The Significance of Administrators Going into Classrooms

First and foremost, the principal and their team are the instructional leaders of the campus. Yes, they are also the culture leaders, vision leaders, and disciplinarian leaders of the campus; the instructional leaders of the campus need to be inspecting and monitoring the instruction on campus.

They need to see if their writing initiative is being executed the way it is supposed to be executed. Is the rigor level of the lesson meeting what is being asked on that state standard? Are the teachers growing in their profession? Are they giving them the tools they need to help students and themselves succeed? If administrators are not in classrooms, how can they effectively be the instructional leaders of a campus?

Second, being in classrooms equips the administrators to help defend the teachers with parents and other issues that might come up in the classroom. Unfortunately, today we find ourselves defending more than anything else. We had an incident last year where a parent was only getting bits and pieces of what was going on in a math teacher’s classroom. When the parent approached us about all that she had heard was going on, our personal walkthroughs in that classroom were able to diffuse the situation.

Thirdly, as instructional leaders, if administrators are not in the classroom with teachers, how are administrators supposed to have the credibility to help teachers grow professionally. How can an administrator who has not been in a classroom tell a teacher what they need to improve on?

Another angle of why administrators need to be going into the classroom is for the students. I tell my teachers every year (starting my seventh as a high school principal and twelfth as a high school administrator) that my purpose in a classroom is fifty percent for them and fifty percent for the students.

The students need to see administrators in classrooms because it adds importance to what is happening in the classroom. If a principal never went to a football game at a school, it would come across that it was not as important. Some people may say, “That principal is never here, I guess it doesn’t matter to him. Why should it matter to us?”

The same is true for students. It should not be a surprise to students when an administrator comes into the room. By administrators being in classrooms it shows the students you are monitoring the teachers and students. I take personal joy when students note that I have been in their classes a lot that day. It also creates a perception among students that you never know when an administrator will be around. The same is true for teachers…hopefully they never know when you are coming…keeping everyone a little more on their toes. I also would like to think when I beat students in Kahoot and participate in other classroom activities and discussions while I am there that they see the importance of what they are doing in the classroom.

What We Look For

The number one thing this administrator looks for when I walk into a classroom is not the objective on the board (although I touch on that in a minute), but evidence of learning taking place.

If the objective on the board says, “Students will be able to explain the difference between procaryotes and eucaryotes”, then that is what I expect progress toward or happening in the classroom. Is the product they are working on taking them toward that goal?

Second, is what students are doing on that product with the same rigor they are expected to perform later. For example, to explain the difference between procaryotes and eucaryotes, there will need to be some steps to get there. Are students going over the vocabulary for each one? Are they doing an exercise that will demonstrate the differences (thinking map)? Are they talking to each other about what differences and similarities they see in each? I might not be in the classroom to see a goal achieved, but I should see something happening that helps students achieve the objective.

Granted, in this example for the uber curriculum specialists out there, explaining is not on the highest end of Bloom’s Taxonomy. But in the end, we should see, hear, or watch something that is on that rigor level to achieve this standard/objective.

There are some other things we look for:
This administrator does prefer the objective to be on the board because I like the teacher to be able to refer to it is they need to ask a student what they are doing for that day, it also tells the students what the end result that day will be, and it helps me because I can’t walk around with everyone’s lesson plans every day.

Strong admin teams will also have different items they are focusing on that grading period. Maybe the focus is on classroom management, or what questions the teacher is asking, or where the teacher stations themselves most of the time.

These are more intricate but help the ultimate goal of whether or not the students are learning something in the classroom.

Two quick other examples for the teachers out there. This administrator is not a fan of movies, but at least if you have a movie connected to your learning standards, and a watching guide for the students to answer questions to, you have a chance to make something meaningful.

Last example, we had a walkthrough with a World Geography teacher who had students coloring maps in ninth grade. It didn’t look much different than a student in kindergarten coloring something.

However, after the students colored the map and other geographical aspects of the region, the students ended the lesson with a writing exercise on how the mountains and river’s locations would have impacted the movement of different groups in the region…and now we have some application. Application saved the day from what otherwise was a very low-level activity.

Walkthroughs are as much for the students as they are for the teachers, and as long as there is evidence of learning taking place, the walkthroughs will continue until learning is complete.

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These observations can be as simple as a five-minute administrator walkthrough or more formal as an observation for teacher evaluation or renewal for a professional license. Regardless of the type of observation, it is important to note that positive growth is the goal for the teacher, students, and building administrator.

According to the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET), to make classroom observations count as much as possible there are four focus areas to review continuously. These areas are instruction, planning, environment, and professionalism.

When considering classroom observations, these four areas will foster growth in the teacher and focus on the needs of students. To further understand these four areas, it is essential to understand the return on investment in teacher knowledge, confidence in delivering instruction, and student academic growth.

Focusing on these areas allows for an effective guide to continuous growth and development. This allows for a rubric to be used to guide teacher expectations and school administrator and state department accountability for staff. One such example of this is the South Carolina Teaching Standards 4.0 Rubric adopted from the NIET.

Instruction

Classroom instruction should be research-based, differentiated to student learning abilities and styles, and project-based. When optimizing the learning experience of students, the teacher needs to consider how the teaching standards and objectives can be translated to the level of the students.

Furthermore, how instructional content is presented and finding ways to motivate students in their learning process is vital to understanding how to grow students’ and teachers’ ability to impact academic and social success. When focusing on positive growth in the classroom, it is important to think about ways to gather academic feedback from students to check for understanding and facilitate lessons that focus on problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

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Planning

Planning lessons and learning objectives is crucial to facilitating effective classroom management. Additionally, both short-term and long-term planning helps define the scope and sequence of instruction as well as the implementation of content delivery for student learning.

When observing a teacher, school administrators must look for evidence of proper classroom planning and transitions. Things to look for that give evidence of effective planning includes having standards and objectives displayed on the board, interactive ways to incorporate technology in the classroom, and ways to summative assess student learning in a formative way.

Effective school administrators find ways to allow for teachers to learn more about curriculum writing and planning to facilitate instruction in the classroom. Whether it is K-12 education or teaching in higher education, school officials and teachers should focus on how the planning and development of lessons will impact students to maximize their learning experience.

Classroom Environment

A successful classroom environment intentionally emphasizes student engagement and differentiated instruction and creates a positive classroom culture. When thinking about a classroom observation, consider how the environment impacts the facilitation of learning. What routines and procedures are being implemented to increase instructional time and allow students to feel comfortable exploring their personalized learning?

High student engagement leads to minimized instances of classroom distractions, student outbursts, and builds a sense of a community of learners. Creating a positive learning environment should emphasize on building relationships, giving positive praise to students, and setting high and rigorous expectations for learning. The classroom environment should be led by a teacher who models professionalism for students and finds interactive ways for students to see themselves as professionals who can make an impact at school, at home, and in their broader community.

Professionalism

Teachers and school administrators are held to a high standard. This can be at a K-12 school or at a university or college. When thinking about observations in classrooms, it is important to remember the impact being made on students. Students in today’s classrooms, whether in-person, hybrid, or online, need to see examples of professionalism. This translates not only to professional dress, but also knowing how to teach students professional communication skills. In a traditional brick-and-mortar school, educators need to be consciously modeling the example of professional attire and professional conversations amongst colleagues and students. When presenting in-person or online, be sure to cite proper sources of information to increase the credibility of your lesson, presentation, or conversations with others.

Attending professional development conferences and joining educational organizations to increase your professional resources is important. Organizations such as the International Society For Technology in Education (ISTE)  provide ways to collaborate with others and find meaningful professional development content.

Understanding the four categories mentioned in this article will provide a guide to a successful observation experience for the teacher and the principal/administrator. Promoting positive growth for students is crucial to the growth and development of schools and the students and communities they serve. As education is ever evolving, there is still a vital component of effective teaching and learning and the maximizing of student potential for future impacts on a positive and progressive global society.

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I try not to look at it this way. I see this as a time to look for what the teacher is truly capable of. If they can do well during an announced observation period, they can do well at all times. The goal for them should be to operate at this level of competency on a consistent and regular basis and this should set the expectation of the administrators evaluating the teacher throughout the school year and beyond.

Be Prepared

Benjamin Franklin once said “by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Preparation is a simple concept, but one that is too often ignored. A teacher with some experience can be lulled into thinking that they can start to skip steps they previously took to prepare. To be frank about it, this is something I have seen far more on the secondary level.

Sometimes it is a misguided view of spontaneity. By scripting less, the teacher can be their “natural selves” and let the content flow freely from past experience and memory. Sometimes the teacher has become complacent and feels comfortable enough to go through the basic motions, possibly because the administrative team is not doing its due diligence. Over time, these attitudes will lead to levels of mediocre and subpar instruction.

A teacher can actually be more spontaneous when they have fully prepared and have reflected on the myriad of possibilities that can occur during a lesson. They also will be able to make adjustments during the lesson more readily and more smoothly. There is no substitute for preparation. Put the time in and thoroughly prepare for each lesson.

Communicate Proactively

For an announced observation, the pre-observation conference is the time to review and communicate what you hope to accomplish during the lesson as well as what type of class the administrator will be watching. What are your instructional objectives? How do you plan on meeting these objectives? What established data are you working with? What is the makeup of the class in size, gender, ability levels, etc.?

By clearly communicating this information, you will present the observing administrator with an accurate framework that they can fairly measure you within. Their expectations should be tempered by the realities the teacher is operating under. This most easily happens when they have a complete picture of your classroom.

Set Standards-Based Goals

Your teaching goals, including your instructional and behavioral objectives, must be based on the approved curriculum, which in turn must be based on your state’s standards. As long as you are operating under these umbrellas, you are in the right place. Now the challenge for you is to make sure you are setting rigorous goals that are properly ordered in alignment with the curriculum. You cannot be a passive recipient of the curriculum. You must actively mine it and highlight the most important parts of it. It is impossible to cover everything within the curriculum with equal weight. Be an expert interpreter and translator of the curriculum for your students and set reasonable goals for them to accomplish.

Tie in Professional Learning

Good professional development should be consistent within your district and specifically within your building. This is preferably built upon grade-level teams that meet consistently, although it may and will include other opportunities such as out-of-district workshops. The grade-level teams should regularly review curricular goals, the established and approved programs that they are using, and the pedagogical methods they are employing. The term “best practices” is a fair way to describe these. Once these practices are established, the teacher needs to ensure they are utilizing all of it in their daily teaching. An effective administrator will look for consistent practices among the team and implicitly and explicitly evaluate whether you are incorporating ongoing PD into your teaching and lessons.

Highlight Differentiation

I touched on identifying students and their varying ability levels earlier. Another important point would include how you intend to differentiate to meet the needs of all these students according to their ability levels. A good teacher will already be doing this.

Now how do you intend to highlight this for the observer? I would recommend that the observer be aware of the range of your learners and then ensure you are demonstrating your methods of differentiation during the lesson. Feel free to provide specific samples of differentiation prior to the lesson in your pre-conference and/or give the observer a copy of your seating chart with designations of your students’ reading levels and other related data. The observer will then be able to track how effective you are at differentiating instruction.

Determine How Students Will Demonstrate Mastery

Your specific type of lesson will determine whether you’re going to formally or informally assess or have some type of combination of the two. Whether it’s formal or informal, you need to make sure of a few things.

First, you should make sure each student gets a chance to demonstrate mastery of the content at some point during the lesson. This is more of a challenge if there is not a scheduled formal assessment. If it’s informal, try to make sure each student answers a question/participates at least once during the lesson. Have an exit ticket for the students or some other type of final assessment of the lesson. Your observer should clearly be able to recognize that you are cognizant of all the students in your classroom and that each is able to demonstrate a reasonable amount of mastery.

Manage Class Time Wisely

This directly ties back into preparation. I would recommend you have a minute-by-minute breakdown of your lesson. You may end up deviating from it, but there is effective deviation and ineffective deviation. A good manager of time will keep a clear breakdown of activities within a specific timeframe that they can adhere to and adjust as needed. Regular and consistent practice will enable you to do this smoothly and with minimal disruption. Never assume anything about time and never fail to plan for it.

I sincerely hope this has been a helpful set of guidelines for you on how to effectively prepare for an observation. It all begins with the first quality that was highlighted in this article. Plan thoroughly and wisely. You cannot possibly  prepare for everything that happens during a lesson, but you can mitigate disruption and unforeseen events by being fully prepared to the greatest extent possible. Happy teaching!

*Updated September, 2020

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