Lesson Study

Under the NKRA initiative, the Teacher Division of MOE is introducing lesson study in a big way to help teachers all over Malaysia. In line with MBMMBI policy, plans are in place to create a professional learning community to help teachers enhance their teaching practice and students' performance. Here are some notes and sites I found to be very useful:  

Lesson study* is a professional development process that Japanese teachers engage in to systematically examine their practice, with the goal of becoming more effective. This examination centers on teachers working collaboratively on a small number of "study lessons". Working on these study lessons involves planning, teaching, observing, and critiquing the lessons. To provide focus and direction to this work, the teachers select an overarching goal and related research question that they want to explore. This research question then serves to guide their work on all the study lessons. 

Lesson Study in action in Singapore

While working on a study lesson, teachers jointly draw up a detailed plan for the lesson, which one of the teachers uses to teach the lesson in a real classroom (as other group members observe the lesson). The group then comes together to discuss their observations of the lesson. Often, the group revises the lesson, and another teacher implements it in a second classroom, while group members again look on. The group will come together again to discuss the observed instruction. Finally, the teachers produce a report of what their study lessons have taught them, particularly with respect to their research question. 

*"Derived from the Japanese word jugyokenkyuu, the term 'lesson study' was coined by Makoto Yoshida...it can also be translated in reverse as 'research lesson' [coined by Catherine Lewis], which indicates the level of scrutiny applied to individual lessons." --RBS Currents, Spring/ Summer 2002

(credit: http://www.tc.columbia.edu/lessonstudy/lessonstudy.html)

 The video below is a neat and interesting way to explain the concept behind Lesson Study:

(credit: http://schoolwaxtv.com/lesson-study-cycle)

Related Videos

• The Lesson Study Cycle
• Lesson Study Observation
• Lesson Study Implementation
• What is Lesson Study?
• How to Measure the Success of the Lesson Study Process
• What is the purpose of debriefing?
• What is the importance of team collaboration?
• What is the role of observers?
• What is included in the lesson script?
• Meeting the Challenge - Learning Sustainability

(credit: http://schoolwaxtv.com/lesson-study-cycle)

Links:
Pilot Lesson Study in England
Tools for conducting Lesson Study
Lesson Study as a Professional Development Strategy
Lesson Study Packet One Document (excellent)

Lesson Plan Format Secondary Schools

At the recent District English Panel meeting, a request for a standardised lesson plan for the teacher's record book was made. Rather than giving you a specific template, I'd like to share that the following elements are usually expected in your lesson plan:

• Theme
• Topic
• Objectives
• Activity
• Reflection
• Resource

However if the KSSR (Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah) lesson plan is to be used as the latest reference point then the following elements are expected:

KSSR English Lesson Plan Template

View more documents from Cynthia James

 

 

 We will have to wait and see how the lesson plan will be for Form 1.

Félicitations, おめでとう, Поздравляю, felicidades, Congratulations!

On Saturday, I managed to get the full SPM 2010 results from Mona (bless her). We did  it guys again! Congrats to the class of 2010. You made us proud!

SMK Canossian Convent Kluang won several awards at the state level:

1. Anugerah Sekolah Cemerlang Kategori Sekolah Harian (Pertama)

2. Anugerah Sekolah Cemerlang Kategori Yand Mencapai ETR

3. Anugerah Sekolah Cemerlang Kategori Cemerlang Yang Mencapai 100%

4. Anugerah Calon Cemerlang (Foo Wee Nee and Lim Chiu Ling)

Here are the results by subject:

	2009 % GPMP	2010 %GPMP
BM	3.16	2.47
BI	3.33	2.90
Pend Islam	2.66	3.05
Moral	3.07	2.05
Sejarah	4.07	4.81
Maths	2.81	2.60
Science	3.35	2.63
Lit in Eng	-	2.00
Geog	2.40	3.06
PSV	2.22	2.96
Add Maths	3.56	3.42
Perdagangan	6.79	5.91
P.A	2.56	3.31
Ekon Asas	6.23	5.52
ERT	0.92	2.75
Rekacipta	2.05	1.31
Physics	3.33	3.27
Chemistry	3.25	3.50
Biology	3.64	3.22
T Islam	-	3.00
B. Cina	2.98	2.91
B. Tamil	3.87	2.86

Congratulations to all teachers and students for all your hard work. Am extremely happy that the GPS for English has dipped below 3.0 this time around. Well-done to one and all!

Why is it so hard to say 'thank you'?

So, the much awaited SPM results were out. Congrats to the those who did well. To those who didn't do so well, it's not the end of the road. As a matter of fact, the road is still long :) I've been wanting to blog about this for some time now but I've always postponed it, not wanting to hurt anybody. Well, no more!  This cometh direct from a teacher's heart...

Madam Tan, Foo Wee Nee (Top Student 2010) and I

 In 2008, when the SPM results were announced I was shocked (that's the word) to see a group of top scorers coming to school to receive their honours but ignoring their teachers in the main hall.  They coolly sat through the whole affair till it was tea time and still, none of them came to us to say anything, never mind a 'thank you'. This after having taught them for two years. Initially, I thought I was being too sensitive and also a colleague had remarked earlier, 'this is how students of today behave'. Silly me thought how outdated I was, you know, not keeping up with the so-called current trends! And the fact that this was only my second year in the school made me think I had  probably not understood the culture well enough and needed to be reeducated. And so I  let the matter rest. However, a few weeks later, a Maths teacher commented on the same thing- that the students never said 'thank you' to her and behaved as if  she was  a stranger! And then more and more comments came. And  I thought I was alone...

               

Came 2010 SPM results and history repeated itself. Students and teachers were total strangers again. Admittedly, one or two would awkwardly try to strike a conversation as they couldn't avoid brushing  shoulders with their teachers  in the hall. But the T word was still elusive..

Why is it so hard to say 'thank you'? (even if the teacher was not your favourite, or you didn't quite get along with the teacher, or that your tuition teachers were your gods  etc. etc. etc. surely you must have learned a thing or two from him or her) Two years is long. A lot of things had happened in and outside the classroom in the two years. Besides there's absolutely nothing wrong with the old-fashion culture where a student shows appreciation to her teachers- more so at such a young and impressionable age. It's all part and parcel of being a student.

Whatever happened to good manners? Come on!  It doesn't cost you anything to say 'thank-you'. It only reflects what a wholesome character you are and most importantly that your teachers have NOT failed to teach you good manners in school!!  I refuse to believe that students today do not  know how to show appreciation to their teachers.  If indeed this is true, it's a worrying state of affairs.  It is such a shame that in the pursuit of A's, we lose our more important values. Surely teaching and learning is also about character-building. And the best place to start is in school.



By all means go for your A's. Go where your dreams take you but please mind your manners too. This is just so you will become successful future doctors, engineers, scientists, artists, chemists with  GOOD CHARACTER. This is what is rewarding about teaching. It's not just about A's but about character. Good character will go a long way and you will be able to impact others in the future. At the end of the day, it's not your thank you that matters but that you acknowledge your teachers' existence!

Dear God, forgive me if I have failed in my job...

p.s I must mention though that the top student in 2008 and 2010 took all the trouble to thank me. As a matter of fact, one of them took the trouble to call me when I was in JB last week. The gesture really touched my heart. You have shown that you are not only smart but you have character and sound upbringing.