A Collegial Conversation — Talking About Instruction Helps Teachers Find New Ways to Engage Students

31 Holly Holland 2006 A Collegial Conversation — Talking About Instruction Helps Teachers Find New Ways to Engage Students <p>The Schlechty Center for Leadership in School Reform, best known for its Working on the Work school improvement strategies (which emphasize authentic student engagement), encourages the use of Protocols, a structured process for disciplined teacher conversations about student work or the work designed for students. This story, written by respected education journalist Holly Holland, explains how a "collegial conversation" works by taking readers step-by-step through an actual group discussion. These conversations provide opportunities for designers of student work to gain positive feedback and ideas for lessons, units and projects in progress. "Who knows better how to analyze a lesson than a group of teachers?" asks CLSR facilitator Marilyn Hohmann. Teachers are the experts, "and giving a colleague feedback about lessons they've worked on, worked hard to design, is the highest form of professional development."</p> <p>Holland, H. (2006). A collegial conversation--Talking about instruction helpers teachers find new ways to engage students. Schlechty Center for Leadership in School Reform. Retrieved from the Schlecty Center 12 May 2008. http://www.schlechtycenter.org/pdfs/collegial.pdf</p> http://www.schlechtycenter.org/pdfs/collegial.pdf