• Be visible
• Provide Timely Feedback
• Improve Professional Growth
• Align District Priorities
• Check Fidelity to Programs or Curriculum 
• Identify areas of growths
• Fidelity to curriculum implementation
• Second set of eyes and ears
• Visibility in classrooms
  
  

Walkthroughs can actually help improve classroom management and behaviors. The presence in the classroom by a school leader can have positive effects in this regard. It also helps the observer learn from other teachers, in addition to the teacher getting feedback. 

• Seeing the relationships the teachers have with their students
• Looking at the instructional activities that are happening in the classroom
• Look at how the teacher presents the material
• Pay attention to who is responding and how the teacher interacts with them 

It's one of the biggest areas that I've heard of and experienced in a different district that I was in, was doing walkthroughs to ensure the fidelity of a program or a strategy that has been used in professional development. It can feel very top heavy and thumb down on teachers. So that's one area I've also seen culture and climate, just the classroom management, focusing on what they are doing with their classroom management, how they are building a successful culture within the classroom. The biggest thing that I have seen is that implementation of a program with fidelity and seeing that piece, I think, is it can be done very well, and teachers can grow from that after learning that strategy and getting more professional development. Or it can be very mean almost, and unkind and corrective in a negative way. So I think you've got to have that balance and being very clear with your teachers as to what your purpose is.

Student engagement

Differentiation

Do Now - Start of class

Exit ticket - Ending/summarizing learning

Lesson Objective written on the board and clearly explained to class

Learning environmentAssessment

Whole group, small group, student led instruction

1:1 interactions with students

Lesson pacing 

• Feedback-Patterns of Instruction
• Development of an Instructional Framework
• Common Teaching Language
• Professional Development Focus
• Improvement System 

 Walkthroughs are really the time to see what is happening in the classroom. I love seeing the raw not planned "the principal is coming" teaching that happens throughout my school. I don't want things to change just because I have walked into the room, but I know this happens. I have a couple of teachers who always seem to stand up from their chair the moment I come in the room. Sometimes I feel in the past I have used this time as a checklist...are learning objectives posted - check, is the schedule on the board - check, percentage of class engaged in the lesson - check. Are my check marks and thinking questions really improving instruction? I really don't think it is. 

• Informal assessment/evaluations
• Judging
• Learning from teachers
• Understanding content
• Observing instructional strategies
• Observe transitions
• Offer support/feedback in areas of need

Look for strong instructional practices (those who model them can act as coaches) looks for those who need support in areas. Ensure small group, center based learning is the main construct for instruction. 

Keep teachers on thier toes, catch someone doing something good, see how the classes are behaved 

• Classroom organization and appearance
• Classroom management techniques
• Students know procedures
• Climate
• On task participation
• Equity 
• Learning target and purpose
• Student know the what and why
• Instructional techniques
• Exit tickets
• Flex groups 
• Student centered differentiation 
• Monitoring students 
• Data collection
• DOK questions 

• Getting a feel for how the classroom is managed
• Curriculum implementation
• Differentiation
• Student progress and growth
• Rigor 

• To evaluate teacher efficacy
• Identifying best practices
• Identifying areas of need
• Connecting with the staff
• Connecting with the students
• Identifying tech or supply needs 

• To check on teachers
• To see teachers in action
• To see student behavior
• To see if curriculum is being covered
• To see classroom atmosphere
•  To have a presence as administrator throughout the day
• To gather info for evaluations 

Classroom walkthroughs can be used to assess implementation of curriculum or instructional strategies, to align administrator expectations for classrooms, to assess current practices, to assess current needs and plan for professional development, to build relationships with students and with teachers, to support behavior management in struggling classrooms, to gain more information about specific students, and to simply create a visible presence of leadership. 

• Uses for walk-throughs
• Observe teacher practices
• Programs review
• Student engagement
• Lesson planning
• District / school Agreements
• Facilities check
• Feedback to teachers
• Leadership Team - recommendations for School Plan 

To improve teaching. 

So, one of the biggest things here since I began because I was new to the state as well as the district and the position was actually new. It has allowed me to get to know the teachers and really get a clear picture of just the overall culture here. I introduced myself to the teachers and let them know that I would be coming through classrooms we have also used it as a way for our leadership team to kind of train together to refine our feedback practices and how we are interacting with the teachers. But it also we've had kind of a mixed response from teachers, but it allows us to have more experience and more context to draw from when we are having our formal evaluations and those post conferences with teachers because it allows them to know that we are seeing more than just one or two hours out of the entire year that we care enough to get into classrooms. It helps with discipline because the students see us out and about. So those are just some of the benefits that we've noticed about getting out into classrooms more often.

Building Relationships 

I like to use walkthroughs to get a quick snapshot of how the dynamic of the classroom is working. I also feel like the more walkthroughs or seeing my face more often will lessen the anxiety level of teachers have having when administration does walk in.

The best thing, for me, is to get a feeling of whats it like to be a student in the clasroom. 

• Collecting evidence of teaching and learning
• Pinpoint classroom needs, safety, what is really happening in the classrooms
• Looking at physical use of space
• Collecting engagement data
• Evaluating climate
• Collecting data on an instructional initiative
• Reducing discipline through presence
• Sending the message of the value of the classroom 

Some of the ways that classroom observations have been used during my experience is one, to evaluate a teacher who's performing poorly. Another one is to go into classrooms of strong teachers and see if there is something that teacher who's not performing as well could benefit from. So that is the beginning of building some type of peer observation.
Another one, which is related to my first submission is having frequent visits with development teacher, so that you can either show that you've offered support in route to either dismiss the person or to provide actual support.
Those are just a few ways.

In my experience, I would say, the major reason for walkthroughs is to be able to see what's going on in the classroom and then to be able to provide professional and on time feedback. That's pretty much the main reason even though in my experience as a teacher I didn't have many walkthroughs, and even as a third-year AP that hasn't been the ongoing practice in our building. The main reason we are going into classrooms are for formal evalutation. So as I move forward in my career, I would like to increase the number of walkthroughs but also the understanding as to the why and also being informed enough to have truly professional conversations about practice and understanding how I can support as an admin and two, how I can make instructional decisions about PD, about what we're working on, or how I can connect other teachers with different teachers according to their strengths and weaknesses. So that's kind of my experience there.

List the purpose or usage of classroom walkthroughs.

1. be visible in the building to staff
2. be visible in the building to students
3. see different aspects of the teachers day
4. give suggestions to the teachers on different aspects of their classroom or lesson 

I cannot recall a variety of uses for the classroom walkthrough. The biggest use for it that I've ever heard of is to get information to see what teachers are doing, and what's going on in the classrooms, so that you'll have that information to share with parents or to evaluate the teachers or to share if someone has a complaint or a grievance or they have an issue of what's going on in the classroom. I think that's the primary issue that I've ever really heard of for classroom walkthroughs.

I haven't really heard of any others until now, but building professional relationships, I think it's a great use for it, and I'm sure I'm sure there are several other uses for it. Not only just to see what's going on in the classrooms. But to make yourself visible and then let the teachers know that you are interested in what they are doing and that you care about what they're doing, and that also goes over to the students, it gives them the impression when you come to their classroom that you care about what's going on and you care about what they're learning and you also care about what they're doing.

So that's another reason I think classroom walkthroughs can be used, that's to let the school body know that you care about what's going on in the classroom and you'll make time for them. As they say, they don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care. I mean you can be the principal and you could be the smartest person in the building, but until you come into those classrooms, and you help or you see what's going on, or you just make yourself visible, that sends a huge message. 

• improve student engagement
• improve instructional strategies
• monitor bell to bell teaching
• help teacher improve classroom management
• monitor use of standards
• show students that we all learn new things at any age
• support specific areas teachers want to work on

• See what is really going on in the classrooms.
• Allows students and teachers to know that you are approachable
• Shows that you are interested in the students' work. 

• Accountability
• Feedback
• Changing teacher practice
• Documentation
• Monitoring
• New initiative feedback
• Evaluation
• Rating 

Some of the various uses, I've heard of or thought of for classroom walkthroughs are checking in with students. Not only seeing what the teacher is doing and how students are in the specific classes that you're visiting, but also checking in with students, see how they're doing in that class. Another way of walking through is to basically see what the teachers are doing. If you are implementing new strategies, a new goal, a department or a team, but they have an  MTSS student who they brought up in their meetings and you need to see how they're doing, those types of things. I think you also can use classroom walkthroughs as just a way of seeing how the school culture is in general throughout the day and how that can vary in different teachers classrooms.

I'm not sure what the goals and expectations of others are for their classroom walkthroughs, but my walkthrough serves several purposes. First and foremost. It's to be where the kids are at. They are in the classroom. They're supposed to be learning and we want them in an environment that is conducive to that. And that's just the best place to see that. So, you know, when you first start going into these classrooms, students and teachers alike both of them will turn their head. They'll notice you coming in, and they change their behavior, whether that's good or bad, but it's the dog and pony show of the principal is here, so I need to do what I'm supposed to be doing. 

The more that you are in the classroom. The more unnoticeable you can become if you want it that way. Teachers and students don't bat an eye whenever I walk into the class anymore. But you know, some of the purposes may serve a dual purpose. For test evaluations, I may be there and kind of piggyback the two of those other times. I'll be in the classroom and I may get involved in a science lab and and go and just ask students questions if it's in a way that can, you know, keep the classroom flowing without me being the distraction, but I'll have brief conversations with the students.

My teachers aren't worried necessarily about me being in the room at this point after four years of being in their rooms. So there are many reasons to be in the classroom, but it's not for me to see what my teachers are not doing, but it's for me to see the great things that they are doing. So, I highly encourage you to be in those rooms as much as possible.

Identifying patterns that indicate success or need for improvement 

Purposes for classroom walkthroughs- 

• To gauge whether instruction is consistent with department / school goals
• To understand classroom culture, student-teacher relationships
• Accountability (on part of the administrator and the teacher)
• To see something cool, new, innovative that the teacher may want to show off
• To see great examples of student growth
• To build relationships with teachers
• To understand the culture of the school 

To inspect what you expect.... 

• identification of best practices
• increased principal awareness of what is happening in classrooms, 
• "look fors" of PD being implemented
• understanding of curriculum gaps and inconsistencies
• gather data about instruction
• identify professional development needs 

• Assessment of Teacher
• Assessment of Program
• Assessment of Instruction
• Documentation for Improvement Plan
• Documentation for Evaluation
• Student Behavior Observation
• Admin Feedback Training
• Relationship Building 

So uses for classroom walkthroughs. Student assessment. It's a great time to check in with the students in the classroom. See if they are understanding what is going on to see how they're doing. It's another opportunity to build on the relationships with students in our schools. Certainly not a time to disrupt them from their learning, but to support them into also show them that as an administrator, we are also teachers and that we can assist them. There's nothing that brings me anymore joy in my day, then being able to support a student in their classroom and particularly when it's Math and Science.

To check on mapping curriculum mapping. How is everybody doing and moving through those curriculum outcomes throughout the school year, especially during this pandemic. We have come up against a lot of obstacles in that regard and so are prioritized curriculum. I want to make sure that everybody is able to proceed in the way that they need and to fill in the gaps.
So that they need. So certainly to go in to touch base to check in with the students to check in with the teachers and also to check in with our support staff, our educational assistance. It is to see them in their natural environment, with our students throughout the class time and make sure that they have what they need and are able to support those students in a proper way. And again, that classroom environment, making sure that everybody has what they need to be able to positively work and learn throughout the school day. And that's also health and safety piece, are things looking good in the classroom and safe and again positive for everyone who is there learning? 

I really appreciate Dr. Baeder's analogy of the Swiss army knife. I've seen classroom walkthroughs used for multiple different reasons, instructional strategies looking at or looking for a certain instructional strategy or strategies, classroom management and classroom management effectiveness. I've seen that as well. Circulation of teachers in the classroom, where they are, how often they are with students, how often they are at their desk or not with students, I've seen use of classroom walkthroughs, to look at the way that teachers use and pace their instructional time. So how much time are they lecturing or direct instruction, providing direct instruction versus using other kinds of assessment and instruction.

And I've also seen instructional or classroom walkthroughs, be used to look at patterns of movement in a building and look at where students are, how they're congregating within a classroom, going to another classroom, congregating with another classroom. And then look at the relational connections of certain students with others. Whether it's staff or whether it's with other teachers, particularly at the secondary level that can be a way that I've seen in the classroom walkthroughs be used as well.

The most common ones I have seen are accountability and support. When schools are on an improvement process the includes whole school programs, there is the need to reduce variability between classrooms, therefore the need to get into classrooms to see what is happening and providing the support for teachers to make the required changes to be aligned to new programs or approaches. I have also seen classroom walkthroughs used in instructional rounds and teacher development schools, where the focus is on the professional learning opportunities for those teachers observing the classroom practice, rather than the teachers in the classroom being observed. 

Walkthroughs:

• Improve teaching practices
• Give documentation of observation
• Improve relationships with our teachers
• Make teachers a little anxious
• Allow us to share teaching ideas with other teachers
• Give us time to see our students and how they learn 

Your question/prompt made me think immediately of the idea of "look fors", or those practices, procedures, or products that one would desire to observe/experience during instruction. But this takes us to the idea of a "form" where all of these "look fors" may be listed, along with perhaps a continuum of the degree of practice of that look for (like a learning progression). Forms in my experience are used to collect data to identify trends (either rightly or wrongly). Our district uses a form for quarterly classroom visits that is supposed to help inform the school board about how initiatives and expectations are being implemented across campuses. Jury is still out for me on how useful the data collected is, but the conversations we have afterward about what we saw have tremendous value, especially when we can bring that back to our staff. 

• observing new teachers
• observing students in the classroom - either in general or specifically to check on their behaviour or how well accommodations are working for them
• to get a general flavour for what is happening in the school
• to check on teachers and their implementation of specific skills or strategies 

• Observe teacher practices
• Observe student behavior
• Teacher evaluation
• Observe curricular resources/programming
• Be seen by teachers & students 

• Collecting evidence of effective instruction.
• Identify classroom needs.
• Examine classroom.
• Evaluating classroom atmosphere.
• Reducing discipline issues.
• Preventing teacher's from taking days off. 

I have been told walkthroughs are helpful in seeing a whole picture instead of just a snapshot once or twice a year when the teacher is being evaluated. It could also be used to check in- how well the students are engaged- support teachers with a professional development goal that they are working on...

A major way that my district uses classroom walkthroughs is to evaluate the effectiveness of the principal. Outside observers ask the principal to articulate her/his current school-wide instructional focus and then the visitors look for evidence of the principal's stated instructional focus in each classroom.