Developing an Expert Instructional Eye

Leaders in Trussville City Schools are working to become sophisticated observers of teaching and learning.   Fink and Markholt (2011) explain that “sophisticated observers of teaching and learning” carefully watch and listen to students and the teacher as they visit classrooms.  We have robust TCS Educator Effectiveness Indicators that set a high bar for teaching, curriculum and instruction.   It is going to take time and lots of practice to develop the necessary expertise to grow into sophisticated observers, recognizing and calibrating best practices and assessing our classrooms against the emerging vision of the most effective instruction.   We will gain this practice through dozens and dozens of walkthroughs and  vigorous discussions about what we notice and wonder regarding classroom observations.  

Over the next few months, Learning Walkthroughs have been scheduled at each school for the primary purpose of individual and collective learning.  We must have a shared vision for, and understanding about, what constitutes quality teaching.  Our goals for Learning Walkthroughs are:
To develop a shared vision for high-quality teaching and learning  
To calibrate understanding of the TCS EE Nine Indicators
To calibrate understanding of best practices in a particular content area
To provide administrators and academic coaches with a tool to assess their classrooms against emerging visions of instruction

We believe that if we spend regular and focused time in classrooms observing and describing student learning and teaching practices, we will develop a common vision and shared understanding of high-quality instruction.  If we develop a common vision and shared understanding of high-quality instruction, then we will be able to identify the supports teachers need and lead with greater clarity the improvement of teaching.  

It is important for all of us to be very familiar with the language and ideas in the TCS EE Nine Indicators.  We must also separate the observation from the person, creating a culture where we learn to be “hard on the work” while being “respectful with each other.”  It will be important for all of us to stay in the descriptive mode as we record our observations, using data and facts and avoiding opinions and inferences.  

Walkthroughs are scheduled at each school that include school and district administrators, as well as academic coaches in some instances.  We all play a role in improving instruction, and the learning walkthroughs will provide us with the knowledge and expertise we need to make the decisions that can and will improve teaching and learning.