After a full day of hanging with the students at the elementary school, we were excited to return today for one of the most important aspects of our trip: Lesson Study.
One of the younger teachers, Ito Sensei, graciously allowed us into his classroom to observe his math lesson, record it on video, and analyze it with the Waseda University students that we have been spending time with over the course of this week.
What I really loved about the work we were doing together, and the whole process of lesson study, is that it combines the eyes and voices of so many brilliant people. Different people see different things, and the whole process of professional development through lesson study is stressful, humbling, and eye-opening. Because everything has to be grounded in evidence, we were able to focus on concrete ideas that he could take back to his classroom.
It’s a scary process, but I think that lesson study is a process that all teachers could profit from. To open your classroom and yourself to consistent improvement through this kind of analysis is a strength that I believe could lead to some amazing teachers. More importantly, though, it fosters a kind of collaboration that I feel is missing from my own work at schools in the United States.
That evening, we had some free time to go get some food and explore more of the city. I am so grateful to be able to interact with this culture. More than halfway done with our week, I plan to soak in as much as I possibly can. A few of us are heading to Kyoto tomorrow, and we have a big karaoke party coming up at the end of our trip.
Japan is such a unique and wonderful country. It seems as if there is a never-ending amount of places to explore.
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