A Look At Classroom Walkthroughs

By Mattie Knight


Clinical supervision is increasing being used as a method of evaluating the performance of teachers and tutors. This involves collection, gathering of data and feedback. The methods used to do this task are very questionable. Owing to this, classroom walkthroughs, which should be used to increase the level of professionalism, is being used wrongly to perform evaluation. This mostly is done with an aim of increasing popularity.

Instructional leadership is a very essential element in improving teaching and learning, it also plays a highly significant role in achievements of a student. For schools to adapt and respond, there must be existence of systems that are capable of creating the capacity to jointly process and apply the know-hows about learning and teaching. Learning within the school is nurtured when it becomes possible for a group to identify a problem, and come up with a collective plan to solve it.

The walkthrough model has been portrayed to be an efficient and effective system for collecting data that regards instructional practices and gives feedback. For it to be effective, leaders will be required to spend about a third of their classroom time, and when school heads spend more time in classes, teachers do report a perception that is positive of the principal.

For quality results to be achieved by teachers, the leadership style plays a very vital role. This requires the management to involve the tutors, teachers before making decisions that will involve them. This creates an environment of mutual trust and understanding. The results obtained from this kind of interaction are always tremendous.

This model comprises of random visits to the classroom to collect predetermined evidence o be used for some practice. The observations should be between 2 minutes and 40 minutes. This supports the faculty when developing the curriculum. Various models have been used overtime. Some schools though have invented their own models to be used.

A classroom walkthrough is aimed at providing direct and specific response to teachers on grounds of snapshot observed. This feedback is then offered to a person, or the observer can provide report showing the patterns that were noted during walkthrough. Walkthroughs have been capable of providing opportunities on; learning from other participants, gathering data about student learning and instructional practice, stimulating collegial conversation on teaching and learning, among other opportunities.

During the worst time, the method is used as a compliance check. This ensures that teachers and tutors are always following the initiatives set by the management. The management should be aware when this method is used this way, the motivational levels of clients always go down. It should therefore be developed to create an ideal environment full of trust. This leads to better integration of both parties involved resulting to better results.

Restoring a walkthrough tool that is inadequate is not enough to independently transform a district or school walkthrough procedures into success. Various other factors should be put into consideration, like administrators making some time to visit classrooms, creation of a risk-taking culture, able instructional leadership, among others.




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