BetterLessons for Teacher

When Jason Colombino, Ed.M.'05, decided to sign on to the Master Teacher Project, the one thing he didn't have was much free time for something new. Not only was Colombino working full time as an algebra teacher at Salem High School in Salem, Mass., but he was also enrolled in a Ph.D. program at Boston College and a few months away from welcoming a second baby. But, he says, the motto of BetterLesson, the organization sponsoring the project, resonated with him: Share what works.

"That idea of teacher-to-teacher development and sharing rigorous and relevant lessons can make a significant impact on how educators approach teaching," he says. "The opportunity to make a contribution to a shared body of knowledge around effective curriculum and instruction, all aligned to the Common Core, was something I couldn't pass up."

The project began last March. It's run by BetterLesson, an organization that was started by a group of public school teachers from Boston and Atlanta who were frustrated that it was so hard to find and share great curriculum with other educators. Their Master Teacher Project drafts some of the best classroom teachers in the country to document and share for one year what they know about teaching, aligned with the Common Core. This includes the "how" (tips, strategies) and the "what" (full lesson plans, all the materials needed for a complete course). The pilot cohort is made up of math teachers in grades six through 12. In addition to Colombino, the group includes three other Ed School graduates: Stephanie Conklin, Ed.M.'06; Andrea Palmer, Ed.M.'12; and Amanda Hathaway, Ed.M.'06. A separate group covers both K–5 math and K–12 English and includes Maricela Rodriguez, Ed.M.'00. In addition to sharing tips and material, master teachers also open up their classrooms for a film crew to visually capture what their teaching looks like.

Colombino says he hopes the project provides high-quality material to teachers from a variety of backgrounds around the country.

"The project has the potential to impact all teachers," he says, "from a novice teacher in a rural setting looking for advice on how to set up classroom routines, to a veteran teacher in an urban school looking for a new spin to teach a concept."

Read from one of Jason Colombino's lessons: http://cc.betterlesson.com/user/262788/jason-colombino/curriculum.