{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Radio Chatskill","title":"How Liberty Elementary Is Transforming Teaching with Lesson Structure Study","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":732,"description":"LIBERTY, NY — What if professional development didn’t end when the workshop did?\nAt Liberty Elementary School, teachers are reshaping how they improve their craft through Lesson Structure Study (LSS) — a collaborative process that puts educators in charge of refining their own teaching, with student engagement at the center.\n“LSS gives teachers the breathing room to step back, look at what students are doing, and fine-tune their craft,” said Assistant Principal Paul Voigtland.\nA Shift from Traditional Professional Development\nFor years, professional development often meant outside experts delivering strategies and sending teachers back to busy classrooms to figure out implementation on their own.\nVoigtland, who first encountered Lesson Structure Study 15 to 20 years ago as a classroom teacher, said this model is different.\nInstead of being told what to do, teachers:\nSet a goal for improvement\nPlan a lesson collaboratively\nTeach and observe student engagement\nDebrief and revise\nReteach and refine\nThe five-step cycle is repeated three times before findings are shared with the entire school.\nFocused on Students — Not Teachers\nUnlike formal evaluations, LSS observations center on students.\nTeachers observing the lesson track how students interact with instruction, then gather feedback to guide improvements.\n“They’re not there to observe you — they’re observing the lesson and the students,” said third-grade teacher Ms. Donovan, a third grade teacher. “That makes it a safe space.”\nThe result? A culture where teachers feel comfortable experimenting and “failing forward.”\nReal Changes in the Classroom\nFirst-grade teachers Christina Burns and Megan Henry say the process led them to implement student-centered math rotations and choice boards.\nStudents now:\nChoose learning centers\nTake on leadership roles\nEngage in peer-to-peer problem solving\n“They’re very excited to do it every day,” Henry said. “It gives them independence and responsibility.”\nBurns added that student...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/q7XXsnSXT_u4mZLCn3chUorwDmUD_kWiB272D6emB18/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80N2Uy/OGY5MWUwZThkYTEw/NDVkZGM2ZGZkZDIw/ZjliOS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}