Cycle 1: Reflection

Over the course of this year, my second year in graduate school, I was a part of three lesson study groups. Whenever undertaking a large endeavor, it is worthwhile to take time to reflect on how things have gone to better prepare for the next task.

The lesson study process has been a challenging, but rewarding experience.  Working with a group of fellow STEM teachers to learn a new process, implement change ideas, and respond to student needs has led me to building better relationships with my students and understand how to help them succeed.  This process, however, was not easy.  My team struggled quite a bit as we had difficulty matching tasks that seemed appropriate for multiple levels of math or for our one teaching partner, who teaches engineering and Spanish.  Deciding on our focus and our idea for change were not easy tasks for us, and we needed guidance from others to help us find something that seemed to fit well for all of our classrooms and students' needs.  Despite that, I really appreciate what this process offers - a way to collaborate with teachers and implement change ideas across multiple classrooms and see data for them almost immediately.  It was fascinating to look at my own student's responses to the exit ticket but also look at the responses of students at other schools (from my team's surveys).  Being an observer in another teacher's space, particularly one of a teacher who has several more years of experience than me and whom I really respect, was also a great opportunity.  During my time in the SDTR, I had an opportunity to attend a public lesson study as an observer and wound up having takeaways that I implemented in my own classroom.  Again, during this lesson study cycle, I found myself as an observer leaving with takeaways to implement in my own classroom.  The lesson study is a process that drives teacher growth and allows us to identify challenges and test ideas with the support of other teachers who are, as I am, focused on getting the best results for students.

As a first year teacher, this process has taught me a lot about both students and about myself as a teacher.  My group's PDSA implementation reinforced the idea that students are never too old are too far beyond resetting the norms of a space to ensure that everyone is successful.  I will carry this with me and remember that resetting (or establishing) norms for a particular task improves student understanding of the purpose, gets buy-in by having students participate in the process of instating the norms, and allows me as a teacher to see what students see as truly valuable.  This whole process is to get a better idea of student thinking, but not just their mathematical thinking.  By implementing ideas that encourage students to collaborate more and share more, I am able to get a better idea of how best to serve students and ensure they are successful in my class and beyond.  The lesson study has pushed me to think more creatively about how I can enact change in my own classroom and to rely on the wisdom and experience of peers, veteran teachers, and knowledgeable others to improve my own practice.