Classroom walk throughs help administrators

Classroom Walk-Throughs as an Instructional Leadership Strategy
By Destiny Taft and Martha Hardesty


A classroom walk-through is a “snapshot”, a brief visit, of classroom elements followed up by a reflection. During a walk-through administrators are checking for instructional strategies, standard-based objectives, levels of interaction, classroom environment, student environment, and an assessment. It’s very important that administrators and teachers realize that the classroom walk-through does not take the place of, nor is it part of, the formal or summative evaluation process. Walk-throughs are important because they are “…the ability to look back and make sense of what happened and what you learned. But it’s also the ability to look forward, to anticipate what’s coming up and what you need to do to prepare”. (Reflective Practices to Improve Schools, Sommers 2001
Administrators should do walk-throughs for a variety of reasons. First being that it provides a dialogue between the principal and the teacher of what really goes on in the classroom. Secondly it is an effective and efficient monitor of curriculum and instruction on a day-to-day basis. Thirdly it is a way to share collected data with staff as a means to foster collaboration. Finally, it is a way to use data to assist in decisions regarding continuous school improvement and professional development.
There are many advantages to a classroom walk-through. It improves instructional practices, creates professional dialogue and development, leads to fewer discipline referrals, increases student achievements, keep teachers on their toes, it provides immediate feedback, and it provides a basis for reflection and sharing of effective practices.  Even with there being many advantages, there are a few disadvantages. Some teachers have a fear of formal observations, the timing of the walk-through for administrators, the requirement of consistent follow through, administrators must have the proper technology to collect and utilize the data obtained, the administrator must be technologically proficient, and the time commitment to do random multiple visits (2 a week x 40 teachers x 8 minutes = 10.5 hours a week).
An administrator is looking for a variety of items when they perform the classroom walk-through. They are looking for teaching objectives, learning expectations, taxonomy, text and materials, instructional strategies, the engagement of the learner, and the learning environment.
The walk-through started in the corporate world. In the corporate world it is known as “Management By Wandering Around” (MBWA). David Packard, the Co-founder of Hewlett-Packard and Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-mart have used the management by wandering around methods since they started their companies. It was popularized by the book In Search of Excellence by Peters and Waterman.
The classroom walk-through model is a snapshot of teaching and learning, identification of instructional strategies, level of learner engagement, and the survey of the learning environment. That is just the beginning. To make a classroom walk-through successful the “after the walk-through” is just as important. After the classroom walk-through model is analysis of information collected and a reflection with the teacher.
A broad view observation would consist of the following: Active students participating in the learning process: engaged in learning, successful in learning, critical thinking, problem solving, self-directed, and connects learning; Students were: on-task, actively involved, presenting, reading for pleasure, writing, and doing worksheets and homework. A narrow view observation would consist of the following: Focus on Literacy with a goal of increasing the amount of student work: administrator sees student writing, administrator sees evidence of past student writing such as piles of written work in the classroom and examples of student writing posted on classroom walls, students maintain written journals, students are able to explain the writing process, exemplary student writing is highlighted so students know the standard of good writing, and prompts for journal writing on the whiteboard.
Before, during, and after the walk-through teachers should be asking themselves reflective questions. How can I vary instruction methods to include a wider range of cooperative learning tasks (partner, small group)? How can I develop lessons that challenge students to do more high level thinking? How can I integrate technology into my lesson? How can I do more to challenge the most gifted students in my class? How can I create an environment that is les teacher centered and more student centered?
“The goals of all this observing and questioning are clear. As a year of walk-throughs progressing, principals should see more student engagement, students working at higher cognitive levels, and teachers questioning their own practices and make appropriate adjustments.” (Gary Hopkins, Education World)