Classroom walkthroughs: Learning to see the trees and the forest By Howard Pitler with Bryan Gooawin For some, the practice of classroom “walkthroughs” where principals or other instructional leaders spend only minutes observing classrooms to form an impression about the quality of teaching and learning occurring in them seems preposterous. But consider the study Malcolm Gladwell describes in the introduction to his book, Blink. ‘After watching just two seconds of soundless video clips of Harvard professors they'd never seen teaching a class, seudents rated how effective they thought the professors would be as instructors. “The researchers were surprised to find that not only did the students find the task easy, but their instantaneous impressions ‘were highly correlated with end- of che-semester ratings by those who actually took the clases: So, if college students can accurately assess the quality of professors from just ewo silent seconds of ‘Video, can principals assess the qualicy of a teachers’ instruction after only a few minutes? Maybe, bur short observations also can be badly fawed. The key to making accurate decisions based on short observations is knowing what to look for. For example, Gladwell notes thar when e%rgency room doctors and nurses in the Cook ‘County Hospital reduced their lengehy interview protocol for cchest-pain patients down toa reading and three simple (but incisive) questions, they dramatically increased their ability to accurately assess ‘whether peopl with chest pain were about to have a heart attack, Likewise, f principals don't know what to look for or misunderstand the purposes of wrllchroughs, their observacions ‘2h great teachers cinploy 2 can be weles, or worse, harmful Y2rety of teaching strargics, roteachers and student. Bur Understand che inscrucsional if they are equipped with the parposss of ech, ot right set of “look fors” and a sxrategy intentionally. So, when ‘observing classrooms, principals ej undersanding of prpo%s Should lok a sratgies teachers Lt Seok for” fe using, and during a follow-up io So, bepeweh . coaching conversation, teachers pessoas rem wacng, should be able to articulate why What to look for they used a particular serategy. Principals should ask these ae, six questions when observing, Sumer eemerreare classrooms: leer ‘One of the nine categories 1.re teachers using ef deciva lauren ta research-based : seoeareh-beved teaching (Classroom Insruction shat Works togies’ i “ta ee as (One of the most important things includes supporting student tw look for is teachers’ use of, learning through large groups, instructional strategies. The nine small groups, pairs, cooperative serategics from McREL's ASCD groups (small groups with publication, Clasroom Instruction assigned roles for each member), ‘shat Works, for example, can serve or working individually. None asa framework for determining _of these grouping strategies the extent to which teachers use are “wrong”; they may all be research-based strategies. Although appropriate at different times and there's no single “right way” to Continued on page 10 ‘Glace, M2005). Blink: The power of thinking without thinking. New York: Lite, Brown and Company,3 1Sucooes heghs continued tom page 8 for different learning purposes. Again, the key isto deteriine whether teachers ate intentional in their use of grouping patterns. Daring follow-up coaching sessions, can teachers rate why che selected paricular grouping step? 3..r0 teachers and students ‘using technology to support student learning? ‘While educational technology ir more prevalent in today Rosearch-besed responsibilities of effective echo! leaders that ‘can be fulfilled through classroom walkthroughe: * Connecting with teachers and statton ‘8 personal and profesional lve the ‘responsibly of rationstips) ‘+ Encouraging teaches to use reach on Instruction (he responetiy of nilocta ‘stmuater) ‘+ Reviewing fomativa aclovement data end classrooms, many teachers still do not put these tools to best use. During walkthroughs, principals should note the technology teachers are using and how they're using it. As before, principals should specifically ask about urpose the teacher intended by ting the selected vechnology. Ic alo is important to monitor if and how seadents are using technology. Principals should ask abour seudents’ opportunities for “fingers on keyboard” time to use technology to deepen their learning. 4..Do students understand ‘heir goals for learning? ‘While conducting walkthroughs, principals should do more than ¢g0 through a checklist of reacher practices; they also should observe what students ae and learning. When asked, are seudents able to articulate what they are doing sie relates ro thet leaning goals? Are students making a connection to cue learning objectives, or are they completely focused on activities? (Over time, student responses will, provide an indication of how ‘well reachers are communicating learning goals and whether seudents are engaged and Jntentional about thei own learning. 8. Bre students learning both ‘basic and higher order levels of knowledge? (Classroom observations also should reveal whether seudents are engaged in learning at the lower rungs of Bloom's taxonomy (eg, remembering, understanding, and applying) or atthe higher levels, such as analyzing, evaluating, and creating. All of these forms of learning are necessary and appropriate in diferent contexts. However, if che vat majority of srudent learning is concentrated. ‘on lower level earning, principals should initiate conversations with teachers regarding the levels of student learning they observed. 6, Do student achievement data correlate with walkthrough data? Principals should also observe classrooms through the lens of scadent achievement data. In Is Being Done, Chenoweth provides che following anecdote ‘of bow Sheri Shisley, principal of Oakland Heights Elementary School in Russellville, Arkansas, uses classroom observations to help her high-poverry schoo! raise srudent achievement Shirky spends a reat deal ‘of time in classrooms here, swarching for efectve teaching methods that can be shared. In ‘one instance he knew that the children in one clasroom were ‘mastering many more “ight” swords (words read automatically without having to laboriously spell them ous) than in others cv the noticed tha in the less- ‘uccenful classrooms, ifthe children mised a flashcard word, the teachers would simply read the words tothe children. In ‘the more-succenful classroom. «anytime the children misied sword, the teacher would teach them “rick” tread the word sore quickly. She mighs point cous, for example, tat there suas a “word wishin the word” ‘that cbldren already knew (AND). That simple practice om the par of the teacher was helping kids read beter, and by noticing, Shirley was then able to initiate conversations amongteachers about effective teaching practices? As this cxample illustrates, when principals place thei classroom ‘observations within the context ‘of student achievement data, they can dramatically increase the ‘acuity of their observations and Identify ways to improve teaching and learning, How to use walkthrough data A number of misconceptions persist about how to use the dara generated from classroom walkthroughs. Indeed, some teachers resistance to ‘walkthroughs is likely due to the face they or their principals—or bboth—are unclear about how to use their observation data. Coaching, not evaluating For stares, the purpose of ‘ walkthrough is not to pass judgment on teachers, but 0 coach them to higher levels of performance. Walkthroughs are rot teacher evaluations; they are a method for identifying ‘opportunities for improvement and supporting the sharing of best practices across che school. Mesuring the impact of staff ‘dovelopment efforts In ies best we, the wallahough ‘making it into the classroom. Ifa districts focusisin differentiated learning, for example, and the data indicate that an overwhelming percentage of observations show: students are working only in whole group secings wich each seadent doing exacly the same type of ‘sucgass nights |S Power Walkthroughs werk therewould bean | Classroom Observation apparent dsconnes berween | go°tinar & Software the inten ofthe profesional development and actual classroom practice. By systematically collecting and analyzing data from classroom observations, school leaders can determine whether af development eles ae making 2 diference and guide ral- Sime adjustments othe ‘manual, Clasroom Ierucion that Werks, 38 profesional devdopment | the bass for obsrving reaches. they are ofering teachers, Lbebrouge Supporting professional = | tearing communities wth walkthrough data provide a more accurate picture. Savy peincipals alo undestand Think of tas a mosaic. Looking at the power of sharing their ‘one tile in isolation tells you almost aggregated observation dae with nothing, But when you se 400 of. school salfo support profesional those ls laid out in an orderly leaming communities. For ‘mannes, a picture begin to emexge- ccample, one demensary choot wath ee sevotd wih in Mana ae. homered drough walthrough \iderstand what t look for and daa collected over 2 thuee-month the purpose of ther observations, period that ache taught ae en) at ing 47a able o pull topether Sodene ina wiclopou wing ef linn cbcreetiong lan B Sj emer ct ah erraoes, oes compl pci efto Timhomemonmerse Storms rown eee enmnenal deeiogectt ley of imran eon ere Sores epee — tat badings a sess Tee soar of altro fs ise Bese dang thebowing tae 5st ecg da tes bt ale, the forest. Final thoughts: aa o Viewing the “mosaic” Howard Pitler is a MCREL, ‘As the success ofthis school senor director, responsi for ilusrates, one of the most our curieium end instruction wrk, includng MCRELS Power Pee ee eee haeieoah Sema c eee Ssaegregting da He canbe reached st 303.692.5554 and overtime. One or two, oreven 6,0 ached 10 observaions ofan individual teacher do not provide a dear plcrure of the quality of intruction ‘within a schoo. But 10 visi exch 1040 teacher classrooms docs "Ghertowetn,K (007) t's bang dove: Academe success in unexpected schools Harvard Edcaon Pres: Cari, Mass (p44).