LESSON STUDY What is Lesson Study? Lesson study is a process in which teams of teacher researchers work together to plan, teach, observe and analyze research lessons. In a lesson study cycle, teacher researchers within grade or subject area first gather to plan a research lesson for their students, anticipating student responses and considering the many factors that can impact the lesson’s success. They then methodically observe the students as one of the group members teaches the lesson, gathering recoded evidence about the students’ engagement and learning. After observing they meet to discuss their observations, analyzing their data to real the relationship between teacher actions and student response. The lesson is than revised as recommended by the teacher researchers and is taught by another teacher on the team to see if the lesson change produced better results. All team members observe the second teaching of the lesson recording their observations. The group debriefs a second time sharing the results of the observation findings. This kind of intense focus on a single lesson, repeated over time, can have a profound impact on teachers’ learning and overall teaching practice. The point of a lesson study is not to create or teach perfect lessons or even to generate new lessons from scratch. Coming up with a brand new lesson with a group of people can take time and quickly get bogged down, detracting from the central focus of lesson study, which is to investigate the relationship between teaching and learning. Thus, already-written lessons (publisher- or teacher-created) are used as the starting point of planning, allowing participants to make the best use of their time together.

The Lesson Study Cycle A typical lesson study has three distinct phases: Phase 1 Review Data and Lesson Planning, Phase 2 Lesson Observation and Data Collection, and Phase 3 Data Analysis and Debrief. At the end of the third phase however the team must repeat the three phases, not to create another lesson, but instead to improve the first lesson taught. The lesson study cycle used for the awarding of master plan points must follow through the entire cycle process. Revisions to improve the lesson must be made to the research lesson and taught by a different teacher in the group. A second debriefing session after the second teaching must take place. Below is a diagram of the required Lesson Study Cycle.

The Cycle: 1. Review Data/Plan Lesson

2.

5.

Teach Lesson/Observe/ Collect Data

Debrief

4. Re-Teach of Lesson/Observe

3. Debrief/Analyze Data/Improve Lesson

Lesson Study Roles and Responsibilities Facilitator: • Maintain coherence in planning • Focus on how the lesson will meet the research goals • Establish an environment of collaboration • Clarify teachers’ gaps in understanding of the content • Listen carefully to what each teacher is sharing, sometimes clarifying a point being made, other times probing for more information and sometimes modeling or coaching Content Expert (Optional): • Understand what the lesson writers are trying to accomplish • Determine whether the team’s goals are being met • Clarify teachers’ gaps in understanding of the content • Provide suggestions for goals, assessment, and/or lesson content Teachers: • Discuss goals for students and content • Build the research lesson • Participate in lesson, observation and debrief sessions • Write the research report

DEBRIEFING Debrief Protocol Reporting In the first part of the debrief session, each group member takes 3 to 4 minutes to report his observations. This is not the time for questions or discussions: 1. Teacher reflects on lesson (goals, difficulties, observations) 2. Each group member reports data observed 3. Expert shares observations (optional) 4. Facilitator summarizes findings Discussion Use the following outline to guide the discussion after teaching of Lesson 1 and after the re-teach in Lesson 2. This outline will be part of the lesson study report. A. Analysis of student learning 1. Discuss the extent to which your learning goals were attained and describe the evidence that indicates that these goals were met. 2. Identify what key activities, strategies, or portions of the instructional sequence contributed to students achieving the learning goals. Be sure to explain how you know that this occurred (observed evidence of student learning). 3. Identify any activities or instructional strategies that impeded student learning. 4. Did this lesson have any unexpected outcomes in student learning? These could be good things (something went “better” than expected) or things that impacted student learning in a negative way (things did not go as planned, new misconceptions were created, etc.) B. Assessment of the research goal: To what extent do you feel this lesson helped further your students’ progress toward the research goal? Discuss what observed evidence supports your conclusion. C. Reflection 1. Reflect on the lesson study process. What did you learn about teaching and learning? What elements of the lesson will you take back to the classroom? 2. What aspects of the lesson study process would you change (if any)?

Lesson Study Packet One lesson study packet must be completed by the research group as the process is taking place. In addition, every member of the lesson study group must complete the final reflection of the Lesson Study Packet (page 8). The entire completed packet must be submitted at the same time. Master inservice points will not be awarded if any documents are missing.

M-DCPS Office of Professional Development and Evaluation Lesson Study Documentation Form  This packet must be completed by Lesson Study Members and signed by the school administrator verifying the accuracy of the information.  Completed packet must be faxed to the Professional Development Data Center at 305-883-1443.

School: ____________________________________________ Location No: ______________ Dates of Planning: ____________________________________________________________ Dates of Debriefing: ___________________________________________________________ First Teacher Observed: ____________________________ Observation Date: ___________ Second Teacher Observed: __________________________Observation Date: ___________ Lesson Topic: _______________________________________________________________ Standards Address: ___________________________________________________________ SMART Goal: ________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Participant Name

Member Role

Employee #

Facilitator Recorder *Content Expert Participant Participant Participant Participant Participant Participant * Optional

_____________________________________________ Signature of School Administrator

__________________________ Date

PLANNING Part One: Planning Meeting Please complete after Planning Meeting: (one document per lesson study group) What does the data indicate?

What is the objective of this lesson? (What the students will learn and will be able to do)

How is this topic related to standards or objectives in earlier and later courses or lessons? Earlier Courses/Lessons:

This Lesson’s Topic:

Later Courses/Lessons:

What misconceptions might the students have?

What language issues (vocabulary, etc.) are relevant to the lesson?

What language issues are relevant to the lesson? (vocabulary, etc…)

What points will be observed and evaluated?

Part Two: Lesson Planning Questions/Responses/Goal Prompts, questions (What will the teacher say and do?)

Expected responses (What will students say and do?)

How will the teacher react to students’ responses?

Goal for this element/ Time allocation/Misc.

Debrief Complete after the Debriefing Meeting: Analysis of Student Learning Discuss the extent to which your learning goals were attained and describe the evidence that indicates that these goals were met.

Identify what key activities, strategies, or portions of the instructional sequence contributed to students achieving the learning goals. Be sure to explain how you know that this occurred (observed evidence of student learning).

Identify any activities or instructional strategies that impeded student learning.

Did the lesson have any unexpected outcomes in student learning? (something went “better than expected) or things that impacted student learning in a negative way (things did not go as planned, new misconceptions were created, etc.)

ASSESSMENT of GOAL To what extent do you feel this lesson helped further your students’ progress toward the research goal? Discuss what observed evidence supports your conclusion.

Second Teaching Revisions Describe the changes that were made between Lesson Plan I and Lesson Plan II: What didn’t work or needed improvement in the first lesson?

What changes were made between the two lessons?

PERSONAL REFLECTION Completed by each participant: Reflect on the lesson study process. What did you learn about teaching and learning?

If you were to re-teach the lesson a third time, what revisions would you make? Why?

Discuss challenges, concerns, and issues that the group faced during the process and possible solutions.