Teachers who participate in the Teacher Institute on Science and Sustainability (TISS) at the California Academy of Sciences commit to intensive professional development--that is, two two-week summer sessions, four evening workshops, and four Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings throughout each school year--focused on creating more opportunities for students to think, talk, write, and act like scientists, as called for by the "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS") (NGSS Lead States 2013). Teams form during the summer session and meet every other month during the school year for 75 minutes, focusing the conversation on a different teacher's classroom at every session. Through structured conversations using a discussion protocol, teachers support each other in making philosophical and practice-based shifts toward "NGSS"-aligned teaching. Herein the authors--two instructional coaches for TISS--outline the protocol steps and reasoning behind them and share specific ways to create an environment conducive to teacher collaborative learning. All educators--from schools to informal science institutions--can use discussion protocols to support each other through cycles of action and reflection toward "NGSS"-aligned teaching and learning.