Lesson Study: Cycle I
Lesson Study Cycle I was conducted in October 2022 in Ms. Krista's fifth grade classroom at High Tech Middle Chula Vista. After researching and attempting change ideas, we designed and executed our lesson study. Team members were there for observations and all debriefed afterwards. Below, are details regarding the focal students, the lesson itself and plans for moving forward.
Context for Cycle I
The lesson study team was comprised of five teachers working in grades 5-10 in both traditional, charter and project-based settings. All teachers work in either humanities or art classes. Together, the team identified a problem of practice through which we created goals for our lesson study.
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Problem of Practice: Student feedback is not actionable or specific.
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Research Theme: We will establish safe/brave relationships and provide scaffolds to create a culture of feedback so that students communicate specifically and empathetically to help their peers improve their creative work.
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Equity Goal: All students will participate and all voices will be heard. Additionally, social and academic statuses will be disrupted by the way students are broken up and made experts themselves.
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To read about the resources that formed our lesson study process, please click here.
Click here to see our full lesson plan!
Focal Students
Below are each of the focal students, their respective observations, and student work samples.
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Focal Student One:
Focal student 1 is an energetic, charismatic and excitable personality in the classroom; his presence was made known to our research study observers when he entered the room before his peers, and immediately dive-bombed a large stuffed bear in the reading corner of the classroom. He has an older brother who attends middle school, adjacent to FS1’s site who is academically and socially successful, playing baseball and is class president. FS1 is an avid cook; is organized at home and loves to clean. He hopes to be a chef. However, FS1 has an IEP and is diagnosed with dyslexia, which manifests as a diversion towards writing, task completion, and difficulty with other assigned tasks.
As noted in FS1’s demographics, he entered the classroom and dove into the reading area, excited to enter the classroom, though not for the lesson that was to be taught. Most notably, throughout the research study, FS1 did not complete any written work or offer any written feedback to peers, despite that he seemed to understand the process and the content. The instructor distributed post-it notes to students to provide feedback on; FS1 immediately wrote ‘dummy’ on the post it and stuck it on his forehead. Unbeknownst to the instructor, FS1 had another post it note that he wrote ‘smart’ on, and would shift personas between the two sticky notes. When he was ‘smart’, he was engaged, offering feedback and observations and participating, and when he was a ‘dummy’ he was disruptive and disengaged. The only written work that FS1 produced in this time was ‘IDK’ written on multiple post-it notes during his ‘dummy’ phase.
Observations:
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When students were tasked with reading, writing or editing activities, FS1 would feign
work by drawing and erasing in the same place in his notebook or on post it notes and refrain from disrupting others, as noted in FS1’s demographic information, the idea of writing or task completion on paper could have given him significant anxiety that could have presented those behaviors.
However, in group work with others which involved idea generation or demonstration of expertise over a specific content area, FS1 was engaged and capable, contributing ideas and in certain instances helping to clarify questions that his group mates had.
FS1 Student work sample:
Lesson Study Cycle I Reflection
Below are each of the focal students, their respective observations, and student work samples.
Focal Student Two:
FS2 is a quiet, thoughtful student. She is the only daughter, and a middle child between and older and younger brother. Her parents are recently divorced. Her love of animals is apparent in the classroom as she often elects to read stories about dogs. Outside of school, she participates in cheer.
During the lesson, her eyes were almost always on the teacher while she was giving instructions; she appeared to be paying attention. Yet she was hesitant to get started on a task throughout the lesson until other students started. After watching them begin, FS2 would as well. She did not self-select into her expert group until she was redirected by Krista and other tablemates moved towards their own. At the spelling table, she waited until she was invited to add to their checklist. Upon returning to her table, she waited silently for more instructions. She chose one writing to use, and then changed it to another, shorter piece. While examining her own selection, she circled a number of words before drawing a sad face on her sticky note as the feedback for herself. When it comes time to give feedback to other students, she is hesitant and refrains from writing on the notebook pages themselves, aside from a few doodles and a comment on another student’s drawing. On the sticky notes she writes: “you can space your words and check punctuation.” “Good idk.” and “You can add punctuation and what is happening.” In her reflection about the lesson, she wrote, “ I feel like I don't like it because I don’t know what to put and it was hard.” She appeared to be largely engaged with the lesson, but additional scaffolding - perhaps through both psychological and academic supports - might have been beneficial for this student in particular.
Observations:
FS2 Student work sample:
Focal Student Three:
FS3 is loves Batman, building forts, playing with her neighborhood friends, spending time with her family, dancing and movies. She is very bright & knows a lot about history & science. She helps out where needed & is a great friend. Olivia is one of six kids on her dad’s side. She has three older siblings and two younger siblings. Her oldest three siblings are college grads and in graduate school. Olivia’s family has high academic expectations for her and are committed to her success, including additional help and tutoring outside of school as required. Olivia is an engaged learner and a very hard worker in the classroom. She is well-behaved and happy while learning. Olivia shares her thinking and asks insightful questions.
FS3 seemed engaged with the introduction of the lesson. FS3 began to write immediately on the sticky note. She volunteered to participate when the teacher asked a question, FS answered the question out loud to the class. When the teacher asked “ who is not stuck”? That would like to share, FS3 volunteered to share by raising her hand. During group share FS3 seemed hesitant to share as table partners were writing, but made a comment to encourage classmates to engage in discussion. After reading cLassmate’s feedback on the teacher's example, FS3 said “ I don’t get it but it's ok”? FS chatted for a little with a classmate while the next set of instructions was given. She decided to be an expert in punctuation before the teacher’s instruction and then asked a logistical question to the teacher before the beginning of the activity FS volunteered to be a representative in the group activity. She began writing immediately and exclaimed” done”! When finished, FS3 exclaimed to another student, “ I finished before you”? FS3 exclaimed frustration when class was instructed to chat with the group table, after stating that FS3 wanted to read a comic book. During review, FS3 began to carefully read their writing. FS3 redirected classmates in an attempt to help him follow the class instructions. Overall, FS seemed comfortable with the activity, showing little signs of frustration at times, but working through the peer feedback session kindly and carefully, participating many times by raising hand, or volunteering to be a voice for the group.
FS3 Student work sample:
Observations:
Observations:
Reflection on Cycle I
Lesson Study Cycle I was helpful in truly utilizing research and analyzing student work. First, this lesson study cycle taught me a lot about how to use research to create opportunities for growth in the classroom. This was not only beneficial to my practice as an educator, but also led to further scaffolding of my lessons which therefore benefitted my students. Beyond the lesson study cycle, this encourages me to continue to use outside sources that are evidence-based to improve my practice or foster new routines.
Second, when it came time to execute the lesson I learned how to combine our team's funds of knowledge to create a lesson that was both well-scaffolded and goal-oriented. Analyzing student work was tremendously helpful for our team to see what went well and what can be improved. We feel as though this lesson could be established as an effective feedback-giving routine, but is perhaps too much for one lesson due to the amount of time it takes to organize logistics. If students become familarized to the structure, there might be more leeway for depth. This is definitely a consideration to be taken into account going forward.
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