“Learning Collaborative”(LC or “Collaborative”) is the name used to describe required professional learning for all faculty. LCs are intended for faculty to pursue a specific line of inquiry over the course of the year and they emphasize the importance of teachers learning together in order to promote experimentation, student growth and learning.  Topics for LCs have been curated around next practices which are not discipline specific, but are aligned with the Characteristics of the New Trier Graduate or another strategic initiative.  Each LC will be led by experienced, dedicated colleagues across departments throughout the district.  

More generally, “professional learning” is the term we will use to describe what was formerly called “professional development.”  This change in language signals a dynamic change, since professional learning sets the stage for more active involvement on the part of teachers, and a look at the impact of the teacher’s experimentation on student learning.  The Trevian Professional Learning Collaborative (TPLC) is a new structure that will coordinate all professional learning at New Trier.