PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS` COMMUNITIES: WHERE TO START AND WHERE TO MOVE

Abstract

The article highlights the ways of teachers` cohesion in the professional communities with the developed horizontal connections. In the process of scientific searching the authors have analyzed the scientific literature on the issues of the study and the legislative documents, which regulate the activities of the professional communities of educators in Ukraine. It was installed that centers of teachers` professional development play an important role in the process of creating and coordination of the activities of professional communities. It is emphasized that professional communities in Ukraine are at the stage of development, and the centers of teachers` professional development often act through the method “sorting the options” and need detailed information regarding possible actions. The factors, with influence on teachers` cohesion in the teachers` communities are identified: the willingness to get the new information; possibility of joint searching of the ways of professional difficulties` overcoming; the need for support from the colleagues and exchange of experience with others. The arguments are provided in favor of teachers` participation in the professional communities, which can be used by the centers of teachers` professional development in the process of informing educators. Characteristics, which influence on the effectiveness of teachers` professional communities are identified: teachers` engagement in the discussions; observations of teachers` lessons of each other; providing and receiving the feedback to improve professional practices; exchange of experience and interactions based on “equal to equal” principle; sharing school`s mission and values; team approach to planning the joint work in the developing students` competencies; discussing the moments, which require additional attention; group responsibility for achieving by students of their educational results.