In Monsters, Inc., every scare powers Monstropolis by filling those big yellow containers with energy. Sully and Randall might compete for the top spot, but the real magic happens when all that energy flows into the same system. In schools, our “energy” is the work we put into TPEP, PLCs, and SIP goals — but too often, it’s stored in separate containers that don’t connect.
That’s why TPEP can feel daunting, or even disconnected. We meet one-on-one with a teacher, they present quality lesson plans steeped in student-centered pedagogy, we observe the lesson, and it often all goes off without a hitch. But afterward, it can leave everyone wondering, Why did we just do this? Without alignment, the work can feel like a container sitting on the shelf — full of potential, but not hooked up to power anything else.
A few years ago, we set out to change that. It seemed like everyone was making goals: teachers set TPEP goals, PLCs created their own, administrators wrote SIP and TPEP goals… container after container, each filled separately, with no shared pipeline. Frankly, we’d had enough of the disjointed approach — and we weren’t seeing the measurable results we wanted.
So we asked, What if the same goal powered everything? What if teachers worked with their PLC team to set one strong goal, used that same goal for TPEP, and then fed it directly into the SIP? That way, every ounce of energy we generated went into the same grid. Then things got even more interesting when we asked our PLCs if they’d be open to a formal evaluation cycle of their PLC work itself.
This did a few things. In management, you know the work we pay attention to is the work that gets done. Setting up a formal observation of a PLC elevated the team’s work. All of a sudden, Dufour’s four questions became much more pertinent, and we discovered that earnestly asking and answering those questions touched on criterion after criterion. Our PLC goals became richer, more student-focused, and more instructional. Teams began talking about what they could do to move students toward mastering priority standards. We could almost hear the clanging of those yellow containers as the energy flowed in.
Remember Sully and the slumber party? We sat in PLCs, took verbatim notes, and pasted those notes directly into several teachers’ TPEP evaluations. It felt like cheating — but it was actually just good energy management.
Then came the moment that proved it was working. One random Tuesday morning, I walked through classrooms and saw it everywhere: PLC goals in action. On whiteboards. In small group work. In direct instruction. On posters. The same goals we’d set together, powering everything I saw. It was like breaking through the Matrix — and all the containers were connected and humming.
I’d encourage you to find a PLC open to the idea. Join them when they’re working on goals. Remind them that every time you’re with them, it’s one less meeting to schedule, one less isolated goal to write, and one less lesson to “dial in” for a one-time observation. Then, get in for a formal observation of the PLC and listen closely to what they’re doing and why. Record it slumber-party style in your evaluation system — and later, go find it on a random Tuesday. Look for the authentic work that’s rooted in standards, powered by shared pedagogy, and fueling deep engagement and rich student learning.
During my last round of final evaluations, I reflected with teachers about how PLC time never seemed fake or forced. “That’s because it’s real,” they told me. And I couldn’t agree more — because when all your containers are connected, the energy never gets lost.