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Lesson Study

Education Transformation Office

Laura Tennant, Assistant PrincipalNorth County Elementary School

Dr. Alicia Jones, Reading CoachNorth County Elementary School

Nikolai Vitti, Assistant SuperintendentMiami-Dade County Public Schools

Objectives

Participants will understand how Lesson Study strengthens teaching and learning.

Participants will learn how to implement the Lesson Study process.

Essential Question

How can Lesson Study enhance the teaching and learning process?

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What do I Know?

What am I Wondering?

Lesson Study

6Observations Questions

DA Lesson Study Requirements7

Prevent II, Correct II, and Intervene schools are required to create common planning in the master schedule and to implement lesson study.

Districts are required to provide training to all schools in DA.

DA Strategies and Support Document:http://www.flbsi.org/pdf/Final%202010-2011%20Strategies%20and%20Support%20Document%20for%20Regular%20Schools_June_18.pdf

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A professional development process in which a small group of teachers collaboratively plans, teaches, observes, revises, and reports results on a single class lesson.

Lesson Study is a Japanese approach to instructional improvement that has recently sparked much interest in the United States. It is an ongoing professional development process utilized within Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to allow teachers the opportunity to create a model for high-quality instructional practices. It is also a method for improving a lesson through teacher collaboration.

A method of improving a lesson through a process of teacher collaboration.

“We” versus “Me”

What is Lesson Study?

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Lesson Study is not about the teacher, it’s about

instruction and student learning.

Why is Lesson Study different than other professional development workshops?

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Lesson Study is a job-embedded, ongoing, comprehensive professional development process.

It allows teachers to explore real challenges that are faced in their classrooms with their students.

This professional development is “teacher-directed” and “student-centered”.

Lesson Study assists in defining shared best practices and strategies and builds capacity as it encourages the creation of relationships and collaboration with peers.

What are the benefits of Lesson Study?11

Explore problems that impede student learning.

Understand how students think and learn.

Plan lessons that bring to life both short-term and long-term goals.

Deepen subject matter knowledge.

Share and design best practices.

Learn successful teaching techniques and behaviors from other teachers.

   

Implementing Lesson Study12

What are the steps needed for schools to implement Lesson Study?

How can you support Lesson Study at your school?

In a Lesson Study: 13

The team will meet on a regular basis to plan a Research Lesson.

One teacher from each team will present the lesson in his/her classroom.

The other teachers will observe the lesson and will take notes on what the students are doing and saying.

After the lesson is presented, the team will meet to discuss the lesson and their observations of the lesson. This is an engaging interaction of ideas and suggestions, with the focus always on the students.

Lesson Study Cycle, 201114

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A group of 3-8 members typically from the same discipline specifically focused on improving a lesson and applying their learning to future lessons.

What is an Lesson Study Group (LSG)?

Building an Effective LSG

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Infrastructure and consensus must be built before the LSG performs the lesson study. Develop processes for effective teaming.

Establish group norms. Develop a communication plan.

Build consensus through: Data Analysis Goal Setting Problem Analysis

Expand common professional knowledge.

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Ground Rules . . .

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Suggested Ground-Rules18

Listen carefully to each other and communicate clearly.Respect differences of opinion and the individuals who

express them.Allow one person to speak at a time.Listen with an open mind.Share what you think.Avoid interrupting. Write comments or questions down

and wait your turn.Stay on task.Establish roles for members.Express views succinctly.Share “air time” so that the discussion is not dominated

by one person.

Suggested Roles of Lesson Study Team Members

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Facilitator: Keeps the group on task by guiding the process through questions. The facilitator makes sure that the group reaches the goal and ensures that all voices in the group are heard by guiding the colloquium on effective teaming, goal setting, data analysis, and problem analysis.

Recorder: Keeps a written record of what has been accomplished. The recorder fills out necessary checklists and keeps the group apprised of what still needs to be done.

Choosing the Facilitator

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Active ListenerReflectiveFocusedOrganizedTask-orientedArticulatePrompts and elicits responsesPossesses leadership skills

Choosing the “Presenter”21

Lesson Study is not about the idiosyncrasies of a teacher; it is a joint effort to improve our lesson and student learning.

The focus is on seeing how student learning occurs once our lesson is taught.

In our next Lesson Study cycle, the teacher role would rotate to another member.

Focus the Lesson Study 22

Before the Lesson Study team begins conducting research and planning the research lesson, participants identify a problem based on student learning data.

Establishing a theme helps participants keep their eyes on the big picture and helps to tie long term goals with short term objectives.

Developing Student Learning Goals23

The subject area and benchmark of focus should be chosen based on data.

Gather assessment data and disaggregate/analyze the data for patterns that emerge in areas of student weaknesses.

Selecting or Designing a “Research Lesson”

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The LSG may select a “research lesson” (a lesson from a textbook, a lesson someone prepared, or a lesson created together).

Teachers share and discuss their existing lessons related to the topic, explaining what they believe has been successful and where they believe the lessons could be improved.

The LSG may develop the lesson as a group signaling that the lesson is owned by all participants.

Questions To Consider When Planning the Research Lesson

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Prepare for the Observation26

The team ensures that each person at the observation knows the expectations of the lesson study and the ground rules for observing the lesson.

The lesson study team prepares the classroom so observers can circulate freely among students or stand comfortably around the periphery during whole class instruction.

Observation protocols are shared among group members.

Who might you invite?27

All team members (required)Knowledgeable OthersYour PrincipalYour SuperintendentOther TeachersSchool Board Members

Hints for the observers:Observe the students, not the teacher!This is not YOUR lesson, it is the TEAM’S lesson.Observers should take notes, but should not

interfere in the lesson or provide assistance.Link your observations to lesson goals.

Data Collection28

Consider what evidence from the lesson will help us reflect on our goals for learning and student development.

Identify the data points to measure the impact of instructional strategies on anticipated barriers and student learning and development.

The purpose is to observe student learning in the lesson not to evaluate the teacher and his or her style.

Possible Data Points: “Look Fors”29

Types of questions the students askedTypes of questions the teacher askedEvidence of higher‐level thinkingEvidence of confusionPercent of students who raised handsBody language, “aha” moments, shining eyesShifts in thinking that are evidentNumber of times students refer to and build on

classmates’ commentsEvidence of engagementFollowing the lesson and deviations from the lesson

Planning for Data Collection

Prior to the lesson delivery, determine the format of data collection. Checklist Frequency chart Observation notes Anecdotal notes

Usually each observer collects data on only one data point.

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Teaching and Observing the Lesson

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One planning team member teaches the classroom lesson while other team members collect data on student thinking, learning, engagement, behavior, etc.

Facilitator ensures that student work is collected.

Lesson Study Observation

Form

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Colloquium33

The facilitator begins the colloquium with the teacher who taught the lesson, followed by team members and then observers.

The teacher should describe the goals for the lesson, then comment on what went well, and the difficulties and learning's from planning and teaching the lesson.

Team members should also address goals and speak to instructional decisions.

Team members followed by other observers should present and discuss the student data collected.

Debriefing the Lesson: Colloquium 34

The entire lesson study team plus any additional observers gather following the lesson to begin the debriefing.

Reflect and Re-teach, or Plan the Next Step

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Would you like to refine and re‐teach the lesson in another classroom? What should be changed?

What went well in your lesson study effort, and what would you like to change next time around?

What new issues or problems came up that you would like to address in your next research lesson cycle?

Improving the Research Lesson36

The shared process of improving the research lesson creates ownership of the lesson for the whole group.

As part of the improvement process, anticipate barriers to goals, e.g., student misconceptions, learning styles, and engagement.

Improve the research lesson with instructional strategies chosen to address the barriers.

The improved research lesson becomes “our” lesson, NOT “your” lesson or even “the” lesson.

Teaching the Improved “Research Lesson”37

Conduct the research lesson with another LSG member teaching.

Other LSG members collect evidence (data) on student learning and development.

Reconvening for the “Colloquium”

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Participants meet to discuss and analyze the lesson as soon as possible after instruction.

Begins with the teacher sharing what worked and what did not from their perspective.

Data collectors then report on data points.

The LSG begins reflection based on data analysis.

Possible Questions for Reflection

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Revisiting What We Learned Concept Map40

In the outer circles, write what you learned.

Quote41

“I have planned units with other teachers, but never in such detail or with such extreme

collaboration….Every voice was heard, every idea dissected for its viability within the lesson.

And through it all I was left with the knowledge that not only was I improving one lesson (a lesson I would never teach in fact), but every lesson I will teach in the future.”

—Teacher Cristina McFadden, Natomas High School, Sacramento

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Exit Slip: REFLECTIONS

IDEAS YOU DISCOVERED . . .

FEELINGS YOU EXPERIENCED . . .

QUESTIONS TO PURSUE . . .

NEXT STEPS . . .

REFERENCESFLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. (2010). IMPLEMENTING LESSON STUDY: DIFFERENTIATED ACCOUNTABILITY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE DOCUMENT 1 S T EDITION.

FLORIDA AND THE ISLANDS REGIONAL COMPREHENSIVE CENTER. (2009). AN INTRODUCTION TO LESSON STUDY .

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