Lab Class
Professional Learning Through Collaborative Inquiry and Student Observation
A Joint Publication with Learning Forward
Designing & Evaluating Staff Development | Professional Learning Communities | Staff Leadership
School-based, collaborative teacher learning that drives student achievement
Meaningful growth in teacher practice comes when we invest in teacher-led, inquiry-based collaborative models where teachers get to roll up their sleeves and study what’s really going on in classrooms.
Lab Class introduces an observation-based professional learning design that helps teachers collaboratively plan, investigate, and develop solutions to a specific problem of practice by observing a host teacher’s classroom through the eyes of students. This book provides instructional leaders and team facilitators with observation protocols that encourage teachers to:
- Plan collaborative inquiry projects by identifying a focus of the inquiry, combing the research literature, creating norms for observations, and identifying resources needed
- Observe and analyze student conversations, actions, and products to determine the impact of instructional decisions on students
- Identify patterns from observations and determine next steps for professional learning
Close the knowing-doing gap by bringing professional learning out of workshops and back where it belongs—in the classroom!
"For those looking to empower teachers by bringing the learning of teaching closer to the classroom, this resource will help you achieve your goals."—Jenni Donohoo, Provincial Literacy Lead, Council of Ontario Directors of Education
Author of Collective Efficacy
"Lab Class is a professional learning structure to take learning walks to the next level. It provides a process to deepen inquiry and focus teacher observations and learning."
—Ellen S. Perconti, Superintendent
Mary M. Knight School District, WA
