1. Lesson Study

2. Education Transformation Office
Laura Tennant, Assistant Principal
North County Elementary School
Dr. Alicia Jones, Reading Coach
Nikolai Vitti, Assistant Superintendent
Miami-Dade County Public Schools

3. Objectives
Participants will understand how Lesson Study strengthens teaching and learning.
Participants will learn how to implement the Lesson Study process.

4. Essential Question
How can Lesson Study enhance the teaching and learning process?

5. Lesson Study What do I Know? What am I Wondering?
In the center circle, write everything you know about Lesson Study. On the lines, write what you are wondering about Lesson Study and what you want to know.
Give participants a KWL Concept Map to complete “What I Know” and “What I’m Wondering” (individually).
Then have participants work in groups to discuss what they wrote and determine one concept for each and record on Post-It notes.
Each group will pick one key idea they know and one idea they are wondering about to share with the whole group.
Facilitator will post up one chart paper for group share-out.
Participants will place their post-it notes on the group chart.

6. Observations Questions
Two column notes- Observations- Questions
Original video presented by D. Katz to coordinators in FALL 2009.

7. DA Lesson Study Requirements
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: 2011%20Strategies%20and%20Support%20Document%20for%20Regular%20Schools_June_18.pdf
The link takes you not only to the Supporting Documents report, but also to the research background.

8. What is Lesson Study?
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”
Lesson study is a method of improving instruction through collaboration with other teachers to plan, observe and reflect on lessons—with the goal of improving learning for all students. Lesson study requires teachers to work collaboratively as a PLC to strengthen a lesson, teach it, and collect data about how the lesson worked for students. The teacher who delivers the lesson reflects first, with other group members to follow, sharing their collected data. The group determines whether to revise and re-teach or to apply information to another lesson.
“We” vs. “Me”: The Lesson Study process helps to remove isolation—both in teachers working in isolation, and in skills being taught in isolation. The focus of lesson study is on the lesson; it is NOT about the teacher.

9. Lesson Study is not about the teacher, it’s about instruction and student learning.
Respond to this quote in 30 seconds in writing on a post-it.
Find a partner discuss and trade post-its in 60 seconds.
Find a new partner and share in 90 seconds.

10. Why is Lesson Study different than other professional development workshops?
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.
When teachers have “opportunities for collaborative inquiry and the learning related to it, they [are] able to develop and share a body of wisdom gleaned from their experience.”
Read slide and share with participants how lesson study allows teachers to work collaboratively to improve not only their own lesson planning but to support one another with instructional challenges and provide peer coaching.

11. What are the benefits of Lesson Study?
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.

12. Implementing Lesson Study
What are the steps needed for schools to implement Lesson Study?
How can you support Lesson Study at your school?
Participants will participate in a Think-Write-Pair-Share in their journals.
Facilitator will sweep the room.

13. In a Lesson Study:
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.
The team should meet regularly.
This should be the framework for PD for common planning time. In elementary it’s through grade level meetings, team meetings, after school, etc.
The team should meet immediately after the Observation, 24 – 48 hours.
We will review protocols for colloquium.

14. Lesson Study Cycle, 2011

15. What is an Lesson Study Group (LSG)?
A group of 3-8 members typically from the same discipline specifically focused on improving a lesson and applying their learning to future lessons.
Survey Audience: How many of you have ever been part of an LSG?
Talk to participants about the importance of having more than 3 members in your group.
Mention common planning, grade level meetings, PLCs, department meetings, etc.
Examples:
Algebra teachers
5th grade team
3rd grade team
Math teachers

16. Building an Effective LSG
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.

17. Ground Rules . . .
Participants should brainstorm possible ground rules at their tables or with a partner. 17 17

18. Suggested Ground-Rules
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.
Reiterate the importance of ground rules.
Share experiences of groups that did not set ground rules.

19. Suggested Roles of Lesson Study Team Members
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.
Survey room:
Who has been a facilitator? Teacher? Observer?
Discuss the importance of other LS roles.
Give out handout.

20. Choosing the Facilitator
Active Listener
Reflective
Focused
Organized
Task-oriented
Articulate
Prompts and elicits responses
Possesses leadership skills
Project Rise Teacher
NBCT
Coach
Participant of previous LS

21. Choosing the “Presenter”
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.

22. Focus the Lesson Study
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.
Connect to RtI
Quantitative and Qualitative Data
Hypothesis Generation: The problem is __________. I think ____________.
Now is the time to speak of overarching goals, themes, etc.
Long Term Goals: Engagement, Higher Order Questioning, etc.
SIP
Interims
Teacher Observations/Needs
Instructional Practices, etc.

23. Developing Student Learning Goals
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.
Unpacking the standards.
Item Specs.
Pacing Guides.
Reference handout: Guiding Questions
What areas are challenging for our students?
What are common challenges from research on student learning?
What areas are difficult to teach?

24. Selecting or Designing a “Research Lesson”
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.
CPALMS
Developing lesson together is key because it sets the stage for the observation in which the lesson-the product of the entire team-and the learning is being evaluated.
Explore best practices.
Lesson Plan can be used as a communication tool, observation tool, backbone of lesson study.
Lesson must be data-based.
Even with standard curriculum or core, lesson plans may be modified and enhanced through the LS process.

25. Questions To Consider When Planning the Research Lesson
Handout: Lesson Study Guiding Questions
Facilitator will review questions and handout.

26. Prepare for the Observation
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.

27. Who might you invite? All team members (required) Knowledgeable Others
Your Principal
Your Superintendent
Other Teachers
School 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.

28. Data Collection
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.

29. Possible Data Points: “Look Fors”
Types of questions the students asked
Types of questions the teacher asked
Evidence of higher‐level thinking
Evidence of confusion
Percent of students who raised hands
Body language, “aha” moments, shining eyes
Shifts in thinking that are evident
Number of times students refer to and build on classmates’ comments
Evidence of engagement
Following the lesson and deviations from the lesson
Handout: “Data Collection”
Facilitator should point out the data collection section of this handout.
Sample Look Fors:
Questions that come to your mind as you observe
Critical things are happening in the classroom
Types of questions the students asked
Types of questions the teacher asked
Evidence of higher‐level thinking
Evidence of skill
Evidence of confusion
Percent of students who raised hands
Body language, “aha” moments, shining eyes
Shifts in thinking that are evident
Number of times students refer to and build on classmates’ comments
Evidence of engagement
Following the lesson and deviations from the lesson

30. 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.
Facilitator should emphasize and ensure that all student work is collected.

31. Teaching and Observing the Lesson
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.
Handouts: Share observation handouts from TAP.
Traditional classroom observations tend to focus on what the teacher does during the class period. Observations of Lesson Study focus on students and what they do in response to instruction. The purpose of having several instructors observe the class is to gather as much information about the process of the lesson as possible. The primary task is to observe how the students respond to the lesson and make some conclusions about how well the LESSON worked. In other words, observers note behaviors of the students and the benefits/difficulties of the lesson, NOT the behaviors of the instructor. Observers should have a copy of the lesson plan and student handouts used in the lesson.
In preparation for teaching the lesson, teams think about how to collect data that will help them determine the extent to which the learning goal is achieved. Teams develop an observation protocol based on their predictions of student responses and decide what types of evidence will be collected from students. Also observers may want to decide on a specific question to focus their attention during the lesson (not sure if we want to include this statement).
Before the actual class period, students should be informed about the Lesson Study and the observers that will be in the classroom. Prior to the lesson, observers should be introduced to the class and indicate what they will be doing.
Observers gather rich evidence related to the learning goal during the lesson, capturing the complexity of actual teaching and learning. Depending upon the team’s data collection strategy, observers may record detailed field notes, focus on specific types of student activity, or use checklists or rubrics to categorize or monitor student engagement, performance, thinking, and/or behavior. They may observe the entire class or focus on specific students during the lesson. The lesson can be videotaped, sometimes from multiple vantage points, for future reference and review.

32. Lesson Study Observation Form
Hand out observation sheets.

33. Colloquium
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.
Let’s look at the word “Colloquium” and try to figure out the meaning using context.

34. Debriefing the Lesson: Colloquium
The entire lesson study team plus any additional observers gather following the lesson to begin the debriefing.
Facilitator will share debriefing protocol. (Tuning Protocol).

35. Reflect and Re-teach, or Plan the Next Step
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?

36. Improving the Research Lesson
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.

37. Teaching the Improved “Research Lesson”
Conduct the research lesson with another LSG member teaching.
Other LSG members collect evidence (data) on student learning and development.

38. Reconvening for the “Colloquium”
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.

39. Possible Questions for Reflection
Facilitator will refer to handout.
Activity: Get into groups of 4-6 to discuss the possible questions as well as what other questions can be added.

40. Revisiting What We Learned Concept Map
In the outer circles, write what you learned.

41. Quote —Teacher Cristina McFadden, Natomas High School, Sacramento
“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

45. Exit Slip: REFLECTIONS
IDEAS YOU DISCOVERED . . .
FEELINGS YOU EXPERIENCED . . .
QUESTIONS TO PURSUE . . .
NEXT STEPS . . .
Exit Slip activity

46. References
Florida Department of Education. (2010). Implementing Lesson Study: Differentiated Accountability Technical Assistance Document 1st Edition.
Florida and the Islands Regional Comprehensive Center. (2009). An Introduction to Lesson Study.