How can school leaders improve instructional observation?

Dive Brief:

Using strategies like co-teaching between leaders and teachers to intentionally structure teacher observations and create a positive experience can make the process less of a burden for the teacher and provide more opportunities for growth, learning and understanding, Miriam Plotinsky, an instructional specialist at Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, writes for Edutopia.
Allowing teachers to invite school leaders into the classroom as observers while they teach a lesson they are proud of lets the teacher showcase their best work. Likewise, teachers could also invite administrators in to gain feedback with problem areas.
Another approach is to have a school leader teach the class while the educator observes. Additionally, using a “teacher flip” gives educators the opportunity to leave their own classroom and observe another teacher while the school leader covers their class.

Dive Insight:

In the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, school leadership roles were trending toward a greater focus on instructional leadership, including coaching. Research by New America, a Washington-based think tank, shows 26 states include “instructional leadership" as a standard for principals, but principals are often still responsible for other tasks.

To provide effective instructional leadership, principals need clarity and a roadmap for their evolving role. They also need more time. According to an October 2020 article from the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, research suggests principals spend less than 12% of their day on instructional activities.

Principals can also benefit from having their own coach to help them develop instructional leadership and other skills. But while 70% of principals reported valuing the professional development model in a study from the National Association of Elementary School Principals, just 66% of principals said they had participated in it. According to principals, coaching is effective, with participants saying they value the feedback and want to hone their craft.

Illinois' Maine Township High School District 207, located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, has been lauded for an "all-in" approach to teacher coaching and professional development. In February, Superintendent Ken Wallace told K-12 Dive that it can be valuable to ensure the person evaluating the teacher isn't also their coach, though there's an expectation that principals and instructional leaders should work side-by-side with teachers throughout the process.

"One of the things that's important in this cycle is making sure that we reduce the fear of failure," said Wallace. "And if your coach is also your evaluator, it's almost impossible to remove this idea that this person is also the one that's going to be rating me."