When the author became principal of Acton Elementary School in Acton, Maine, in 2003, he spent the summer interviewing staff members. Staff in this small, rural elementary school overwhelmingly expressed a desire for opportunities to learn collaboratively. The teachers described a school culture where staff did not work together but instead worked in isolation or small cliques. As schools throughout the country attempt to improve student achievement by developing professional learning communities, administrators are placing teachers into collaborative groups. This has often has led to schools "doing" professional learning communities, yet doing little to develop a culture of professional learning. In this article, the author shares how he led community building with the help of coaches and a motivated staff to shift educators' attitudes and beliefs about professional development and create a collaborative culture with positive results for teaching and learning.