My goal as an administrator (for the past few years) has been to get into every classroom on a daily basis. Am I always successful? Yeah right! On any given day, something unexpected can/will arise which prevents me from even seeing the other end of the building. If I don’t make it in for a classroom visit one day, I definitely try to ensure I make it the next day. I seem to be more successful with these daily visits before I start the teacher evaluation cycle, and after evaluations are finished. Why is this so important to me? I want to know what is going on in the classrooms. I want to see the student interact. I enjoy being able to talk to students about what they are learning. In the past, some teachers probably feel like I was trying to catch them doing something wrong. This couldn’t be any further from the truth! I actually had a teacher (not at my current school) roll her eyes and sigh in front of her students when I entered the classroom. Although her behavior was extremely unprofessional and disrespectful, that incident was actually a good wake up call for me as a young administrator. It got me to thinking (which can be dangerous...lol). I wondered what kind of negative experience this teacher had with previous administration. I started thinking to myself, if my presence in a classroom causes this type of disruption to the learning process, I’m not in classrooms enough. That is when I started making it a point to do short drop-in visits every day! I talked to my faculty about it beforehand. I wanted them to understand why I would be coming in and out, and try to put them at ease. Some teachers naturally get nervous when someone comes into the classroom. They often feel that they are being judged. I made it clear that these visits will be short and non-evaluative. When I do a short drop-in visit, I don’t take my laptop or notepad with me. The only thing I may have with me is a pen and a few small note cards. I use these cards to leave positive notes for the teacher. It was tough when I first started this process. Usually, the teacher would be in front of the class providing instruction when I entered the room. The students would stop paying attention to turn and see who was coming in. The students (especially the younger ones) would smile, wave, and yell “Mr. Wilds”! I just put my finger up to my mouth (the “hush” signal) and pointed back toward the teacher. I hated the disruption to class, but I knew it was a part of the process. After about a week, the students started to pay less attention to me as I entered the room. If the teacher is instructing, I simply observe for about five minutes. If the students are working independently, or in small groups, I walk around and talk to them about what they are doing. They love telling me about what they are learning…and I love hearing about it! Overtime, this process has helped build my capacity as an administrator, because I feel more involved with the curriculum being taught. It has also helped to develop a level of transparency and trust between faculty and administration. These short visits have provided a platform for many positive/helpful conversations.
Until next time...Wilds Out!