by Janice Itzel, Teacher-on-Loan, Delaware Department of Education
Lesson study is taking root across Delaware. Compelled by the findings in the book The Teaching Gap and by the progress made by School 2 in Paterson, NJ, the Delaware Department of Education designated lesson study as a Teacher-on-Loan project from 2000 to June 2002.
Funded primarily by the Christa McAuliffe Foundation, this teacher-on-loan project has four meaningful goals: to reach as many educators in Delaware as possible, to assist groups wishing to implement lesson study, to form partnerships among schools, and to reach a level of implementation statewide that insures continuity after the project has ended.
Currently, schools in five Delaware school districts are implementing lesson study: Christina in Newark; Indian River in Selbyville; Caesar Rodney in Camden; Cape Henlopen in Lewes; and Appoquinimink in Odessa. As with many reform efforts, the implementation of lesson study in Delaware's schools has grown by small, measured steps. This, I have learned, is a good thing; small steps are more likely to ensure the success and sustainability of any reform program, and that has been the case here. For lesson study-or any reform initiative to take hold-people need time to assimilate and integrate unfamiliar practices comfortably into their routines.
In my position as teacher-on-loan, I assist these districts by providing the "big picture" of lesson study within the state. One of the most useful tools in presenting lesson study concepts to teachers has been Catherine Lewis's videotape entitled Can You Lift 100 Kilograms?, in which Japanese teachers demonstrate lesson study (see the "Resources" section of this issue). Other services that my position makes possible include guiding practitioners to lesson study networks, keeping pace with current research, sharing that research with schools, building partnerships among districts, and managing an e-mail list. This state-level assistance helps to build capacity in the schools and districts so that lesson study can continue to grow.
Delaware also supports lesson study in conjunction with two other statewide professional development projects. The Delaware Writing Project (DWP) is a consortium of "teachers teaching teachers," which fits naturally with the collaborative element of lesson study. DWP's professional development program applies concepts from lesson study to improving writing instruction. The Delaware Exemplary Mathematics Curriculum Implementation (DEMCI) project, which supports the implementation of research-based, standards-driven mathematics curricula in middle and high school programs throughout the state, focused on lesson study during the 2000-2001 school year and continues to assist teachers to improve mathematics instruction.
Why is lesson study taking hold? As professional development, lesson study is unique, and teachers in Delaware have sensed this. As valuable as traditional professional development programs can be, they do not always relate to the real world of the classroom. Lesson study takes place in the classroom, with the most significant players--teachers and students--as the main participants. The process of teachers observing lessons, conducting research, and revising lessons encourages not only the sharing of pedagogical and content knowledge but also reflection. When teachers, through discussion and reflection, can improve the "what" and "how" of teaching, and when these improvements are based on students' needs, this is professional development at its best.
Collaboration is a cornerstone of lesson study that many teachers embrace. It alleviates the isolation of teaching and allows practitioners to share their experiences and knowledge. Because each lesson is developed with joint participation and input, all team members care about its success. The lesson belongs to everyone--not just to the person who has volunteered to teach it. Consequently, teachers feel less anxious about opening their classroom doors to their peers and more comfortable with observers who are there to watch students.
To be sure, there are challenges. Lack of time and human resources and a reluctance on the part of some teachers are just a few challenges to implementing lesson study. But real change comes in small, measured steps. I am hopeful that, in time, lesson study will become an important and widespread component of professional development for teachers across the state of Delaware as well as across the country.
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