samedi 23 janvier 2016

The Common Advantages Of Classroom Walkthroughs

By Walter Barnes


This is actually a trending practice among the most organized and well performing schools in the world. This practice is normally carried out by supervisors or principals or going around the school observing various teacher teachers teaching skills and how good their instruction delivery is. Classroom walkthroughs are now being used as a tool to check performance of particular teachers.

Some of the tools found under this practice are clinical supervision, brief observation of classrooms by principals and communicating the feedback to the relevant persons or concerned persons. This tool is used to evaluate the performance of teachers during the teaching. The extent which a teacher requires assistance so as to improve their instruction delivery is actually questionable that is why, the practice is quite important.

The level of assistance that a teacher requires is actually not defined and so using this technique will basically cater for everything. As earlier mentioned the key role of walkthrough is basically not evaluating one instructional delivery but rather is to effectively sharpen the teachers professional skills. Once the skills are sharpened, these teachers find it easy to deliver instructions and start actually enjoying their work.

The is a non threatening and a non evaluative practice that generally give school heads a quick glimpse of their student learning. That quick snapshot is used by the head teachers to engage the junior teachers in a very important conversation about the ways to improve their teaching. The walkthroughs should not be used as probably a tool for intimidation by any supervisor or teacher. On the contrary, the principal should use the opportunity to explain to teachers how the process is beneficial to them and also the students they are teaching.

The process should not be considered as harassing or embarrassing to teachers but as a way of getting along with the school administrator. All school administrators want what is best for their institutions and so the teachers should be optimist that such practices is for the benefit of the entire school. This is actually a practice that is trending among many schools worldwide.

There are quite a number of elements in the practice. But these elements will vary according to the exercise purpose. The generally elements include brevity, dialogue and focus. These walks are designed in such a way the principal get to visit several classes in a day so brevity will be of essence. About focus, are the efforts put by the principal to make sure that teachers and the administration is reading from the same page.

A famous scholar by the name of Sather E. Susan believed that walkthrough is very significant step towards influencing or bring real change to all learning institutions. This is by bringing the administrators very close to classrooms or lecturer halls and influencing teacher to become instructional leaders. One teacher once said that walk-throughs usually allow people to see clearly where they intend to go, with their students or pupils best interest in their mind.

The labels commonly used for walkthroughs are, data walks, learning walks, rounds, mini observations and instructional as well as reflective walking through. The benefit a school gets from such walks include, acquiring additional or extra data and information concerning learning and teaching of students and promoting collegial as well as collaborative conversations. The benefit that a teacher derives from the walks include reflecting on own curricular practices and instructional delivery, identifying their professional development requirements and lastly promoting collegial dialogue that is reflective with the school principal. For students, they get a chance to participate in school improvement programs.




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