Walkthroughs versus Formal Evaluations

Learning-Focused
Mar 01, 2010

Many teachers (including veteran teachers) get nervous when an administrator or support specialist enters their classroom. This is a natural human reaction; we all want to be doing what is right and expected. There is, however, one way to help alleviate some of this stress. If we all understand the role of a walkthrough as opposed to a formal evaluation, the level of anxiety tends to drop.

Many administrators and support staff follow the walkthrough model we recommend at LEARNING-FOCUSED. Let us be clear from the start. When a walkthrough is taking place, the administrator is not looking for everything you have learned from the LEARNING-FOCUSED workshop(s) and/or other trainings in which you have participated. A walkthrough is a glimpse into what is happening in your classroom at a particular time. It is through these multiple different portraits of your work that observers can get a feel for what is going on in your class. Ideally, they will take place during different class periods or at various times in the same period to provide insight into what is happening at the beginning, middle and end of your teaching. Walkthroughs give administrators and others a chance to see you working, your students working, collaboratively and independently, and interactions between you and your students. They help the administration and support staff be more involved in the daily life of the school and be seen as a presence that belongs in the halls and classrooms, not just in an office. Walkthroughs also provide an opportunity for classroom teachers to receive non-evaluative feedback. Since they occur at different times of the day and/or in different class period they enable the administrator to see you are incorporating exemplary practices into your classroom activities.

Walkthroughs are not intended to be formally evaluative or adversarial events. The idea is to provide valuable information to both teachers and administrators on what is happening every day in the classroom. Walkthroughs help clear up misconceptions and handle misapprehensions about expectations and performance. They provide a conduit of communication between the teacher and administrator/support staffer allowing everyone to be more effective and successful in their job.