Teacher Induction Program
San Luis Obispo County
Office of Education
Walk-Throughs:
An Effective Strategy for
Increasing Student Achievement
Based on the work of
Dr. Susan Villa,
Carolyn J. Downey and
Larry E. Frase
Ultimate Goal: To Influence …

Reflective, self-directed, self-analyzing
interdependent teachers who examine their
own practices ~ even those who initially are
at the dependent level.

Teachers who are continually willing to
improve their teaching.

Teachers who are committed to working for
ever higher student achievement.
Purpose

To provide advisors with strategies for
using a structured walk-through approach
and reflective feedback as a vehicle for
maximizing student achievement.
Steps in Observation

INSTRUCTION: Engagement of Students

CURRICULUM: Determine curricular
objectives and alignment to district curriculum
and identify possible growth area(s)

INSTRUCTION: Note instructional practices
used and identify possible growth area(s)
Steps in Observation, continued
WALK THE WALLS: for more curricular
objectives and instructional practices (if
time)
 SAFETY & FACILITIES: Happens
naturally

Observation Structure: 5 Step
Process
ENGAGEMENT (Student time on task)
CURRICULUM (content standards)
TEACHING STRATEGIES
WALK THE WALLS
SAFETY
Step One: Student Engagement

Determine student engagement the moment
you walk into the room.

Boston Scan: scan the room.
Where are the students eyes?
 On the teacher, on work, on each other?


Ballpark it ~ what percentage of students
are engaged?
Step Two: Curriculum Focus

Determine the curriculum objectives being
taught
Content ~ what students are learning
 Context ~ how are students learning
 Cognitive Level ~ i.e., Bloom’s taxonomy


Compare curriculum objectives listed or
stated with observed curriculum
Step Three: Instructional Strategies

Determine generic teaching practices taking
place


Feedback, examples, student error, wait time,
checking for understanding, prior knowledge
Identify strategies being used with a
specific district and/or school focus

Process guided reading, writer’s workshop,
reciprocal teaching, question-answer
relationships
Step Four: Walk the Walls

Specify other objectives and teaching
practices observed


Artifacts on walls, charts, student
work, centers, white/chalk board,
posters, etc.
Use the walls to inform instruction
Step Five: Safety

Identify any safety and/or facility issues
Keeping Track of Ideas

Develop a very simple way of recording
ideas.

3 x 5 card
Do record enough of what happened when
you are in the room to use when giving
feedback.
 The notes are for you ~ not formal.

One Way ~ 3 x 5 Card
Name of BT
Date Time
CURRICULUM

Content:

Context:

Cognitive level:

District check:
Grade/subject
INSTRUCTION

2 or 3 ideas
Ima Newby
2-10-03
10:35
9th grade
World Geography
CURRICULUM
INSTRUCTION
Content:


Reasons why people left
their homelands to come
to the US
Common experiences &
hardships immigrants had
to overcome while
traveling to and upon
arrival in US
Context:


Text book
Oral student response
Cognitive level: Knowledge
District check: 9th
Prior knowledge
Wait time
Prediction
Primary source documents
Posters of Ellis Island
Pie Charts: Immigration
patterns
2-10-03
9:00
CURRICULUM
Content:
 Writing a 3
paragraph personal
experience essay
 Pre-writing –
organizing ideas
Context:
 Prewriting
worksheets
Cognitive level: Application
District check: 3rd
3rd Grade Writing
INSTRUCTION
Modeling
Review
Individual assistance
Scoring guide ~ rubric
Chart ~ Steps in the
Writing Process
Walk-Through Practice

Watch the video.

Follow the observation structure.

Use a 3 x 5 card to record your information.

Identify a topic for a reflective question.
Feedback and the Reflective Question
What do we know about effective feedback?
Discuss with a partner.
Share with the group.
A Mentoring Conversation:
A Protocol

Assess the Beginning Teacher’s Needs by:
Making connections and building trust
 Identifying successes and challenges


Establish a Focus for Work by:
Paraphrasing (In other words … So …)
 Clarifying (Tell me a little more about…
It’d help me understand if you’d give me an
example of …)

Stay Away From …
Why did you do ….?
 Have you considered doing …?
 You might want to …
 How come you …
 How might you do it differently?
 What might you do differently next time?
 How did you decide?
 Do you think it would have been different if
you ..

Will these stems fit?
Revise as needed.








Tell me how you did that …
What went on in your mind when …?
When have you done something like this before?
What would be your criteria for …?
What do you think the problem is?
How did you know …?
What might you do next?
What’s another way you might approach this?
Support the Teacher’s Movement
Forward
Direct teaching
 Collaborative problem solving
 Reflective questioning


Promote Accountability by:
Identifying specific next steps
 Agreeing to follow up

Mentoring Strategies
Listening Clarifying
Encouraging
Reflecting Presenting
Problem
Solving
Negotiating Directing Standardizing Reinforcing
Coaching Practice

Prepare a conversation that is reflective in
nature for this teacher in the video. Use the
topic you identified earlier.

Pair off in teams of two and orally rehearse
the reflective conversation with one
another. One person be the advisor and the
other the teacher in the video. Change
roles.
Reflection

What are your thoughts about the
experience you have just had with the walkthrough observations and the reflective
conversations?