Monday 25 May 2015

Things To Consider In Conducting Classroom Walkthroughs

By Tammie Caldwell


It is already in the middle of summer. Vacation is almost coming which makes every student excited. Yet there are things that the school principal and teachers must do to validate everything everyone has done inside the learning area. School leaders are the ones who are assigned in administering a classroom walkthrough to ensure the improvement of the teachers, students and the school.

School leaders must be able to stay in focus to this observation because it highly matters. A walkthrough must be done properly. There are things that the school leader must obtain in his mind to give what is truly beneficial in the learning environment. Classroom walkthroughs are also known as classroom observations. Some would even prefer to call it learning walks. The process is a tool for the professional development of school teachers. Here are things that can help you conduct a good walkthrough.

Before starting the walkthrough, the school leader must know things that reflect to the method first. Though observing the class may only take you a minimum of three minutes yet there are still a wide variety of things that you must do. It is advised to have the observation only for a few minutes. It is not only the school leader who is involved in this procedure but the executives, instructional leaders and the educators are also part of it as well.

Walkthroughs can give the school leaders and other assigned staff to supply feedback to the teacher they observe. The feedback can deeply help the teachers since they will start building reflections from it. Student achievement is also part of the observation.

The teacher is not the only one who is observed in the process but the students as well. Everyone inside the classroom are observed since they are ultimately a relation of the learning situation. Even if assigned staff and the school leader only have a few minutes to observe yet they can already know whether the learners are engaged in the activity or not. Their engagement matters by jotting down notes, listening to the discussion or even answering questions.

The learning objectives must be observed since it connects to what the teacher gives to the students. Assessing can be effectively done when the observer learns the performance of the teacher. It is truly important that the objectives are deeply connected with the curriculum. Teachers must never give lessons that are already too far from the curriculum since it may cause confusion to the learners. The lessons must be aligned to the lesson plan. Moral standards must likewise be shown.

The connection of the lesson absolutely matters. You have to observe about the connection of the lessons to the previous learning objectives. It is important that the matters are in connection since it can greatly affect the learning of the students since lessons are basically done in a step by step process. It is not right that a teacher will jump into another lesson far away from the previous objectives since students will find it hard to connect the lessons.

The instructional strategies of the educator basically matters as well. You may look at how the teachers work by discussing the lesson. There are actually various sets of strategies in which a teacher must practice. The strategies may also lead to the work and participation of the students such as how they answer questions and follow directions. They may also take down notes or answer problems.

Before you start the walkthrough, you must inform the school staff first. Safety and health contents must also be observed. Though the visit may only be done for at least three minutes but it is recommended that you tell the teacher if you are going to stay for a few more minutes. The observation does not only benefit the teachers but you, as an observer, as well.




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