The Catalyst This is a one-week intensive format in which I provide daily instruction catalyzing an extended inquiry of crucial importance as determined collaboratively by the classroom teacher and myself. This format also works well as a dramatic culmination of a unit in which my role, both in and out of character, becomes one of assessing the students' depth and breadth of understanding. In this way teachers are provided with the opportunity to observe where their students have important misunderstandings such that subsequent instruction can be aligned as desired.