Lesson Link™
What is Lesson Link™? (click for diagram)
Lesson Link™ is a research-based professional development model that directly links teacher learning to classroom practice. In Lesson Link™ small teams of teachers (3-4 teachers per team) meet together to co-plan a lesson based on student needs/data, observe each other teach the lesson, debrief and revise the lesson after each observation. The model is adapted from Japanese Lesson Study, a similar structure in which teachers collaborate and reflect on their instructional practice.
Teachers who participate in Lesson Link™:
- Collaborate on lesson planning
- Troubleshoot where students may "get stuck" with instruction
- Observe one another teaching a co-planned lesson
- Analyze student work
- Build facilitation skills
- Use structured protocols to guide reflection and analysis
Lesson Link™ Makes a Difference for Teachers and Students
Since 2005 over 300 public and private school teachers in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade have participated in Lesson Link™. A two-year action research study found that participation in Lesson Link™ changed teachers' practice and led to measurable gains in student achievement. Key findings from the study demonstrate that teachers became more skilled in their lesson planning, more effective in their direct instruction, and more collaborative with one another. Students whose teachers participated in Lesson Link™ made statistically significant achievement gains. To read the published research study, click here. For the executive summary, click here.
- Large Group Presentations
- Small Group Facilitation
- One-on-one Coaching
Examples of Lesson Link teams include:
- 3rd grade teachers focused on Writing Workshop
- 6th grade English teachers focused on reading comprehension
- Kindergarten teachers focused on strategies for English Language Learners
- 8th grade Algebra teachers focused on problem-solving techniques
Lesson Link is ideal professional development for:
- Grade Level Teams
- Subject Area Teams
- Teachers interested in refining a content area (e.g., reading comprehension, science, strategies for English Language Learners)
Copyright © 2010 Sierra Educational Consulting LLC, All Rights Reserved