Follow-up for Walk-Through Observations

By Pat Wilson O’Leary
Vicksburg Community Schools
Vicksburg, Michigan

In the last of three articles on Walk-Through observations, the necessary steps to complete the Walk-Through observation process will be reviewed. The first article clarified the communication and trust building components of the process that need to take place before attempting short unscheduled Walk-Through observations. Without this groundwork, Walk-Throughs don’t work well.

The second article described various details that an administrator might look and listen for during an observation. It also suggested several practices for entering, staying in, and leaving the room so that instruction is not disturbed.

These articles build up to the third and most important step in the process. Communicating with teachers after a Walk-Through is what starts the conversation about instruction. If you don’t talk with teachers and share your notes, soon after a Walk-Through, you have missed your opportunity to discuss instruction and its results. You also spread mistrust or send the message that the observation wasn’t worth talking about. Some teachers call the incomplete Walk-Through a “drive by” observation! Not good!

There are several ways to communicate with teachers. Be sure to provide feedback within one day of the Walk-Through observation:

• Leave your notes and comments when you walk out the door
• Send a quick email
• Leave a note in the teacher’s mailbox
• See the teacher briefly in their room or the hallway

Feedback should follow a similar format:

• Words of appreciation for the opportunity to observe
• A compliment for specific instructional strategies or management techniques seen by the principal, if appropriate
• A question about curriculum implementation, instruction, or management

Leave your notes: Whether you are using a staff approved form or an index card, some administrators jot various notes during an observation. The paper may be left on the teacher’s desk as you exit quietly.

Send a quick email: After you return to your office, send the teacher an email. If you keep your notes, inform teachers that notes are filed.

Talk with the teacher: See the observed teacher(s) in the hallway or in their room. Avoid your office to maintain a supervisory, not an evaluation, setting. Leave your notes or inform teachers that notes are filed in your office.

Avoid rewriting your notes, even if you return them to the teacher. You don’t need to add another step to your already busy day. Also, you don’t want to get too busy to find the time for a rewrite and miss out on a timely response to your Walk-Through observation.

What if you are surprised with some unpleasant observations? Return to the classroom soon for another Walk-Through. Was the last result a fluke or a pattern? If you are concerned about a classroom, situation, return to the classroom for a formal observation.

Build faculty support for Walk-through observations by mentioning them often in staff meetings. You might even make your Walk-Through report a standing agenda item. Mention how many Walk-Throughs you made since the last meeting. Give words of appreciation for the trends you see. Mention progress noticed regarding a building / district initiative or general best practices. For example, you might note something like, “Thank you for posting critical vocabulary words on the board. We agreed to do this. I observed that practice in 15 of the 16 classrooms I visited.”

You can also comment if best practices are not being observed, i.e. “We agreed to put the objective on the board, in student-friendly language. However, I observed 15 classes this week and only saw the objective in three classrooms.” Keep the topic open and on the table.

Principal’s Records: You will want to keep a record of who you visit when. Attached is a link to a form which many of my clients use to ensure that they observe teachers equally in their WT implementation.

If you implement this Walk-Through process faithfully, you will be amazed at what you see in your classrooms. You will experience surprises; most pleasant, some unpleasant. As you discuss the interactions you see students have with the curriculum, each other, and the teacher, you will become more aware of the student achievement at your school.

A principal visiting classrooms is not a new practice. Walk-Through observations are informal observations for five to ten minutes, following a pre-established and thoughtful process. Building the trust and communication with teachers is imperative. Conducting Walk-Throughs faithfully is imperative. Always communicating after Walk-Throughs is imperative.

It has been said, “Implementing a good idea poorly is a bad idea.” If you are going to do Walk-Throughs, do them with all of the critical attributes. The classroom is where the action is! Have fun!

Pat Wilson O’Leary is an Instructional Specialist at Vicksburg Community Schools in Vicksburg, Michigan 49097. She consults with districts in Michigan and other states. Work phone: 269-321-1038. Email: patwo@vicksburg.k12.mi.us