Journaling is an integral part of staff development because it allows individuals to consider their own learning thoughtfully and it also helps participants analyze their own and other's thought processes and think about how one thinks and learns. This article features Williamson County Schools in Franklin, Tennessee, which created an academy to…

Rather than focusing on teaching teachers, university researchers helped local teachers study what students thought about math and science ideas--with powerful results. As teachers understood what students were thinking, they modified their practices to promote deeper understanding. Their collaboration created bottom-up change.