#61 Why Most PLCs Don’t Work—and How to Fix Them with Steve Ventura

In this episode of Make It Mindful, Seth Fleischauer welcomes Steve Ventura, educator, author, and founder of the Achievement Teams model. They explore how reflective teaching, collective efficacy, and purposeful collaboration can transform both teacher culture and student outcomes.

Ventura shares why traditional PLCs often fall short—and how his framework, rooted in evidence and emotional intelligence, gives teachers the tools to improve practice without fear. The conversation highlights the emotional challenges of teacher self-assessment, the power of root cause analysis, and the global applications of culturally responsive collaboration.

Pain Point: Teachers are expected to constantly improve—but often lack the time, structure, and emotional safety to do so effectively.

Solution: Achievement Teams provide a collaborative framework that supports honest reflection, shared responsibility, and mid-course corrections grounded in student data—not blame.

Action: Start small. Identify one meaningful learning target, build a short-cycle assessment, and focus on what you can control. From there, build trust and clarity within your team before scaling up.

Episode Links:

• Steve Ventura’s Website
• Achievement Teams book on Amazon

Host Links:

Seth Fleischauer’s Banyan Global Learning provides meaningful global learning experiences that prepare students across the globe for success in an interconnected world.