In today’s fast-paced, distraction-filled world, sustained engagement in collaborative settings is challenging yet essential for meaningful professional growth. Effective collective learning demands that educators be fully present and actively engaged — both mentally and physically — during professional learning community (PLC) meetings. Without carefully crafted norms that specifically encourage engagement, even well-meaning teams may struggle to maintain focus and productivity. Many teams set norms but they use generic or vague expectations that can result in disengagement, off-topic discussions, superficial participation, or avoidance of difficult conversations. Such gaps in engagement can subtly erode the collaborative process, diminishing the potential for authentic, shared learning. To counteract this, effective PLC norms must go beyond basic courtesy and address behaviors essential to engagement, such as active listening, mutual respect,