Staying in Touch: How Walkthroughs Keep School Leaders Connected to Classroom Practice

I love being in classrooms. I mean LOVE it. I love the instruction, the laughter, the relationships, and the mess-ups that lead to a-ha moments. What happens within those four walls is pretty magical. I love it so much that I almost didn’t go into school leadership because I was too afraid I would miss it. I was also nervous that I would become a disconnected leader who made decisions without understanding how they impacted students and teachers because I experienced much of this in my years as a teacher. So when I did take the step to move into school leadership, I made a personal commitment that I would do whatever it took to stay connected to the day-to-day of the classroom. The most effective way for me to do this was by developing a habit of incorporating walkthroughs into my weekly routine. 

Research on classroom walkthroughs for school improvement began to appear within the last 15–17 years as many described walkthroughs as an effective way for leaders to gather the information to inform school improvement efforts. Brown and Coley (2011) and Stephens (2011) even go as far as to name walkthroughs as a transformative tool that can provide data that supports leaders, teachers, and student achievement. I will gladly add my two cents to say that walkthroughs are a powerful tool and can be the missing link for school improvement when school leaders use them effectively. 

There are different versions of walkthroughs depending on the purpose. Some are evaluative and focus on providing teachers with feedback, while others involve the observer collecting specific predetermined data. I struggled to find one that fit my needs, so I researched several, pulled together pieces that fit my values and beliefs, and tried them out. The three primary purposes of my walkthroughs were to: 1) Increase my visibility with students and teachers 2) Understand staff’s instructional strength and growth areas, and 3) Explore the impact of organizational decisions. 

Classroom walkthroughs provided me with an opportunity to be present in classrooms daily and increase my visibility. I interacted with teachers and students during this time which helped strengthen and develop my relationships and communication with them. It helped me tremendously in learning the names of all the students in the school because they had nametags at their desks or tables. I could match students' faces with their names and how they were spelled. I also learned the dynamics of relationships among students and between students and teachers. Teachers and students became comfortable with my presence in the classrooms and expected it rather than thinking, “Uh oh. Something must be wrong. The principal is here.”

To understand the strength and growth areas of teachers, I aimed to visit classrooms at different times and days to increase the scope of instruction I would observe. The information from these snapshots gave me invaluable data that aided me in quickly assessing and understanding each teacher’s needs. Instead of observing teachers only during their scheduled observation (or what I call the dog and pony show), I began to get a realistic view of the teachers’ instruction and management skills. I could see how teachers responded to unexpected moments that arose and when they scrapped their plans because students needed something different. This helped me to develop a more holistic view of their personalities, skills, and abilities. I began to know my teachers well enough that I could tell when they were having an off day or moment. As the trust developed, I engaged teachers in conversations to understand the thinking behind their instructional decisions and provide feedback and support.

Having a rhythm of being in classrooms also kept me tethered to the daily learning that was taking place in each of the classrooms in the school. It was almost like my anchor that kept me grounded and brought students, and teachers, back to the center when I was making decisions or a part of the decision-making body. School leaders have to make hundreds of decisions each day. Some are small such as deciding if it’s too wet for outside recess and others are bigger such as determining a specific curriculum or deciding to redesign the school schedule. Regardless of small or large decisions, I regularly aimed to consider how students and teachers were impacted. For example, if we had inside recess, then I knew the energy levels of students would be higher which could result in increased behavior issues. It also could mean that teachers couldn't be in their classrooms to prep for the next lesson. Depending on the grade level, this could impact the flow of the afternoon. Being in the classrooms helped me to understand the impact of those decisions, learn from them and allow what I learned to influence how I made decisions in the future.

As expected, there were other benefits of conducting walkthroughs such as learning the school culture, developing a common language around instruction, and understanding professional development needs. This information was vital as I strengthened my leadership approach to positively impact the school culture and student achievement.

So a question I ask school leaders to consider is, what would need to change so you can include 15 minutes of walkthroughs into your daily schedule? For me, if it wasn't on my calendar or didn't show up at my door, then it wouldn't happen. So I had to prioritize it by putting it on my calendar every single day. I also gave a trusted colleague permission to ask me which classrooms I visited that day as a source of accountability. Making these commitments helped move me toward taking the necessary action. And let me tell you, it was completely worth it.

Here are a few things to help you get started:

-Set a goal to visit 2-4 classrooms a day. I aimed for 3. It didn’t always happen but it was more than it would have had I not set any goal.

-Keep your visits short (5-10 mins). Remember you are looking for snapshots, not entire lessons.

-For the first 2-3 walkthroughs, don’t leave feedback. Just focus on building a habit and letting teachers get comfortable. On my first visits, I left teachers a post-it thanking them or highlighting something positive I saw. I was surprised that many teachers kept these post-its on their desks or wall all year.

-Visit classrooms at different times and on different days of the week. Your goal is to gain a holistic view of your teachers so you want to see them throughout the day.

-Document who you visited & the time of the visit. This will help you keep track of who you may have missed and keep you from showing up in the same classroom, on the same day of the week, and at the same time. 

-When you’re ready, invite the teacher to a conversation about their lesson/instruction. Focus the conversation on the teacher’s instructional purpose and their decision-making by using deliberate questions. Grow to understand the intentions behind the lesson and the instructional moves you observed. 

I’m telling you. Getting into classrooms will be a game changer. Prioritize this habit by putting it on your schedule. Delegate someone to handle the fires that pop up during that 15-minute block. (Yes, other folks have the skill and will to put out some of the fires.) Communicate with your staff your purpose for walkthroughs, why they are important, and how they will support your school improvement efforts. 

The experiences and information you gain from being in classrooms will keep you connected to the heartbeat of your schools, the students, and the teachers. It will also help you make more informed decisions that positively impact student achievement. Go ahead. Take the step. Commit 15 mins a day and experience the magic in those classrooms.