McKay School of Education > Project SEEL > Implement > Collaboration

Collaboration for Optimum Results

SEEL is most effective when grade level teams of teachers and support staff collaborate, each adding his or her strengths to develop a unified and consistent program.

For SEEL instruction, collaboration involves mutual development of lessons and activities. In this style of interaction  each participant engages voluntarily  in discussions of how team members can optimize their classroom instruction.

SEEL recommends collaboration, particularly through the practices of  Lesson Rehearsal and Lesson Study.

Lesson Rehearsal

Lesson rehearsal is a demonstration of teaching methods, conducted by  professional developers, which provides practice and feedback to foster continuous improvement of the participants (usually teachers learning SEEL processes). Lesson rehearsal can be used in workshops or classrooms. During professional development workshops, program developers model methods by role playing with participants. Role play content includes methods for planning and delivering SEEL instruction. After watching the role play, teachers plan segments of instruction, present them to the group, and receive useful feedback to improve lesson delivery.

Professional developers also present SEEL activities in classrooms, where "live" planning and lesson delivery are demonstrated for teachers. When appropriate, professional developers and teachers co-teach SEEL activities through the processes of lesson study described below.

The final goal of professional development in SEEL is that collaboration of teachers within grade level teams be ongoing, using the lesson study process to guide the refinement of SEEL instruction.

Lesson Study and Collaboration

Teachers in Japan developed lesson study to guide teachers in collaborating to  improve the effectiveness of instruction measured in learning outcomes. Lesson study provides a framework for planning and presenting a “study lesson,” which is to be improved through examination by the collaborating team that is observing it. The lesson is planned, taught/observed, and discusssed/improved by this team of teachers.

After the collaborative preparation of the teaching plan for a lesson, one of the team members teaches it while other members of the team observe. The lesson may be a SEEL lesson from the resource database, an adaptation of a SEEL lesson, or a lesson created by team members according to SEEL principles and basic curriculum.  The group discusses their observations and recommendations, incorporating them into a revised plan for the lesson. A second teacher on the team implements the revised lesson in her classroom while team members observe. Feedback from the classroom observations is used to decide whether the lesson has achieved its goal or whether it needs further revision.

The observations are carried out using the principles of appreciative inquiry, an approach designed to build on strengths. ( A description of appreciative inquiry is provided in the section on Professional Development under the Planning and Teaching menu on this Web site.

The Lesson Study Process

Application of Lesson Study to SEEL

The lesson study process provides a sequence for collaboration among members of a SEEL teaching team. The principles of collaboration on which it is based are the foundation for its success. These principles include (1) that teachers volunteer to participate, (2) that they are willing to share resources and ideas, (3) that all have a desire to improve instruction, and (4) that feedback always begins  with positive observations. If possible, teachers outside the team may be invited to particiate in the lesson observation.

Understand the Role of the Observer.

Each teacher has opportunities to teach and be observed. The teacher's role is obvious. But the role of the observer can be more difficult to define. Some basic lesson study principles provide guidance.

Be Sure Observers Remain Observers.

An observer is an observer, not a participant. As in a teaching situation, a person who steps in to help is no longer in an objective position to be able to notice areas where the lesson can be improved.

Print the Lesson Plan

A printed lesson plan is beneficial for the entire team.  First, it focuses the presenter on implementing the lesson as the team has planned it. A lesson that alters the plan during presentation does not allow the team to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan. Second, the observer can write comments on the printed plan, thus contextualizing the comments and observations and providing a way to organize the feedback.

Watch a Subset of the Class

Teachers who watching the entire class may not notice details such as specific students who are off task, not responding, etc. Many teams find it useful to assign observers to focus on certain groups of students, certain areas of the classroom etc.

Share Feedback.

1. The teacher who taught the lesson provides observations first.
2. Following the presenter, collaborating teachers on the team give their feedback.
3. Teachers who participated in the planning address questions that were raised during planning. (“We were concerned about monitoring responses during the instructional conversation. How did that seem to go?”) If this is a second feedback session, specific suggestions incorporated from the first presentation are reviewed and evaluated.
4. When a difficulty is pointed out, the teacher who presented should avoid explaining and justifying. This will enable a complete discussion and avoid a ping pong--back and forth--exchange on individual points.

Note: These suggestions have been adapted from the work of Sonal Chokshi, Barbrina Ertle, Clea Fernandez, & Makoto Yoshida. Lesson Study Protocol ©2001, Lesson Study Research Group (lsrg@columbia.edu).