But they lack the long-term, structured professional apprenticeships required of Japanese and German teachers. Japanese teachers have many more formal and informal opportunities to discuss professional issues with colleagues than do U.S. teachers. And, executive summaries of the major reports are user-friendly, capable of adaptation to school site or community discussions about expectations for students and for schools. Splintering effects are evident everywhere. U.S. math and science curricula tend to emphasize breadth in topical coverage rather than depth.
Textbooks amplify that strategy.
Upcoming releases of videotapes of teaching practice in the U.S., Japan, and Germany will help. Frame the questions. Join the discussion.