CMAT Lesson Study

CMAT Lesson Study is based on the Japanese model of lesson study, where teachers plan a lesson and teach it to students while observing and critiquing the lesson and its elements.

Important features of this process

• focus on a specific content area 
• agree on goals for teachers and students
• create a safe, productive, and sustainable professional growth environment
• collaborate to agree on lesson plans and details
• understand more deeply about the content one is expected to teach
• anticipate student misconceptions and misunderstandings and devise ways to address these
• debrief lessons and look for areas in which to improve them 
• use knowledge attained in short term work to make longer term plans and goals

A typical lesson study cycle

Planning (about 1/2 of a school day)

• 3-5 teachers per group (preferred)
• decide on lesson topic (or a few potential topics) prior to meeting
• bring all relevant materials with which to plan
• decide upon goals to improve teacher lesson delivery and increase student engagement
• agree to elements of the lesson, what teacher will do, what observers will do
• decide which classroom(s) will be used, which teachers will deliver instruction, and which day this will occur (usually the day after the planning meeting)

Teaching/Debriefing (about 1 school day)

• meet at the designated school site; if possible, plan a short amount of time in the morning to review
•  lesson and goals, and roles of the teacher and observers
• teach the lesson
• debrief; based upon evidence, discuss what appeared to work and what did not; what changes might be made to the lesson; 
• each and debrief one or two more times, as desired and/or as time permits
• address future goals