What gets monitored gets improved,” management expert Peter Drucker once observed, a principle that rings especially true for instructional leaders conducting classroom walkthroughs.
Classroom walkthrough look-fors serve as powerful indicators, guiding leaders to focus on the essential elements that advance teaching and learning. When you know what to observe, be it instructional behaviors, student engagement, or the overall learning environment, you unlock opportunities to stimulate growth and excellence.
Rather than offering just another checklist, this exploration of look-fors invites you to sharpen your perspective and uncover the practices that make every classroom a place of meaningful learning.
Key Takeaways
- Integrating look-fors with professional development allows for coherent feedback and targeted support, aligning classroom observations with school-wide improvement goals.
- Look-fors are essential indicators that help instructional leaders focus on effective teaching behaviors, student engagement, and learning environments during classroom walkthroughs.
- Classroom walkthroughs can be categorized into formal, informal, and focus walks, each serving different purposes in gathering insights about instructional practices.
Understanding Look-Fors in Classroom Walkthroughs
Look-fors are the specific, observable signs of effective teaching and learning that instructional leaders watch for during classroom walkthroughs. These can include everything from teaching behaviors and student interactions to the overall learning experience.
Focusing on these key indicators can help administrators make the most of their brief visits, zeroing in on what truly matters. This clarity helps build a shared understanding among educators about what effective teaching looks like in action.
When you use these look-fors, you’re not just observing, you’re tuning into the critical elements that shape the learning experience. This focus creates a common language for discussing instructional practices, making conversations between teachers and leaders more meaningful.
With clear look-fors in mind, an instructional coach can offer feedback that’s specific, actionable, and relevant. This shared approach encourages collaboration, helping teachers and administrators work together to refine teaching strategies and improve student outcomes.
The Educational Value of Look-Fors
Research shows that focused classroom observations significantly improve teaching effectiveness and student achievement. Look-fors play a key role in this process by guiding instructional leaders to concentrate on specific, observable indicators during walkthroughs.
This clear focus makes observations more efficient and ensures feedback is relevant and actionable, empowering teachers to refine their instructional strategies and improve student outcomes.
Moreover, look-fors act as a bridge between teachers and administrators. When integrated into professional development, they help align classroom practices with school-wide educational goals. This alignment makes professional learning more meaningful and directly supports the adoption of new teaching strategies.
Using evidence-based observation criteria also creates a shared language for instructional conversations. This common framework cultivates a culture of continuous improvement, where teachers and leaders collaborate to improve teaching and learning every day.
Categories of Look-Fors
Look-fors in classroom walkthroughs fall into three essential categories: instructional behaviors, student engagement, and the learning environment.
Observing these areas gives instructional leaders a well-rounded view of what’s happening in the classroom, including how principals support teaching and learning.
Instructional Behaviors
This category focuses on the teaching practices that shape student learning. A key look-for is whether lesson objectives are clearly communicated.
When students understand the purpose and goals of a lesson, learning becomes more focused and effective. Another critical behavior is differentiated instruction, where teachers adapt their methods to meet various student needs.
This might look like grouping students by learning level, offering multiple ways to engage with content, or using varied assessments. Spotting these behaviors allows leaders to give precise feedback that helps teachers refine their craft.
Student Engagement
Engagement indicators reveal how actively students participate in their learning. Look for students contributing to discussions, asking questions, and meeting up with peers to solve problems.
The complexity of tasks also matters, which includes challenging assignments that encourage critical thinking and application of skills, especially in subjects like English language arts, signal strong engagement.
Teachers who employ strategies such as group work, hands-on activities, and technology integration often record high student involvement. Therefore, observing these signs helps leaders assess and support effective instructional strategies.
Learning Environment
The learning environment sets the stage for success. A well-organized classroom minimizes distractions and supports smooth instruction, with clear activity zones, accessible materials, and a layout that encourages movement and interaction.
Positive classroom climate is equally important, seen in supportive teacher-student interactions, motivational displays, and student work showcased around the room. Accessibility of educational resources ensures all students’ needs are met, promoting inclusivity.
By focusing on these factors, instructional leaders can guide teachers in creating spaces where students feel supported.
Together, these look-fors provide a comprehensive structure for classroom walkthroughs, enabling leaders to offer targeted, actionable feedback that drives continuous improvement.
Types of Classroom Walkthroughs
Classroom walkthroughs come in three distinct types: formal walkthroughs, informal walkthroughs, and focus walks, each offering unique perspectives on teaching and learning.
Understanding these differences empowers instructional leaders to select the right approach, making every visit purposeful as well as impactful.
Formal Walkthroughs
Formal walkthroughs are carefully planned and structured, guided by clear objectives that shape what instructional leaders observe. These visits are typically longer and involve detailed documentation, ensuring that data collection is systematic and thorough.
The goal is to assess instructional practices deeply and provide evidence-based feedback that teachers can trust and act upon. By focusing on specific teaching strategies and behaviors, formal walkthroughs highlight both strengths and areas for growth, aligning feedback closely with the school’s broader instructional goals.
Informal Walkthroughs
In contrast, informal walkthroughs are spontaneous and unplanned, offering a window into the authentic rhythm of everyday classroom life. These brief visits capture genuine teacher-student interactions and classroom management in real time, without the pressure that formal observations might bring.
Because they feel less intrusive, informal walkthroughs often reveal the true pulse of teaching and learning, encouraging openness and reducing anxiety among teachers.
These frequent, low-stakes check-ins encourage a culture of continuous reflection and growth, making improvement a natural part of the school day.
Focus Walks
Focus walks take a more specialized approach by zeroing in on specific instructional areas each month. This targeted focus allows instructional leaders to investigate deeply into particular teaching practices, aligning observations with current instructional priorities.
The detailed insights gained from focus walks enable leaders to provide precise coaching and support, helping teachers focus on refining their teaching practices.
Beyond data collection, focus walks build trust and demonstrate a shared commitment to ongoing growth and leadership development.
Here are the top 10 examples of “look-fors”
When conducting classroom walkthroughs, having a clear set of look-fors can help instructional leaders focus their observations and provide meaningful feedback.
Here are the top 10 examples of look-fors that can guide your walkthroughs:
- Positive Learning Environment: Look for evidence of a positive learning environment. This includes student work on display, positive messages or quotes posted around the room, and students who seem engaged and happy.
- Effective Classroom Management: Look for a well-organized and tidy classroom, a clear schedule or lesson plan posted in the room, and students who are following directions and working quietly.
- Engaging and Challenging Instruction: Look for students working on complex tasks, teachers using a variety of instructional strategies, and students who appear deeply engaged in their learning.
- Student Collaboration: Look for students working in small groups, sharing ideas, and helping each other learn.
- Student Creativity: Look for students working on projects that are not simply regurgitations of information, using a variety of materials to create something new, and taking risks with their learning.
- Teacher-Student Engagement: Observe how the teacher interacts with all students, ensuring they speak to everyone equally, make eye contact, and engage with both active and quieter students.
- Student Reactions to the Lesson: Pay attention to how students react to the lesson. Are they paying attention, interested, asking questions, or making comments?
- Well-Organized Lesson: Note how well-organized the lesson is. Are there clear objectives or goals, is the material presented logically, and are activities structured coherently?
- Appropriate Lesson Level: Assess whether the lesson is appropriate for the class level. Is the material too easy or too difficult? Are the activities too simple or complex?
- Balance of Whole-Group and Small-Group Work: Look for a good balance of whole-group versus small-group work to ensure all students are engaged and supported.
These look-fors provide a detailed structure for assessing various aspects of teaching and learning, helping instructional leaders provide targeted and meaningful feedback to teachers.
Implementing Look-Fors in Classroom Walkthroughs
Implementing look-fors in classroom walkthroughs requires clear direction and open communication to ensure everyone is heading the same way. Defining a clear objective for each walkthrough sharpens focus and aligns observations with specific educational goals.
When the purpose behind these visits is clearly communicated, trust is easily built, easing concerns and preventing misunderstandings among staff.
Just as a good navigator reviews the route after each leg of a trip, debriefs should stay true to the walkthrough’s intent, keeping discussions productive and grounded in evidence.
Calibration and Training
Regular training sessions help sharpen observers’ skills, ensuring their evaluations are consistent and reliable.
Calibration, where teams review documents and discuss look-fors together, creates a shared understanding, much like ensuring that everyone is on the same pedestal before setting off.
Both work hand-in-hand to fine-tune the look-fors to fit the school’s unique goals, making observations more focused and meaningful.
Investing in this preparation guarantees that walkthroughs yield consistent, constructive feedback that truly supports teacher growth and school-wide improvement.
Low-Inference Note-Taking
Think of low-inference note-taking as capturing a photograph rather than painting a picture. It’s about recording exactly what you see without adding personal interpretation or color.
The same is also needed here. It’s important for observers to take chronological, objective notes, to eliminate bias and ensure feedback is rooted in fact. This clear, precise documentation not only makes feedback more actionable but also helps track progress over time.
These notes provide a solid foundation for analyzing teaching practices and celebrating strengths or identifying areas for growth.
Analyzing Observations
After each walkthrough, the notes taken should be matched against the established look-for criteria to reveal a clear picture of what’s working and what needs attention.
That way, instructional coaches and leaders are able to offer focused, evidence-based feedback that drives real improvement. Formative assessments serve as vital clues in this process, helping leaders understand how well students grasp the lesson as it unfolds.
Integrating Look-Fors with Professional Development
During Coach Bennett’s visit to a high school, she noticed how classroom walkthroughs had evolved from routine visits to powerful tools for growth. Instead of isolated observations, this leader saw look-fors seamlessly integrated with the school’s professional development programs.
This connection meant that feedback given during walkthroughs wasn’t just a one-off comment but part of a larger, ongoing effort to improve teaching practices school-wide.
Through systematically using look-fors in every classroom visit and aligning them with professional learning goals, the school created meaningful opportunities for teacher growth.
Administrators also scheduled walkthroughs around these look-fors, ensuring that each visit supported targeted professional development.
The result was a culture of continuous improvement, where instructional practices consistently aligned with the school’s broader educational objectives.
Best Practices for Effective Classroom Walkthroughs
What if your classroom walkthroughs could do more than just observe? What if they could truly impact your teaching and students’ learning? Effective walkthroughs go beyond surface-level visits; they involve carefully observing teaching dynamics and offering feedback that teachers can act on.
The real value lies in understanding classroom interactions to support teachers and improve instructional practices.
A key best practice is to ease teacher anxiety by visiting each classroom once before starting a second round of visits. This builds trust and reduces fear. During the second cycle, follow the same order but observe more deeply without immediately offering critical feedback.
Forget the outdated “feedback sandwich” method. Authentic conversations driven by evidence-based questions make a bigger impact. Teachers also respond positively to brief, encouraging notes after walkthroughs, which boost morale and reinforce strong practices.
Ultimately, ongoing dialogue is essential for professional growth, especially when good teaching is happening and deserves recognition.
For more on look-fors, check out 11 Things Coaches Should Look For in Classroom Observations and the infographic below.
Summary
Classroom walkthroughs, when guided by well-defined look-fors, have the power to transform instructional practices and boost student outcomes.
Having said all these, don’t leave the success of your walkthroughs to chance. Partner with Education Walkthrough to implement proven strategies that sharpen your observations and accelerate instructional excellence across your school.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are look-fors in classroom walkthroughs?
Look-fors are specific signs of effective teaching and learning that help educators assess classroom dynamics during quick visits. They’re essential for understanding what’s working and what needs improvement.
How do look-fors benefit teachers?
Look-fors really help teachers by guiding their observations and encouraging a shared language for discussing instruction. This ultimately leads to more targeted feedback, helping improve student outcomes.
What are the main categories of look-fors?
The main categories of look-fors are teaching behaviors, student engagement, and the learning environment. Focusing on these areas can really improve the overall educational experience.
What is the difference between formal and informal walkthroughs?
Formal walkthroughs are planned and structured with clear objectives, whereas informal walkthroughs are spontaneous and aim to capture genuine classroom interactions. So, in essence, one is all about structure, and the other is about real-life observation.
How can look-fors be integrated with professional development?
Integrating look-fors with professional development corroborates meaningful teacher growth and aligns observations with school improvement goals, making the learning experience more targeted and impactful. This connection ensures that teachers can see the benefits of their development efforts in real classroom scenarios.
