During this phase of the work, teachers not only strive to define the strengths and needs of learners, they consider their own strengths and define their own needs as learners. For instance, after establishing hunches about the needs of writers and exploring examples of high quality DBQs, these Social Studies teachers drafted a rubric. Then, they investigated the work of various researchers to learn more about high quality design. The draft, which can be found on the Post-Its here, was revised in response to their learning.

Ideally, learners make significant contributions to the work of teachers during the first phase of lesson study. In this example, writers at the WNY Young Writers' Studio are working together to define their strengths and to name the important role that they play within our writing community. This data contributes to our growing understanding of how to serve individual writers and our community best.

Often, new groups of teachers engaging in lesson study for the first time approach the work of phase one with limited data. High quality baseline assessments can provide invaluable perspective and inform the development of better hunches. Sometimes, it is necessary to complete this work prior to phase one.

During phase two, teachers should be encouraged to consider how their learning targets, assessments, and feedback will align within and beyond the lesson. In this example, teachers tested the alignment of specific textbook series assessments to the Common Core. Significant weaknesses were uncovered, and this led to immediate revisions. It also inspired higher quality formative assessment practices during our lesson. More importantly, the photo above was one of dozens shared with administrators last year. This empowered the district to begin investigating the quality of their assessment system and aligned tools.

Distinctions between assessment types and purposes are often explored during phase two. Distinguishing formative assessment as a practice that occurs during instruction from summative assessments that are given to students who take them in order to measure mastery is critical. One enables learning. The other measures mastery. Formative assessment typically fuels lesson study.

Much of phase two involves brainstorming what is possible and then, determining what should take priority. For instance, when does it make sense to formatively assess and document what we learn from the process?

It can be very helpful for teachers to capture how a learner's thoughts or work change over the course of the lesson. Evidence like this can inform the hunches that are drawn during the debrief.

The Common Core emphasizes quality research practices. It can be very helpful for teachers to capture evidence of how students behave as researchers when invited to do so independently. Evidence like this can contribute to conversations about coaching research practices that are of increasing quality.

The teachers and literacy coaches involved in this study were eager to support kindergarten writers in their use of high quality feedback. This photograph, along with the anecdotal evidence captured by a lesson study participant relevant to the content of this conversation, provided valuable evidence about the growth of shared expertise in this classroom.

Professional blogs enable teachers to make their thinking about their learning transparent. Readers beyond the classroom who connect to teachers within these spaces provide perspectives and strategies that those within the group may not. Middle and high school writers who are interested in becoming teachers of writing are learning how to blog for reflective practice at the WNY Young Writers' Studio this year. The content of their blogs often propels deeper face to face conversations. It also helps those responsible for supporting them determine entry points for further professional learning.

Asking learners to reflect on how their thinking changed from the beginning of the lesson through the end of the lesson provides deep insight for teachers during the debrief.

Quality lesson studies provide learners ample and varied opportunities to process their thinking and use writing as a tool for refining it. Rather than writing to demonstrate knowledge, this type of writing remains low-stakes and low-threat. Writers may not share the "correct" response at first, but documenting changes in their thinking over time enables teachers to determine the points during instruction and the practices that enabled the most productive shifts.