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The Supervision for Teacher Growth Cycle
Observation
There are two types of observations that instructional coaches usually conduct—traditional and walkthroughs. Traditional observations last for an entire class period and often longer. They provide the coach with a complete picture of a lesson and classroom routines. Walkthroughs, or quick visits, take ten minutes or less and give a snapshot of the classroom climate, routines, and lessons. Because they are short, they can be conducted frequently and cumulatively provide a well-rounded picture of the instruction. Both types of observations should be conducted regularly. Below are some additional differences.
What to look for. When observing a teacher’s lesson, it is good to focus on the most important elements of the lesson. If you conduct a pre-observation meeting with the teacher, the teacher may request an area of focus. Additionally, the observer should look for evidence of student learning. Traditional observations permit the observer to see all elements of effective, learning-focused lessons. Walkthroughs require the observe to get an overall picture of the learning within the context of a partial lesson. Here are some suggested, research-proven strategies to look for.
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