The Vital Things To Note Concerning Classroom Walkthroughs

By Walter Barnes


The practice is mostly popular in schools considered as organized where the principals want to be more involved in the learning process. It is defined as the act of regularly paying visits to lecture halls by school principals in order to evaluate some outlined instructional practices or specific instructions. Classroom walkthroughs bring a lot of benefit not only to the teacher but the whole school at large.

School principals face one challenge of ensuring that effective and efficient instructional leadership is provided always. Apart from basically hosting assemblies, managing schedules and instill disciplining in students, school heads are usually expected to have the skill and knowledge to generally make positive impact on teaching and also learning process.

The level of assistance that a teacher requires is actually not defined and so using this technique will basically cater for everything. As earlier mentioned the key role of walkthrough is basically not evaluating one instructional delivery but rather is to effectively sharpen the teachers professional skills. Once the skills are sharpened, these teachers find it easy to deliver instructions and start actually enjoying their work.

The is a non threatening and a non evaluative practice that generally give school heads a quick glimpse of their student learning. That quick snapshot is used by the head teachers to engage the junior teachers in a very important conversation about the ways to improve their teaching. The walkthroughs should not be used as probably a tool for intimidation by any supervisor or teacher. On the contrary, the principal should use the opportunity to explain to teachers how the process is beneficial to them and also the students they are teaching.

The process should not be considered as harassing or embarrassing to teachers but as a way of getting along with the school administrator. All school administrators want what is best for their institutions and so the teachers should be optimist that such practices is for the benefit of the entire school. This is actually a practice that is trending among many schools worldwide.

There are quite a number of elements in the practice. But these elements will vary according to the exercise purpose. The generally elements include brevity, dialogue and focus. These walks are designed in such a way the principal get to visit several classes in a day so brevity will be of essence. About focus, are the efforts put by the principal to make sure that teachers and the administration is reading from the same page.

Not person should feel intimidated when being corrected or when being advised on the best ways to approach delivery of instructions. Not principal should use the process as the basis or ground to write a negative report about the teacher. The process should as well not be used as basis for firing people from their work.

The labels commonly used for walkthroughs are, data walks, learning walks, rounds, mini observations and instructional as well as reflective walking through. The benefit a school gets from such walks include, acquiring additional or extra data and information concerning learning and teaching of students and promoting collegial as well as collaborative conversations. The benefit that a teacher derives from the walks include reflecting on own curricular practices and instructional delivery, identifying their professional development requirements and lastly promoting collegial dialogue that is reflective with the school principal. For students, they get a chance to participate in school improvement programs.




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