Lesson study team: Grace, Abby, Katie, Sabo, Maria

Key things that our group hoped to learn from this lesson: 

We hoped to learn from the lesson how teachers create equitable practices through student-led discussions. We wanted to see how students' sense of belonging, competence and autonomy could play a significant role when making contributions and sharing their thinking (towards topics they were likely to discuss) and how this could allow student voice and multiple contributions/perspectives to take place. Through a Socratic Seminar and ‘Claim, Evidence and Reason’ students could agree/disagree, build upon others ideas, welcome and include other voices/perspectives, pose a controversial question or statement and all had to be supported by evidence/research. 

Research theme and Content understanding goal:

We wanted students to learn about: food origins, food access and our society. Use what they’ve learned to answer ‘What do our food choices say about our priorities as a society?’ So, students will be able to communicate their understandings of food justice while reflecting on the connection between food and culture, food origins, food sovereignty and hard histories. Also, we wanted students to understand the significance of exercising their agency and stepping forward in group discussions, while also having the awareness to share the space with other students.

How research helped us guide our PDSA Cycles and Lesson? 

• We wanted our students to develop a sense of competence and confidence in themselves so they had agency and feel empowered to share their ideas. They did a lot of research previously as a way to prepare. Also, through the PDSA cycles they acquired oral participation skills that contributed for a better student-led discussion and equitable practice.

• Pedagogy of voice (rather pedagogy of compliance): But if we believe that every student is in fact a complex, layered human being with endless potential, brilliance and access to cultural health. / ‘I see you, I believe in you. You are safe to grow and thrive here. I want to hear your voice’. Agency is defined as ‘the idea that people have the capacity to take action, craft and carry out plans, and make informed decisions based on a growing base of knowledge’. It emerges in a learning space where power is distributed, knowledge is democratized, diverse perspectives are welcomed, and children are intellectually and emotionally nourished. I believe it has to do with a shifting of learning and power to the student. we wanted more of a student-led conversation rather than teacher-led. 

• Silent doesn’t have a ‘negative’ connotation. How is silence perceived in the classroom? Why do students step back in discussions? What are other ways of sharing our thoughts/ideas that aren't orally speaking? There are other ways of participation: active listening (non verbal language), ‘Yes and…’, and ‘Rephrase’, ‘We haven’t listened, what do you have to say?’. the issue was not silence; it is after all the student’s right to remain quiet and listen. The issue was about students feeling excluded from the group by being talked over and not listened to’.

• aligned to what's said above: ‘low status students often don’t have access to the task. Low status students don’t talk as much as other students. Their ideas are ignored by the rest of the group’. AND, self-fulfilling prophecy, it is said that ‘whites would talk more and become more influential in group decision making than the African Americans’.

• just to mention: Data collection: how other identities (race, gender, achievement/performance) and positionalities (personal experiences) play out in the conversation. 

PDSA Data and Lesson hypothesis: 

'If we employ a warm-up activity where students share with their small groups prior to coming to the whole group discussion, then students will share their voice and the air effectively through the development of their agency, as evidenced by balanced engagement'. 

PDSA Cycle #1 What we tried? How it went? 

• We tried out small group activities before whole group sessions. We did partner talks and reflected on 'How do we feel when we know we've been heard by others? May others engage/participate in the conversation with 'other ways' that aren't oral? (Research based: how is silent perceived in the classroom? why do students step back in discussions? what are other ways of sharing our thoughts/ideas that isn't orally speaking?) 

PDSA Cycle #1 What we tried? How it went? 

• We tried out both a small group and a whole group session. First, students gathered in groups and used a strategy called 'Yes and...'. Second, students engaged in a whole group discussion and we used a strategy called 'Rephrasing'. With this, we wanted them to be self-aware of when to 'step in/ step back'. Students who were aware that they've participated already, invited other classmates into the conversation by saying 'hey, we haven't heard your thoughts yet, what do you have to say'. We could see that students were running the conversation and it wasn't the teacher. We didn't want it to be teacher-student (question-response) but rather a conversation/dialogue led by students. Last but not least, we did collected data in our classroom (who participates the most? and how is this correlated with: status, gender, race, achievement/performance). (Research based: the importance of students feeling acknowledged by a 'yes' rather than a 'but'. Students using the 'rephrase' strategy allowed them to both: participate and engage, and also practice active listening. Even though they didn't share their own thoughts, they were listening and learning from their classmates.)

Lesson day 

• Now we're ready to try out our final lesson. For this lesson, we wanted to make sure all of this was seen and captured. We did a Socratic Seminar (inner and outer circle) led by students. When does a teacher interviene? Students prepared ahead of time and it was a topic that was interesting for them to discuss. Also, it was an open/broad topic that invites and welcomes everybody's opinion. I really liked how the teacher used the strategy 'claim, evidence, reason' so students had to share their own thought but back it up with strong/solid evidence. Equitable participation, multiple contributions and student voice was present through out the discussion. Students felt confident and competent because it has been a topic they've been studying in class through out the weeks previously to the Socratic Seminar.

Emphasis on students' thinking:

While observing my focal student during the lesson, I would say:

First of all, she shared her Opening Statement with the whole group: 'I think that society doesn't care about where our food comes from as long as we get it (this is her reason why she says that 'Society is selfish'). One example is the immigrant workers that went on strike. They went on strike because of their working conditions. The workers were exposed to harmful pesticides. Because of these pesticides, workers got sick and died. Also, workers were poorly paid and spent their lives in poverty'. 

Half of the class started in the inner circle and the other half in the outer circle (then they switched). I want to highlight that the teacher didn't decide who was going to participate in the inner or outer circle. The students that were in the inner circle were the ones discussing, sharing the opening statement, having a conversation, asking questions, expressing controversial opinions, developing to self-awareness 'when to step in/step back', welcome others into the conversation, showing interest and staying engaged within the conversation, etc. The students that were in the outer circle had to observe a specific friend within the inside circle: observe and provide feedback to their partner (attitude, speaking, listening, thinking, strengths, areas of growth, etc).

1. During the Socratic seminar (inner circle): I observed she was the first one to participate and initiate the conversation. I could see her engagement by checking on her non-verbal language (eye-contact, nodding, smiling). When the teacher allowed students to initiate conversation with a question or controversial opinion, she participated by saying 'society is selfish' (she didn't explain why or supported idea with evidence). She was actively listen to her friends and said 'yeah' and 'they (referring to the government) had so much power'. Finally, she shares a last thought 'I think Covid really affected everything (and now affecting the economy and inflation)' but didn't back it up with evidence. She did shared her opening statement and controversial opinion but didn't share her question 'Why does no one care where their food is coming from?'

2. After the Socratic seminar (outer circle): I observed she was observing and providing feedback to a friend that was actively participated in the inner circle. At the end, she approached her partner and gave her feedback to him. 

Listening to her teacher, my focal student is a 'smart student but tends to step back due to her self-awareness of how might others perceive her. In general, I could see how students felt confident and competent sharing their ideas with the group. Students had studied the topic and had plenty of information to share. Also, before the Socratic Seminar started, students had the chance to pair-up with a partner and share their ideas. Also, students had to awareness to step in/step back as a way to provide balance, include and equitable participation. We could see how every student was listening to each other without blurting out or interrupting one another. When nobody was talking, they were proactive to welcome those whose voices haven't been heard by saying: 'what do you think?', 'we would like to listen to your thoughts'. They listen and build upon the ideas of others by saying 'I agree with...' we could see how they acknowledge what others have to say and added to it without repeating again and again what was already said (like the 'yes and' strategy). In general, I didn't see dominance and inequality but rather an equitable discussion where all voices were heard. At the end, we all celebrated their hard work, enthusiasm and commitment. 

This was my students' CLAIM + EVIDENCE + REASONING 

CLAIM: 'Due to redlining, many people of color have been struggling with homelessness, hunger, lack of jobs, healthy food, and food deserts'. 

EVIDENCE: 'Basically, redlining is racism intentionally designed to put minority communities at a disadvantage. this process results in neighborhood economic decline, causing lack of basic services like healthcare, banking, fewer job opportunities, means of transportation and limited access to nutritious food'.

REASONING: 'These facts work together to build a case that shows how people of color struggle with homelessness, hunger, and food deserts because redlining is racism intentionally designed to put minority communities at a disadvantage'. 

Reflecting on my students' thinking:

• Controversial statement: I could see how she 'blames' society (being too selfish) and the government (having too much power), how Covid affected the economy/inflation, and how redlining (racial discrimination) has made it all worse. We could see how minority communities (people of color) are paying the prices (homelessness, hunger, food deserts, among others). I didn't listen to any other student agree/disagree with her controversial statement. When she mentions that the government has 'too much power' is seems like we are powerless as humans. I could see how mad/frustrated/hopeless she was by realizing how the government has so much power and how society is too selfish that nobody does anything to end redlining (and racial discrimination), help immigrant workers and improve their working conditions, bring justice back to the world (where there's no race, no marginalized groups or minority communities, where there's no power/dominance and inequality).

• Her controversial question basically was 'Why nobody cares where food is coming from?' Don't we see the immigrant workers and their working conditions?' (exposed to harmful pesticides, poorly paid, and living in poverty). Basically she mentions that we only care about the food we have on our own plates. She didn't share her controversial question during the Socratic seminar.

Other focal students ... 

Here are some highlights of other focal students after the lesson. 

• Focal student #2: We could see how Diego was MORE active in the 'inner circle' and LESS active in the 'outer circle'. How do we make sure students are engagement in both circles? In the outer circle, students had a worksheet where they had to provide to observe one student that was participating in the inner circle and give them some feedback. Also, Diego was welcoming others into the conversation when he was part of the inner circle by saying 'hey, what are your thoughts? we would like to listen to your voice!'.

• Focal student #3: We could see how Nathaniel, even though he did not speak at all, was engaged with his whole body language and actively listening (eye contact, nodding, etc).

• Extra student: We could see how this student engaged differently in the conversation. Instead of sharing his own thoughts, he commented and builded upon others ideas. This is another way of participating and engaging into the conversation.

Reflective practice:

When having our debrief after the lesson study took place, there were some things I would like to say:

• Students were able to demonstrate acquisition in content and skills. For example: students were making connections with previous topics learned in class.

• When is it good/appropriate for a teacher to step into a student-led conversation without disrupting the flow of it? and when to let them face/encounter 'productive struggle' or 'cognitive dissonance'? Basically what happened during the discussion was that a student referred to a redlining neighborhood as 'bad or dangerous'. The teacher wanted to step in, sometimes it's hard to separate 'bias' when having a conversation like this one. Sometimes instead of stepping in, others ways might be: maybe that's all the language students' have to describe or refer to it. Also, let's support our opinions with strong evidence from text. Also, let's unpack what it means when you say 'a bad neighborhood' or 'the government is selfish'. Last, teachers do not 'give answers' but rather answer back with 'questions', this is the art of being a teacher. We want our students to think, question their own ideas, support it with evidence, use them to take action, etc.

• Once we've done the Socratic Seminar, now what's the extension of this activity? If this 'bias' took place, as a teacher, what new questions and new research am I providing my students with to deepen our understanding and do not hold any bias. 

• We could see how empowered, confident and competent our students were. Also, we could see how are they were to step back and welcome other voices and contributions. I love the 'claim, evidence, reason' strategy because a topic like this must always be supported with strong research and evidence-based. Also, it felt like a student-led discussion. Students were including others and welcoming them in by saying 'hey, we haven't heard your thoughts, what do you have to say?'

• We still wonder 'if the topic relates to a positionality (identity, background) that a student holds, does that feels more confident or empowered to share personal experience? Would the student be eager to step in/step back? as a group, during the debrief, we said that: Depends on the student! Some feel empowered by those positionalities while others simply don't. Also, depends on the setting too. This is still work in progress... 

Changes in beliefs and practices as a result of Lesson Study Cycle/ Future implications for my teaching practice: 

• I believe students' voice happens when we as teachers release control (teacher-centered approach). It happens, when students develop sense of belonging, competence and autonomy. It happens when we measure 'success' with what matters most that is agency instead of grades. Also, when we provide strategies/tools for students to share their voice that might not necessarily be 'orally'. As teachers we must look for 'equity' and equitable practices where students have equal access to materials, where we stop certain behaviors such as 'when students talk over others and do not listen', when we stop giving 'silence' negative connotation, when we stop praising 'speed' and 'right answers', when we stop focusing on those 'high status students who dominate the conversation' and we truly care to find out ways and solutions to welcome other voices into the conversations. As a classroom we must be aware of when to push ourselves to step in and when to force ourselves to step back and let others say something (applies for teachers and students). I'm not 'smarter' with the number of times I participate but rather with the 'quality' of my thoughts. We learn too when we stay quiet but stay actively engaged listening to what others have to say. We show respect/we show how important others are when we listen with our whole body, eye contacts, nodding, too. Last but not least, I might be aware of creating a brave/vulnerable environment that doesn't threatens my students mentally and emotionally well-being (I might identify which topics might be too sensitive and how to prepare them for it).