Lesson Study

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Amy's Reflections

As we enter into a new school year, talking and planning about our work, I keep coming back to the idea of Lesson Study as a way to meet many of our professional needs.  As a coach and a principal, I found Lesson Studies to be some of the best days spent with my teachers, collaborating and learning side-by-side.  I was fortunate to have the budget to afford full day releases for grade level teams to come together in this way, and it was so powerful. For the purpose of ensuring a common language, below is a summary of how I structured Lesson Study (based off of the Japanese model).

A team of teachers would have a substitute take over their classes for a full day in order to complete a Lesson Study.  In the beginning, I would facilitate the work, though it was my goal for the coach and/or teachers to take on that role once they had experienced the process.  We would begin the day setting the expectation- there was always one instructional and/or curricular area that a grade level wanted more focused support in (small group instruction, engagement during Read Alouds, structured partner talk using academic language, etc.) and that would be established before coming to the meeting.  The facilitator would review the focus area and the current data of the class in which the lesson would be taught.  Reviewing the data, whether formal or informal, is a critical step in supporting teachers with the bridge between formative assessment and instruction, which is made out of sound planning.  Once the group had a sense of the students and the focus area, we would begin to plan a lesson.

The first part I always made clear to the team was that we were collaboratively planning a lesson for this particular class and we wouldn’t decide who would teach the lesson (and it could be one or more of us co-teaching!) until after it was fully planned. In my school we were using a common planning document to support lesson planning, so we all had a copy of that document as well as the curricular resources for the grade level and content.  This became a truly collaborative discussion as we went through each area of what we had defined, as a staff, were crucial elements to a strong lesson.  The discussions became richer when teams were comfortable enough for members to disagree with one another.  When teachers have to justify their thinking, whether it is about where to chunk a text for a shared reading or what type of sentence frame to create to support partner talk, they begin to see what elements of their repertoire have purpose and meaning for students and which elements are things they have always done just because.  In addition, it is so powerful for teachers to have to find their own voice and a common language to explain the work they do in isolation in their classrooms.  If a school has a specific professional development focus, this is a great way for the group to discuss that focus and what it looks like in a lesson plan.

Needless to say, the facilitator often has a tough job during the planning of the lesson.  He or she must keep the group focused on the task, aware of the time, and ensure that all participants have a voice.  At some point, you have to make sure everyone has a complete lesson recorded so that any one of them would feel comfortable teaching the lesson as planned.  Once the plan has been created, the facilitator helps the group determine who will be the actual teacher (or teachers) of the lesson.  Part of this discussion centers around the purpose- we developed a lesson as a team, we want to see it in action, observing the students, and then determine what worked well for students and what needs revising.  With new teams, or a school new to this process, I recommend that the principal or coach volunteer to teach the first round.  This gave me “street cred” with a staff who didn’t know me well yet, and took the pressure off of the teachers, who had never experienced any sort of peer observations.  Whenever possible, I encouraged the team to co-teach, with various members taking on parts of the lesson to share the load and have more ownership of the teaching.  

Next the entire group would go into the selected class to teach the lesson.  Anyone not delivering instruction was responsible for sitting as close to students as possible to record what they were saying and/or doing throughout the lesson.  We set clear expectations for the observers during this time, even ensuring that we were spread out around the room to record as much anecdotal notes about students as possible.

After teaching the lesson, the entire group returns to the planning room to debrief.  The facilitator ensures that the conversation is about the implementation of the group lesson plan, and not an evaluation of the teacher(s) who delivered the lesson.  Student work and quotes are critical to helping teachers analyze the effectiveness of the actual lesson as it related to student performance.  The facilitator must also make sure to bring the conversation back to the instructional focus of the school so that teachers can discuss what that focus looked like in action in the classroom.  The second part of the debrief involves the application phase.  The team members discuss what this particular class needs next, following up on this lesson.  They also discuss how they would adapt this particular lesson to meet the needs of their specific students.  This can lead to one of two things: They make a commitment to trying the lesson in their own room the next day or the entire team revises the lesson and goes directly into another room to teach it again (I would not recommend this for your first round of Lesson Study, but for future stages, when the planning phase can be done quicker with a more experienced team).          

The final, and truly significant, stage of Lesson Study, is to debrief the process of the work.  Teachers need time to reflect on the collaborative nature of planning, observing and debriefing a lesson as a group.  The hope is that the teachers find value in the process to improve their own instructional performance, their collaboration with their team, and ultimately their students’ performance.  What is most powerful is when the team becomes hungry for more collaboration time, when they ask for more time to conduct Lesson Studies on their own and when they begin to explore peer observations.  

As I look ahead to this new school year, and talk to my colleagues about the need for more in-depth, collaborative planning, I believe that Lesson Study is the best way to move our instructional conversations forward.

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Asking for permission

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Amy's Reflections

I have been grappling with the concept of asking for permission for awhile now. People often look to their leaders to ask for permission to do something. Some leaders have created a culture where people MUST ask for permission before doing something and people are fearful of not asking for permission ahead of time. As a new principal I was once given this advice, “Asking for forgiveness afterwards is easier than asking for permission before”.

I feel that I am at a cross roads with this issue. On the one hand, I want to empower the strong, smart, professionals within our system to feel confident in their choices without having to ask for permission to do what they feel is best for students. On the other hand, I know and understand the value in creating a cohesive system where there are commonalities and structures to ensure the system runs smoothly for all. Where is the balance? Once we have created, defined, articulated, and communicated a shared vision, should members of the system have total freedom within it? Common- common core, common assessments, common vision- are these really different ways to say we all have a commitment to ensuring that ALL of our students achieve high levels of greatness within our system? If we do all share a common vision, does it matter if we take different paths to reach the destination?

The more I think about this concept, the more I hear people asking for permission in a variety of ways.  There seem to be degrees:

  • Formal requests- someone waits to have approval/ permission from a superior before moving forward with a task
  • Informal requests/ check in’s- someone wants to run an idea by their superior/ colleague before moving forward, which is less about permission and more about hesitancy, insecurity, or collaboration
  • FYI- information shared before, during or after an action just to make sure everyone is aware and in the loop

I think relationships plan a critical role.  I asked my brother about this concept within his work, something completely outside of and different from education. He shared with me that he doesn’t feel like he has to ask his boss for permission to do anything, because his boss expects him to a) complete his work competently and efficiently and b) communicate directly if there are questions or concerns. What I also heard from my brother was a lot about trust and confidence. He and his boss have developed a relationship with clear, open communication that allows them to trust one another and their day-to-day decisions. His boss knows that he is competent in his role and my brother feels confident in his abilities; he also knows where to go if he needs support.

When I hear teachers ask for permission to do something- whether it is about curriculum, assessment, instruction, collaboration, research, or communication- I wonder about their relationships with their supervisors as well as their colleagues. I also wonder about their confidence in themselves as the instructional leaders of their classrooms. Teachers often hang onto the pendulum of education for dear life, as it swings from one side to the other.  Teachers who work in schools and districts that are part of Program Improvement (a CA system that rates schools based on accountability measures) have gone through a variety of structural changes that often play out in the form of mandates with little room for freedom. They have been told to read directly from their Teacher’s Editions and later have been told they may not open the TE during the day- to teach without it and create their own curriculum. With all of these mixed messages it is no wonder that teachers feel they need to ask for permission to try something new, or to explore a new way of helping their students access content.

The challenge to us all is to help open the lines of communication so that collaboration can support sound instructional discussions instead of people waiting for someone to tell them what to do or waiting to get permission to do what they know is best for students. I would like to hear fewer people asking the question, “Can I do this?” to one supervisor, and more people asking their colleagues, “How can we do this?,” “How can our students do this?,” and “What else can we do together?”

*May 2016: As I reread this blog post, I am struck by how often the issue of permission still comes up in my day-to-day work. It is also worrisome to think that when we have a culture of people needing permission for everything, we do not have a culture of innovation or risk-taking. We are creating systems where our adults are not accessing the skills needed in the 21st Century, which means our students are often not exposed to those same skills. Whose permission do YOU need to make a change? How are you building self-efficacy in the educators and students with whom you work?

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My Journey

Posted on July 21, 2012 by Amy's Reflections

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My Journey*

In response to a challenge by @DCulberhouse, a PLN colleague and blogger, I would like to share with you the journey I have taken to get here, my little corner of the education world.

I was always an average student as a child- never “bad” but never great. I was shy and quiet and never put forth an ounce of effort beyond the basic requirements. However, I loved reading and writing (outside of school!) and knew from the age of about five that I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up.

In high school I was the kid who raced through the standardized test every year so that I would have time to read my book. And not the book that my English teacher had assigned, along with the list of 100 vocabulary words to memorize, but books I chose to read on my own. I always had a book on hand, just as I always had a journal full of my own writing. As much as I loved learning outside of school, the only place I connected with and enjoyed learning in school was in my Spanish classes. Therefore, when it came time to pick a major in college (at James Madison University in VA) I chose Spanish, with a minor in Education.

I loved college, loved studying abroad for a summer in Salamanca, Spain, and truly loved my education classes. From our first semester we had practicums in local schools so I received tons of on-the-job training. I also began to realize that in every experience I had to determine if what I saw modeled was what I wanted to add to my “replicate that” list or my “do not ever do that” list. These lists make appearances in my mind as I experience PD to this day!

My first job out of college was teaching Spanish and Civics to 8th graders in a middle school where teachers work on interdisciplinary teams. My team, the Apollo team, had three other content area teachers and we all shared the same group of students. We also had a common prep period- I think it was every day and I know it was over an hour at a time. Looking back, knowing what I’ve learned about the value of PLC’s, I realize that we did not team in any way that was effective for students. Ah, to know then what I know now…

After two years teaching in Virginia the sunny weather of San Diego called to me and I packed up and headed west. I found a home in a middle school with a dynamic principal, who became a mentor and a friend. Through her encouragement and shared leadership, I became a better teacher, and a new learner who couldn’t get enough professional books to read or coaching support from various consultants and leaders. This led into my role as Peer Coach/ Staff Developer, which was like a Literacy Coach, where I realized how much instruction varied from room to room and how much I enjoyed working with adults, analyzing lessons, instruction, and student work. I learned from my colleagues every day and became more and more excited about coaching and collaboration. At the same time I worked on my Master’s in Educational Leadership and my administrative credential.

When my mentor got a job at a high school, I followed her. For one year I was the Literacy Administrator, which was a short-lived position in our changing district. I learned a lot that year- about adult learners, about long-term English Learners, about complacency, and about overcoming barriers.

My next role was two years as a middle school vice principal. While the typical job description – lots of student discipline and supervision- was not the vision I had for my career, I was fortunate to work with a principal who valued instructional leadership. Our teamwork and collaboration pushed my thinking about professional development, building consensus, creating and implementing a vision, and giving teachers a voice. After two years I knew I was ready to be a principal.

This transition brought me to another district and another level- elementary school. Some people on my staff were surprised when they learned that I had never taught at the elementary level (outside of my student teaching!). Many people on my staff were surprised when I told them that staff meetings would be about our adult learning, that I would never spend time in a meeting talking at people or sharing what could be shared in my weekly bulletin. Through professional development, which included the introduction of lesson studies, where I often taught demonstration lessons, the staff came to realize the value of instructional leadership and the importance of creating a culture of learning.

I learned so much with and from my staff and colleagues during my years as a principal. In some ways, it was hard to make the next transition and in other ways, I knew it was time to push myself, to challenge myself in a new way. This past January I became the Director of Educational Services for an elementary district, different from the two previous districts where I had spent the last 13 years of my career. I do enjoy change (obviously!) but even I laugh when I think about the fact that I manage to change districts the same time I change positions twice in a row. Anyone who has done either knows that this is like learning a new, often foreign, language!

Everyone’s journey is there own. I have no regrets about any step along the way, as I learned so much with each new role. Now I get to support coaches at all of our schools and I participate in regular collaborative discussions about teaching, learning, and leadership with amazing colleagues. I love my job!

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*This post was updated in May 2016 with links to relevant and current blog posts. 

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Learning, Coaching and Leading

Posted on July 15, 2012 by Amy's Reflections

In all my roles in education – teacher, Peer Coach/ Staff Developer (i.e. Literacy Coach), Literacy Administrator, Vice Principal, Principal, and now Director- I have always thought of myself as a learner first, then a coach, and finally a leader. In our profession today, I think it is important that we take into account each of these roles and learn to empower everyone within our system to see themselves as all three. It is when we build capacity in all of us to learn, coach, and lead, that we will be able transform education for the success of all students.

Learning
The phrase life-long learner is bandied about in interviews, vision statements, blogs, article, and professional literature, but how many of us are truly learning new things that help us grow, personally or professionally? In my life I have learned to speak a second language (Spanish), I have learned to play various instruments at beginning levels (piano, clarinet, violin, and French horn), and I have earned a Bachelor’s, Master’s degree, and a Doctoral degree, some, but not all of which required new learning. I read a lot, fiction for pure relaxation and enjoyment, and educational and leadership texts for professional growth. But how much of that translates into new learning? It seems that unless I am forced, or I force myself, to apply what I read, I haven’t truly learned anything new. That application has most recently appeared in the form of the creation of a new Instructional Technology Council in my district, which I am facilitating.

That has led me to explore all of the resources available online to educators now and the need to learn more- about twitter, PLN’s, blogging, Diggo, Evernote, edcamps, etc. This blog will be the application of my latest realm of learning, as I embark on this professional journey of inquiry. I hope that my colleagues always see me as a learner and that they will learn alongside me.

Coaching
When I used to tell my friends and family outside of education that I was a coach, they would give me the strangest looks. I know they pictured a baseball or basketball coach, on the sidelines of a sporting event, which is somewhere you would rarely find me! Within the education community we are still defining and redefining what a coach is for schools.  One of my favorite parts about being a coach was the side-by-side work in classrooms with students and teachers. I loved when a teacher found success in his or her own classroom as a result of our collaboration. Coaching can play a critical role in school improvement, but not all schools are able to afford a full-time coach to support teaching and learning.  Regardless of budget constrictions, coaching can and should take place in all schools. All we need to do is empower our teachers to see themselves as coaches. Each and every one of us has strengths we bring to our roles in education.  The more we are able to build opportunities to share these strengths, through PLC’s, Lesson Studies, peer observations, and on-site, teacher-led Professional Development, the more we will see that coaching can take place every day in our schools.

Leading
My role as a leader has evolved as I have changed positions. As a teacher I never thought of myself as a leader, at least not until a mentor principal put me in that role. If she hadn’t encouraged me to seek new learning (in the form of my Peer Coach certification and my Master’s Degree) and use it to lead and support my colleagues, I don’t know how or when I would have seen myself, a teacher, as a leader within my school. It is so important for all of us, at all levels of education, see ourselves and one another as leaders. Some might say that a leader is not a leader until someone is following her. Does that mean that the more followers I have on Twitter, the better a leader I am? In one sense, absolutely! In another sense, not at all! Educational leaders must be instructional leaders, visionaries, connected to what works well today and what will help us in the future. It is time to build capacity within one another, within our system, for leadership to shine in new ways.

How will you learn, coach and lead today?  How will you share what you learn from the experience?

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Learning

Posted on July 14, 2012 by Amy's Reflections

When was the last time you learned something new?  I don’t mean when you read a new fact or had a new thought, but when you truly learned something new and applied that knowledge. Today at the gym, while waiting to begin another session of torture with my personal trainer, I watched my trainer be a learner. A man was boxing with a punching bag and my trainer stopped, complimented the man, and asked him for tips about his stance.  My trainer then stepped up to the punching bag and tried out his new knowledge. On one hand, this didn’t surprise me because in a previous session my trainer told me that the one area in the gym where he didn’t feel comfortable was anything having to do with boxing. On the other hand, however, this did surprise me. Here was a trainer, someone who was paid to help teach and support those of us less skilled in fitness areas, asking one of us regular people for help. What lessons can we learn from this?

  • I believe it is important to let those we lead see us as learners ourselves. We read about principals as “Lead Learners” often enough to remind us of the value. In a learning community, everyone should be considered a learner.
  • I believe it is important to push ourselves to step out of our comfort zone, learn something new, and apply it. New learning can be hard (as art has been for me in the past), but as educators, we must honor the productive struggle.
  • I believe we must open up our minds and our definitions of learning to realize that we can all learn from one another, in a variety of settings.

I have recently begun to expand my Personal Learning Network (PLN) on Twitter and I am constantly amazed but what I can learn from the people I follow, whether Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents, principals, teachers, coaches, librarians, consultants, authors, or students studying to become educators. Every day I read tweets linking to great blog posts, articles, and websites written and created by a wide range of educators. The more we open up our eyes to the possibilities, the more there is within fingertip reach, to learn.

What will you learn and apply today?

 

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“Choose a job you love a…

Posted on July 14, 2012 by Amy's Reflections

“Choose a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” ~Anonymous

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