Leading Lesson Study: A Practical Guide for Teachers and Facilitators

'Provides readers with a compelling rationale for the process, offers experience-tested tools, and suggests ways to address commonly-occurring challenges. This book will assist teachers, and those who support them, in understanding and implementing all phases of lesson study, from initial planning through sharing with others what was learned' - Dennis Sparks, Executive Director, National Staff Development Council 'A powerful teacher professional development process that focuses collaborative teams directly on the classroom, and the perfect tool for teachers, professional developers, and team leaders. Gives you everything you need to use lesson study to support teachers in thinking deeply about practice' - Roberta Jaffe, Science Education Coordinator, New Teacher Center, University of California, Santa Cruz Use this team-centered approach to directly enhance teaching and learning in your school! First introduced in Japan, lesson study has gained enthusiastic advocates in U.S. educational circles as a powerful, collaborative approach that brings teachers together as researchers into the science and craft of teaching and learning in their classrooms. Teachers work as teams to develop a lesson plan, teach and observe the lesson to collect data on student learning, and use their observations to refine their lesson. Participants build their sense of professional authority while discovering effective practices that result in improved learning outcomes for their students. This "how-to" guide provides teachers, administrators, and team leaders with practical strategies, models, and tools. The book leads a beginning team through the phases of the lesson study cycle and provides an experienced team with new perspectives. Using examples from U.S. classrooms, this handbook: * Encourages educators to generate and share knowledge * Inspires a teacher-researcher stance * Illustrates both the process and substance of lesson study * Encourages collaboration * Provides guidelines for avoiding common pitfalls Leading Lesson Study is an excellent resource for both experienced and novice lesson study teams, administrators who want to start a lesson study program, and lesson study team facilitators such as instructional coaches and professional development providers.

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Bill Jackson Preface About the Authors 1. Introduction—Making the Case for Lesson Study An Overview of Lesson Study Core Elements of Lesson Study Building a Research Base for Lesson Study 2. Laying the Groundwork for Lesson Study Beginning With the Necessary Ingredients Additional Supports Creating a Lesson Study Action Plan Inviting Teachers to Participate Finding Time Gaining Support From Administrators Finding External Support Developing a Collaborative School Culture Challenges of Laying the Groundwork Moving on to the Next Phase Key Ideas 3. Starting the Lesson Study Cycle Roles and Responsibilities Creating the Schedule Developing Into a Team Identifying Group Norms Maintaining Group Norms Becoming a Community of Practice Types of Lesson Study Goals Key Ideas 4. Planning the Research Lesson Process for Planning the Lesson Investigating Teaching Materials Step 1: Identify the Topic Step 2: Map the Unit Step 3: Identify Goals Step 4: Create the Lesson Plan Reflecting and Assessing Progress Moving on to the Next Phase Key Ideas 5. Teaching, Observing, and Debriefing Roles and Responsibilities Preparing for the Observation and Debriefing The Pre-Observation Meeting Teaching and Observing the Lesson Conducting the Debriefing Preparing for the Revision Challenges of the Debriefing Reflecting and Assessing Progress Moving on to the Next Phase Key Ideas 6. Revising and Reteaching the Lesson Why Revise and Reteach? Process for Revising the Lesson Step 1: Gather and Review the Data Step 2: Analyze the Data Step 3: Identify Needed Changes Step 4: Revise the Lesson Plan Challenges of the Revision Process Reteaching and Focusing the Debriefing Reflecting and Assessing Progress Moving on to the Next Phase Key Ideas 7. Reflecting and Sharing Results Importance of Reflection Lesson Study Reports Process for Developing the Report Alternatives to a Report Evaluating Lesson Study Tying Reflection and Evaluation to a New Cycle of Lesson Study Key Ideas 8. Growing and Sustaining Lesson Study Maintaining Momentum Dealing With Turnover Adding Teams and Sites Embedding Lesson Study Hosting an Open House Goals for Teacher Learning Final Thoughts Resource A: Sample Research Lessons Resource B: Frequently Asked Questions Resource C: Additional Resources Glossary References Index

About the Author :
Jennifer Stepanek is a writer, editor, and researcher with Education Northwest in Portland, Oregon. She is the lead author of Leading Lesson Study: A Practical Guide for Teachers and Facilitators (2007), published by Corwin Press. Jennifer has worked with lesson study teams at a variety of sites in the Northwest to explore how teachers in the United States are adapting the Japanese model to fit their contexts and needs. Jennifer has written and edited a number of articles on lesson study and is also the co-author of An Invitation to Lesson Study, an electronic resource designed to help facilitators and other professional development providers introduce lesson study to others. Her previous projects include serving as the editor of Northwest Teacher, a math and science journal and writing publications for the It’s Just Good Teaching series—research-based monographs on mathematics and science teaching. Melinda Leong has served as a Senior Program Advisor in the Mathematics Education Unit at Education Northwest since 2001. She has been providing leadership in designing effective professional development in mathematics learning, teaching, and assessment. Before joining Education Northwest, she worked with the New York City Board of Education in District 2 as a teacher and director for 11 years at the K–8 level. She was the founder and director of the Manhattan Academy of Technology in New York, a middle school focused on integrating technology into a three-year comprehensive and rigorous academic program. Leong holds a B.A. in education and American studies from Tufts University, an M.A. in elementary education from Hunter College at the City University of New York, an M.A. in administration and supervision from City College at the City University of New York, and a graduate certificate in middle school mathematics from Portland State University.

Review :
"Guides educational leaders in creating successful lesson study in American schools. The authors provide readers with a compelling rationale for the process, offer experience-tested tools, and suggest ways to address commonly-occurring challenges. This book will assist teachers, and those who support them, in understanding and implementing all phases of lesson study, from initial planning through sharing with others what was learned." "Rightly argues that the quality of education can be better enhanced through the powerful and practical learning inherent in well-done lesson study than ′teacher-proofing′ and other attempts to change the surface features of schools. Teachers need to help set the agenda for learning that is focused on the problems of their classrooms, have an opportunity to collaborate, and observe why lessons do or do not work in order to improve student learning. No process affords a more comprehensive and powerful learning opportunity than lesson study." "A powerful teacher professional development process that focuses collaborative teams directly on the classroom, and the perfect tool for teachers, professional developers and team leaders. Gives you everything you need to use lesson study to support teachers in thinking deeply about practice. I can′t wait to start using Leading Lesson Study with the science teachers I work with!" "Educators at all grade levels will appreciate the instruction that uses examples from US classrooms throughout." “Fulfills the subtitle’s promise to be a ‘practical guide,’ with numerous samples, examples, and worksheets. The authors have succeeded in creating a guide with rich potential to increase both the quantity and quality of lesson study work done in the United States.”