No good decision was ever made in a swivel chair. — George S. Patton, Army general (1885-1945)
So here it is. I’m going to put it out there and be accountable to you.
Beginning with the first week of school, I will visit a minimum of 20 classrooms per week, not including formal observations. That’s roughly four classrooms per day. It sounds like a lot when you say it that way, but for a 5-10 minute walk-through, that’s only about 40 minutes per day maximum.
Why have I found it so hard to make this happen? I always start out strong, but things break down some time around Novemeber or December. I suppose I could make the typical excuse. After all, it’s easy to get bogged down pushing papers, checking email, and returning voicemails.
But that’s not really a good excuse, is it?
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My latest favourite expression is – we don’t change what we tolerate. Somehow, you and your teachers have been tolerating the erosion of classroom visits. Make it something you don’t tolerate, and you can change that.
And now that you’ve made it public – we’ll help you not tolerate it
So true, Tracy. But since I’m public now I’m accountable. That’ll help.
The last two schools I’ve been in haven’t seen an admin in classrooms in forever! For months when I’d walk in, the teacher and kids would stare at me like someone was in trouble.
That is pretty much how it is at the school where I work. I welcome the vp when she comes in, but she usually only does when someone (or ones) is in trouble. So that is what we come to expect.
I figure if she visited more often just to say hey and see what we were doing, well then we’d feel less suspicious!
Good stuff, Scott.
The more I was observed, the more comfortable I felt with having an observer in the room. Then I started to feel like these observations meant that I had the support of the administration more than that they were trying to find me doing something wrong. In fact, the more they stopped by, even the students felt like they were important. This interaction made my year much more enjoyable. Good luck and I hope you are successful.
When I started in administration 2 years ago, I wanted to do the same thing. After all, you gotta be out there to know what’s going on. But between the 2 1/2 hours of supervision, phone calls, paperwork, and teaching a class I, too, found it harder and harder to get into classrooms. So, I’ll tell you what: I’ll join in your public commitment to classroom visitation. 20 per week (which, at my middle school, is just over half of the total). I’m new on site, so this is a great way to get to know students and staff, and frankly it’s an important part of what the job is. Thanks for the kick in the pants!
@Pat – Funny how when I was teaching I used to hope an administrator would come into my room! I agree that the more visible I am, the more “normal” me being in the classroom will become.
@Jim – Thanks for the solidarity! Maybe it’ll be a thing. I’ll post later in the week inviting others to make their intentions known! Like weight loss, everything is easier with support!
Welcome back to your blog!
I missed being observed by my school administrators last year. My principal sat in on one period (which I’d known about beforehand) and never followed-up on it. Year-long I was praised for an observation that happened through the class window on a situation that wasn’t actually positive.
Can we add to your accountability by assuming that you’ll talk briefly with your teachers about your observations? And make sure that your count is inside the classroom, not just through the window? (I’m pretty certain you’re better than that. Just wanting to make sure the goal is clear.)
PS Just noticed the ticker. Love it.
Well the pressure is on now, isn’t it?
Yes, Sarah. I will indeed actual be inside the classrooms that I observe. I can’t believe your one formal observation was unannounced and another was through a window! For all of my new teachers, I’m required to do two formal 30-minute observations per semester and debrief after each one. That means I’ve met with each of my new folks at least eight times (pre and post conferences) and seen them in action for an extended period of time at least four times.
I make a concerted effort to either talk to each teacher informally after I’ve been in their class or drop a brief, handwritten thank you note in their mailbox that highlights something specific that I observed.
For instance, “Sarah – I enjoyed observing your class today! The hands-on activity you were doing on surface area and volume really engaged the students. I look forward to visiting again!”
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Also glad you’re writing again (twitter doesn’t count
, and I think your staff is lucky!
The exactly two admin observations of my first year were both unannounced “five minute walk throughs.” Two longer observations by my credentialing program were done by a middle school English teacher (and the classes he saw were Algebra II and AP Physics). I sometimes wonder how much faster I could have learned certain things if there had been anything in the way of relevant feedback.
Last fall at my current school, the admin had an expectation that all teachers would observe some other teacher for 15 minutes per week. This fizzled out after a semester, but I think the idea was a great one. 5 minute observations would have been sufficient for that, though, with perhaps a few minutes of staff meetings designated for casual exchanges between teachers who had visited each other about what they saw. Having colleagues pop in for a brief period of time every now and again was a good thing, I thought.
Looking forward to reading more stuff here at the Universe!
Thanks, H.!
I am always shocked when I hear stuff like people getting evals based on a total of 10 minutes in the classroom over a whole year.
For us, “walk-throughs” are different from formal observations which must be a minimum of 30 minutes and must be arranged in advance.
If my principal had come into my classroom for only 10 minutes during the year I think I would not have felt very valued. Let alone if he sat back there pecking away at his Palm Pilot (this was a few years ago…).
At this week’s staff meeting, my principal announced that we would start having walk-throughs next semester. Many of the teachers are pretty upset. They aren’t used to being observed. We’re still waiting for feedback from the formal observations in October. People are afraid they’ll be interrupted or embarrassed. This school has gone so long without positive observation experiences that it’s not expected.
Thinking about the potential benefits of observations–positive feedback, constructive criticism, a staff that doesn’t feel like the administrators are clueless to what’s going on in their classroom, sharing ideas of what works–helped me remember that this should be normal. I thought of this post, your resolution to make visits the norm, and wondered how that’s going. Hope it’s been a success so far!
Scott (and any other administrators who happen upon this post), the year might be nearly over, but please keep observing us.
I know I don’t speak for all teachers here, but I want some feedback on what I’m doing in the classroom other than from the students. If you think there’s a problem in my room, please come in, watch what’s happening, and then visit with me about solutions. (The promised observations haven’t happened here and I’m in a frustration zone. I’m optimistic that you’ve done better by your staff.)