying the effectiveness of clarifying and probing questions to avoid misunderstandings and enhance reflection | Early stage of PLC development | 09_Inquiry and reflection_English 09_Inquiry and reflection_German |
| Explore. Reflect. Decide: Building an informed PLC culture | Introducing inquiry and reflection as prerequisites for making informed decisions in a PLC | Middle stage of PLC development | 10_Inquiry and reflection_English 10_Inquiry and reflection_German 10_Inquiry and Reflection_Greek 10_Inquiry and reflection_Spanish |
| From actions to insights: Unpacking classroom incidents | Refinement of the inquiry process and analysis | Middle stage of PLC development | 11_Inquiry & Reflection_Greek 11_Inquiry and reflection_English 11_Inquiry and reflection_German 11_Inquiry and Reflection_Spanish |
Organizational Dimension
| Making it work: Organizing the what, why, and how of effective collaboration | Organizational Elements – Organizing what, why and how? | Early Stage of PLC development | 13_Organizational_English 13_Organisational_Spanish 13_Organizational_German |
|---|---|---|---|
| Getting organized: How far have we come? | Organizational Elements – How well have we improved in the organizational dimension? | Middle stage of PLC development | 13_Organizational_English 13_Organisational_Spanish 13_Organizational_German |
Digital Dimension
| Activity | Focus | Stage of PLC development | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human connection in digital spaces: Engaging online PLCs | Engaging Participants and Building a Trustful Atmosphere in Online PLCs | Start of PLC development | 14_Digital Dimension_Greek 14_Digital dimension_Spanish 14_Digital_German |
| Working smarter together: Digital strategies for team success | Team Management and Work Organization in Virtual and Hybrid Environments | Start of PLC development | 15_Digital Dimension_english 15_Digital Dimension_Greek 15_Digital dimension_Spanish 15_Digital_German |
| Tidy up, tune in: Decluttering for a more focused virtual PLC | Using a Virtual Environment for decluttering a PLC | Any stage of PLC development | 16_Digital Dimension_english 16_Digital Dimension_Greek 16_Digital_German 16_Digital_Spanish |
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