The Three-Minute Classroom Walk-Through Summer Seminar- 2009 Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators The Three-Minute Classroom Walk-Through Changing School Supervisory Practice One Teacher at a Time Carolyn Downey, Betty Steffy, Fenwick English, Larry Frase, William Poston Ana Turkienicz - Pelham Jewish Center

The Three-Minute Classroom Walk-Through Summer Seminar- 2009 Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators The Three-Minute Classroom Walk-Through Ana Turkienicz - Pelham Jewish Center

Key Ideas Short, focused, yet formal observation Summer Seminar- 2009 Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators Key Ideas Short, focused, yet formal observation Possible area for reflection Curriculum as well as instructional focus Follow-up occurs only on occasion and not after every visit Informal and collaborative Ana Turkienicz - Pelham Jewish Center

Basics Informal 2-3 minutes Summer Seminar- 2009 Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators Basics Informal 2-3 minutes Brief gathering of data to look for teacher decisions Walk-through time is throughout the day and unannounced No checklist of teaching practices to look for Focus on curricular and instructional decision points of the teacher Nothing put into personnel file Focus on professional growth Ultimately leads to reflective conversation Coaching focus Ana Turkienicz - Pelham Jewish Center

Conducting the Walk-Through Observation: A Five-Step Process Summer Seminar- 2009 Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators Conducting the Walk-Through Observation: A Five-Step Process Step 1: Student orientation to work Step 2: Curricular decision points Step 3: Instructional decision points Step 4: Walk the Walls: curricular and instructional decisions Step 5: Safety and Health issues Ana Turkienicz - Pelham Jewish Center

What to look for Is the goal of the lesson clear to the students? Summer Seminar- 2009 Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators What to look for Is the goal of the lesson clear to the students? Is the lesson aligned with standards for the grade level? Is the teacher asking higher-order thinking skills? What instructional strategy is the teacher using? Do we see the same strategy every time we walk through the room? Is this an appropriate strategy to use with this lesson? How are the students engaged? Is engagement authentic, ritual, or passive? Is the students' work displayed? Are classroom rules displayed? Ana Turkienicz - Pelham Jewish Center

Summer Seminar- 2009 Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators Moving Staff to Reflective Inquiry: Focusing on the Reflective Question and Conversation Set time line. Reinforce reflection. Give a focused statement on instructional teaching practice to be addressed. Invite teacher to reflect with you. Briefly describe behavior observed in the walk-through and the decision that led to a particular teaching practice. Teach the concept. Incorporate research. Check for understanding. End with reflective question to continue thought on teaching practice. Exit quickly. Ana Turkienicz - Pelham Jewish Center

Types of Feedback Compliments and suggestions for improvement Direct Summer Seminar- 2009 Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators Types of Feedback Compliments and suggestions for improvement Allow teacher to reflect, then use follow-up questions Use reflective, non-judgmental questions which focus on practice, not the lesson Direct Indirect Collaborative Ana Turkienicz - Pelham Jewish Center

Summer Seminar- 2009 Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators Constructing a Taxonomy of Reflective Questions and Their Use in the Classroom Walk-Through Five elements of reflective questions: Situation: “When planning lessons…” Teacher reflection on curricular or instructional practice: “and thinking about which objectives…” Choice: “what criteria do you use…” Decision: “to decide which objectives do you teach…” Student Impact: “ in order to have a high probability of students achieving the desired goal?” The depth of reflective questions increases as the teacher’s level of classroom experience grows. Ana Turkienicz - Pelham Jewish Center

Sample Focus Questions Summer Seminar- 2009 Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators Sample Focus Questions How can I vary instruction methods to include a wider range of cooperative learning (partner work, small-group…) tasks? How can I develop lessons that challenge students to do more high-level thinking? When students are working on research reports, how can I help them do less copying of material and do more to make the material their own by summarizing, paraphrasing, and including personal examples and reflection? How can I integrate technology into my lessons in real ways? How can I do more to challenge the most gifted students in my class? How can I use less direct instruction and incorporate more inquiry-based learning in my lessons? What can I do to develop a classroom "tone" that is less teacher centered, more student centered? How can I use fewer reward-punishment enticements and do more to make student learning an intrinsic thing? Ana Turkienicz - Pelham Jewish Center

Teachers seek ways to grow and develop over time. Summer Seminar- 2009 Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators Using the Walk-Through Process to Promote a Collaborative, Reflective Culture Teachers seek ways to grow and develop over time. Teachers benefit from engaging in reflective dialogue Principals play a key role in facilitating teacher growth and reflection The culture of a school is greatly influenced by teacher and principal behavior. Ana Turkienicz - Pelham Jewish Center

Howell (1981), Morris (1981), Kmetz & Willower (1982), Stronge (1988) Summer Seminar- 2009 Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators Principal’s Time Where Office area Hallways/Grounds Off campus In classrooms Time Spent 65 % 17% 11% 7% Howell (1981), Morris (1981), Kmetz & Willower (1982), Stronge (1988) Ana Turkienicz - Pelham Jewish Center

How much time for 3-minute WT’s? Summer Seminar- 2009 Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators How much time for 3-minute WT’s? Goal: Every Classroom Every 2 Weeks Ana Turkienicz - Pelham Jewish Center

How much time for 3-minute WT’s? Summer Seminar- 2009 Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators How much time for 3-minute WT’s? First TWO weeks: (with 40 teachers) 3-minute WT’s once in each classroom during the two weeks (3 min.) Analysis of data (4 min.) Reflective feedback with each teacher (3 min.) 6.6 hours – 8.3% of 80 hours Ana Turkienicz - Pelham Jewish Center

How much time for 3-minute WT’s? Summer Seminar- 2009 Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators How much time for 3-minute WT’s? After practice: (with 40 teachers) 3-minute WT’s in each classroom every 2 weeks (3 min.) Analyze data 50% of time (4 min.) Reflection 50% of time (3 min.) 4.3 hours – 5.4% of 80 hours Ana Turkienicz - Pelham Jewish Center

TECHNOLOGY TOOLS AID WALK-THROUGH FORMS Summer Seminar- 2009 Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators TECHNOLOGY TOOLS AID WALK-THROUGH FORMS The Administrative Observer Classroom walk through-form Ana Turkienicz - Pelham Jewish Center

Documented walk-through form Summer Seminar- 2009 Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators Documented walk-through form Ana Turkienicz - Pelham Jewish Center

Summer Seminar- 2009 Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators In Summary Administrators should be in the classrooms more often, and for shorter periods of time Reflective questioning should take place at the convenience of both parties This is a way to enhance practice of teachers who are already proficient - to move them to the next level This informal process could be used in place of the formal evaluation process. Ana Turkienicz - Pelham Jewish Center