The Challenge:
We wanted used lesson study as a means for teachers to share expertise with colleagues and learn from one another; we were particularly interested in interventions that would help ELLs improve outcomes in reading and writing

What did your team do about it?:
We learned about the process of lesson study as it is used in other countries and districts, and designed our own version of the protocol. We engaged in this protocol with a small 3-person group consisting of a 6th grade teacher, 7th grade teacher, and instructional coach, and were in the process of engaging in this protocol with a 4-person group. We successfully adapted the lesson study protocol to fit our time and scheduling constraints, and found teachers whose schedules aligned well enough to take advantage of off periods, although meeting after school hours was a central component of the work.

Impact on Students:
Our lesson study cycle focused on the process of revision. Specifically, we used the protocol to plan and deliver lessons in 6th and 7th grade which provided opportunities to revise narrative pieces. In both cases, students were able to improve their narrative pieces. We have “before and after” student work to show how students were generally successful in revising their work.

Teacher Leadership and School Community:
Teachers are generally enthusiastic and excited to learn with each other through planning and observation. One major obstacle to this is the schedule because some teachers don’t have common off periods. Another obstacle is that many district and school leaders and even teachers generally think of PD as something that happens to teachers, and not as something that is lead by teachers. If we could create more spaces for teachers to learn from each other, this has positive impacts on instruction, but also on the culture because the bonds of community are strengthened as colleagues turn to each other for support and gain trust.

What’s Next?
How can we make lesson study a key part of the work we do as a school? What shifts to the school day can we utilize to create spaces where teachers can learn from each other? I would like to continue using this protocol with more small groups of teachers next year, ideally with more support from the administration. I am hoping to have some time carved out on early-release PD days for this.

Helping Others:
Teachers engaged in a process of lesson study.

The process has approximately eleven steps.

1. Identifying a focus area for the lesson study protocol (We chose improving students abilities to revise their writing)
2. Reading a journal or book chapter about this focus area and discussing how we can use the findings in our own teaching
3. Co-planning a lesson to address the focus area using our knowledge and findings from the research article
4. Observing this lesson being taught in one classroom
5. Meeting to debrief the observation and identify strengths and weaknesses
6. Meeting to analyze student work from the observation to see if our conclusions are upheld by the student work
7. Meeting to co-plan another lesson on revision, taking into account what we have learned from the article and having observed the previous lesson
8. Observing this lesson taught in another classroom
9. Meeting to debrief the observation and identify strengths and weaknesses
10. Meeting to analyze student work from the observation to see if our conclusions are upheld by the student work
11. Meeting to write up what we learned about the process of revision but also how best to implement lesson study at our school, in preparation for another cycle.