adovr_d87389c80da99bef8f38776d3f905184 Articles medical and health: Classroom Walkthroughs As A Management Technique

Classroom Walkthroughs As A Management Technique

By Mattie Knight


Clinical supervision, or in other terms, classroom observation practice and feedback is a tool that is often used in evaluating the performance of teachers. However, its extent in which teachers are assisted to improve on instruction delivery is questionable. Owing to this, the classroom walkthroughs, which are not meant for evaluation but rather for the purpose of developing professionalism are rapidly increasing in popularity.

Instructional leadership is a very essential element in improving teaching and learning, it also plays a highly significant role in achievements of a student. For schools to adapt and respond, there must be existence of systems that are capable of creating the capacity to jointly process and apply the know-hows about learning and teaching. Learning within the school is nurtured when it becomes possible for a group to identify a problem, and come up with a collective plan to solve it.

The walkthrough model provides an efficient method that allows collection of data that involves institutional practice and provision of feedback. For this model to be successful, the leadership team is at least required to use a third of their time in classroom. With school heads taking more time in classes the teachers too will give a very positive perception to the authority including the principal.

In order for the teachers to improve on their quality, leadership becomes very basic. The improvement of schools relies much on working relationship between teachers and instructional leaders. It becomes possible to sustain the success of an organization when leaders become teachers for others.

This model comprises of random visits to the classroom to collect predetermined evidence o be used for some practice. The observations should be between 2 minutes and 40 minutes. This supports the faculty when developing the curriculum. Various models have been used overtime. Some schools though have invented their own models to be used.

The walkthroughs aims at providence of specific response to tutors on the basis of the evidence collected and snapshot image observed. The feedback, when given to any person, or any observer, one can deduce patterns noted during the whole process. This model provides one with an opportunity to; learn from the other participants, gather data on student mode of learning and the instructional practice. This helps in stimulation of better conversational exchange between the tutor and the student. This conversation should only be aimed at learning and teaching activities.

At its worst, a walkthrough can be seen as a compliance check with administrator strutting around classrooms and schools to enforce some top-down initiatives. Progress is very limited when teachers usually wonder on ways to avoid falling in trouble rather than on how they can collaborate with admin to improve things for learners. At their best, these walkthroughs are seen as part of the ongoing formative process of assessment that finds administrators and teachers engaged in system of reciprocal accountability.

Using an inadequate model is of no benefit to the school. Better systems should be used alongside this method. Various administrators should therefore set aside enough time to make visits to various classrooms. This helps creates an instructional leadership alongside other benefits.




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