Wednesday, November 18, 2015

A Look At Classroom Walkthroughs

By Mattie Knight


Clinical supervision is increasing being used as a method of evaluating the performance of teachers and tutors. This involves collection, gathering of data and feedback. The methods used to do this task are very questionable. Owing to this, classroom walkthroughs, which should be used to increase the level of professionalism, is being used wrongly to perform evaluation. This mostly is done with an aim of increasing popularity.

Instructional leadership forms an essential part of improving learning and teaching, this in itself helps improve achievements of students. Schools are therefore required to adapt, create a suitable environment that allows one to practice what is taught and learnt in the classroom. Learning is said to take place only when students identify a problem on their own, check the available alternatives and create a solution to that problem.

The walkthrough model is an efficient method that gives an opportunity to collect data, involving institutional practice and provides feedback. For this method to be effective, the team of leaders is required to at least spend a third of their time in the classroom, when school heads spend their time in classes, teachers too will give a positive perception to 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 encompasses collection of data and evidence by use of random and constant visits to the classroom. The observation should take place between 2 minutes up to 40 minutes. This gives the basis of curriculum and instructional development in schools. Various schools have however invented their own models to be used in this task.

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.

During the worst time, the method is used as a compliance check. This ensures that teachers and tutors are always following the initiatives set by the management. The management should be aware when this method is used this way, the motivational levels of clients always go down. It should therefore be developed to create an ideal environment full of trust. This leads to better integration of both parties involved resulting to better results.

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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