TRANSFORMING WALKTHROUGHS
BY : CORY A . BENNETT often include such things as :
Effective instructional leaders realize the power of regular non-evaluative classroom observations to informally collect information about teaching , learning , or implementing school initiatives . Yet , feedback from these walkthroughs is often about general interpretations of teaching ( e . g ., engagement , asking questions , and / or using different instructional techniques ) or a checklist of artefacts ( e . g . learning objective posted , standard on the board , and / or school mission / vision visible ) rather than on thoughtful and specific evidence of learning . By not capturing actual evidence of student thinking and learning , instructional leaders are missing opportunities to focus feedback on instructional practices that lead to the intended learning outcomes . One way to do this is by attending to student learning rather than teaching .
Attending to Learning
Attending to learning means carefully focusing on the evidence of student learning . In doing so , instructional leaders have the opportunity to specifically identify what is important about a classroom situation , make connections between classroom interactions and principles of teaching and learning , and then facilitate a pointed professional conversation with the teacher , so that the teacher and administrator , alike , can better understand the implication of the classroom events . Such practices allow for more responsive instructional leadership practices and teaching that deliberately connects pedagogical moves to specifics of students ’ understanding .
Learning to Attend to Students ’ Thinking
When observing a classroom , notes
5 Teacher was able to overcome |
technical |
difficulties |
with |
the |
smartboard |
|
|
|
5 Teacher guided students to develop key concepts
5 Not sure [ the teacher ] should have gone in that direction with the discussion
5 Teacher would only call on certain students
5 Teacher asked good questions
5 Students were / were not actively learning
5 Lots of noise / quite and focused classroom
Notice how these kinds of responses , while important in some aspects of supporting teaching and learning , do not focus on pedagogy , student and teacher behaviours , and general impressions of the classroom . For some , shifting away from observations of this nature is hard as administrators are not necessarily trained to focus on learning during walkthroughs .
Shifting Observations to Student Learning
When beginning the student learning observation , spend about 15-25 minutes to observe students , recording what you hear from students and see in their work without interviewing or talking to them or the teacher . You want to try and capture students ’ thinking and learning in as natural of a setting as possible . If you are unfamiliar with the content , listen for the complexity of responses or the details they provide in their work ; you do not have to be a content expert you just need to be able to look with intention and listen carefully . It may also be helpful to anticipate what you might see or hear if the students were “ assuming the role of the expert .” Meaning , in a science class , how are the students learning how to think and behave like a scientist ? In a humanities
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Term 2 Jan - Mar 2021 Class Time