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8. Formally sharing the outcomes with other professionals
What works
Arrange an opportunity ahead of the lesson study for the
group to share with colleagues what they have done, learned
and refined - especially in the key
teaching technique being
developed. If people know in advance that they will have to
share their findings with others, then they will bear this in mind
throughout the proceedings. This helps the lesson study group
keep their thinking and their findings clear, more useable and
replicable by others.
Video snips of the research
lessons and digital photos
embedded in PowerPoint presentations are a popular way of
conveying lesson practice and processes. (You will need to
ensure you have a school policy on use of video and photos in
place).
Arrange opportunities for members of the lesson study
group to work with other teachers in order to help coach the
pedagogic technique they have evolved, adapted or refined.
Remember that articulating
and explaining practice and
making it visible to others
(a) helps those learning from their peers improve
their practice
(b) improves the performance of the person doing
the explaining or coaching.
This is because it makes visible what is often tacit knowledge
of practice - which teachers use but never express. Articulating
this helps them become more
aware of their knowledge
themselves and therefore more able to improve it further.
Celebrate and value what has been learned and shared.
Create a ‘learning wall’ in the departmental common room
where a lesson study group can display their work – photos,
notes, observations, discussion outcomes, pupil interviews and
tentative conclusions. This creates lots of staffroom talk about
professional learning long after the formal sharing is over.
Notes
‘Because the typical sort of teacher is extremely busy,
they want to see that what you’re putting forward is going
to be of use to them and so little snippets, with a video is
really helpful for that..’