The possibility of a public discussion about the lesson (the debriefing as a group)
created some angst amongst the teachers. The facilitators reminded the teachers
that the reflection was not a review of “how well the teacher had done” rather
it was an assessment of how well the lesson exposed student thinking and how
well it reached the objectives. It was agreed that once the group reconvened after
the lesson, the teacher who taught would begin by sharing his or her observations
and thoughts. The observing teachers would then share the data they had collected
while observing the children. The facilitators would summarize the discussion, noting
themes and issues that emerged, and the lesson would be revised based on
observations shared during the debriefing. Planning for the first research lesson
was completed on the last day of the summer meetings. Peg, a third-year teacher,
volunteered to teach the first lesson. Subsequent lessons would be taught by the
other teachers.