Developed by Perry and Associates and shared in “Seeing Through New Eyes,” an article in the Oct/Nov 2001 issue of NSDC’s Tools for Schools.
Preparation Meeting
Time: 30 minutes
Assemble members of walk through team
The principal identifies the focus for the walk through, the classrooms that will be visited, and why those have been chosen for visits.
The principal leads the discussion during which team members identify evidence that would support the focus. One team member records responses on a display board.
Determine which team member will look for each type of evidence.
Distribute feedback forms to each member.
Walk-through
Time: between 10 to 15 minutes per classroom.
All team members enter the classroom at the same time. Team members do not speak to each other during their time in the classroom.
Team members sit at the back of the classroom unless they have a specific assignment to speak to students or examine student work.
Team members make notes about their assigned area. If appropriate, team members may want to sketch out a map of the classroom that indicates the location of a piece of evidence they observed.
At the end of the agreed-upon time, all team members leave the classroom together.
Debriefing outside the classroom
Time: 5 minutes per classroom
Team members walk a short way down the hall from the observed classroom.
Speaking quietly, team members quickly share their observations regarding the last classroom visited.
Team members then proceed to the next classroom.
Final debriefing
Time: 45 minutes
Walk through team members assemble in the principal’s office or other agreed-upon meeting place.
Each visitor speaks about his or her observations. They provide specific evidence as well as attempt to present an overview of what they saw.
Together, the team members identify trends, areas of strength and areas that need improvement.
Drawing on their own experience and knowledge, the visitors make suggestions about how to strengthen areas that need improvement.
The principal makes notes on the discussion and collects the feedback forms. The principal will decide the best way to provide information back to the teachers whose classrooms were visited
