1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

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

18. 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