The history team at Hoover Middle School in Long Beach, California meets weekly to scrutinize student work and their own lessons -- a process that team leader Mary Massich describes as "the most powerful experience in my professional life." This is not your friendly little chat about lesson plans. It's a tough-minded critique that often leaves teachers exhausted but also invigorated. "These teachers at Hoover have become anxious to learn," says university coach Linda Whitney. "They did not have to risk this, but they did. . . .This group is learning what teaching is -- what it really means to be a teacher." Read a story about the Hoover team's work, listen in on an actual "critical friends" session, examine the student work yourself, and review the Hoover teachers' tips for other teachers who want to start their own collaborative groups.