Sulma+-+Informing,+Inviting,+and+Involving+Teachers+in+Classroom+Walkthroughs

Session #3154 Presenters: Donald Kachur: dskachu@list.edu and Claudia Edwards: cedwards@cameron.edu

Inviting: for design, implementation, include teachers in the process of the walkthrough

Many labels: learning walks, instructional rounds, min-observations, focused walks, data walks, reflective walks

Walkthroughs are: informal and brief, conducted by various stakeholders, quick snapshots, NOT intended for teacher evaluation, an opportunity for reflective conversations, aimed at improving student achievement.

5-7 minutes

stakeholders - parents, teachers, administrators

Keep out of the union contract - don't use them for evaluations

Components: protocols, focus and look fors, participants, data gathering, feedback : all these components are driven by the purpose

Teacher Involvement: instead of doing to or for the teachers - doing it with the teachers.

DVD on walkthroughs - how to conduct effective school walkthroughs via ASCD

Need to have a level of trust w/ the teachers; that principal is there to support.

Principal walkthrough shouldn't be 1-2 times a year. Will make notes in the planner. Can identify both things to celebrate and areas of improvement.

1) Identify what to look for - have teachers involved in designing what to look for. The video basically showed people coming up w/ Danielson areas.

2) Classroom Walkthrough: stay away from judgement - just describe what you saw. can give feedback in the group as a group as opposed to one on one to try to stay away from evaluative. Maybe try w/ just a team of teachers to get a small group to buy into it with teachers. Start it out as a volunteer basis.

3) Reflection: In discussion -mostly teachers speaking and sharing.

**Reflection:** Assurance of confidentiality; respect for what you see (let teachers come up with guiding rules); I like how walk through is used more for learning and growth as opposed to evaluative purposes. I also like the principal partnering w/ teacher to go around and then having team discussion and I also like the foucsed lens when going into the classroom (e.g. literacy). Ka Pi'ina - need to maybe look at whether to use for evaluative purposes or professional growth. This would be a great idea for induction of teachers (e.g. teaching reduced course load and working w/ instructional leader on walk throughs). I would have loved this kind of PD opportunity then and now.

Marzano - Making the Most of Instructional Rounds - Feb ascd issue - page 80-81.