Engaging Teachers in Classroom Walkthroughs

Donald S. Kachur, Judith A. Stout, & Claudia L. Edwards

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About This Book

Engaging Teachers in Classroom Walkthroughs is a practical guide to planning and implementing brief but focused classroom observations that involves teachers in every step of the process. Drawing from their study of 40 schools in the United States and Canada, the authors show how administrators and teacher leaders moved teachers from resisting to embracing the practice. Readers will learn how to

• Foster a school culture that supports walkthroughs.
  Implement the components of successful walkthroughs, such as focus and “look-fors,” data collection methods, and meaningful follow-up strategies.
• Get all teachers involved and actively participating.
• Evaluate the walkthrough process and measure its effectiveness
• Use walkthroughs to support professional development related to the Common Core State Standards.

This book demonstrates that when teachers learn from one another in a cycle of continuous professional growth—through observation, shared inquiry, dialogue, and follow-up—they develop a sense of collegiality and a common mission. By opening their doors to their peers, they also contribute to broader school improvement efforts that positively affect teaching and learning throughout the school.

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About the Authors

DONALD S. KACHUR is Professor Emeritus of Education from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education at Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois. He holds a doctorate in education from Indiana University in Bloomington. He served from 2001 to 2008 as the full-time Executive Director of the Illinois affiliate of ASCD. Don is a workshop trainer for the Illinois Administrators Academy, the Illinois Principals Association, and the Illinois Association of School Administrators. In the business realm, he served as an executive consultant at State Farm Corporate and participated in the delivery of State Farm Advanced Management Seminars. In addition, Don served as a certified trainer with Motorola, Inc. for their Leadership Development Institutes for school superintendents and Executive Leadership Institutes for school principals. He coauthored the book Classroom Walkthroughs to Improve Teaching and Learning (2010). He has also published in the NASSP Bulletin, Phi Delta Kappan, Kappa Delta Pi Record, Journal of Teacher Education, Journal of Staff Development, Florida Educational Leadership, and The Clearing House. He is an active member of ASCD and served on its board of directors from 2007 to 2010. He can be reached at dskachu@ilstu.edu.

JUDITH A. STOUT is a retired school district administrator and an independent consultant. Judy earned her B.A. at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, and her M.Ed. and Ed. D. at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. She retired in 2005 with 19 years of educational experience in Lawton Public Schools in Lawton, Oklahoma, and nine years in Colorado districts. In Oklahoma, Judy was an elementary classroom teacher, teacher of gifted/talented students, staff developer, elementary assistant principal, and elementary principal. After moving to Colorado, she was the Director of Elementary Education for Boulder Valley School District in Boulder for five years and the Director of Leadership in Adams County School District 14 in Commerce City for four years. She was on the team that developed the walkthrough model used in Adams 14. She coauthored the book Classroom Walkthroughs to Improve Teaching and Learning (2010). Judy has also published in Educational Leadership, Florida Educational Leadership, and the Oklahoma Middle Level Education Journal, and she has presented at numerous national professional meetings. She can be reached at jstout@lpbroadband.net.

CLAUDIA L. EDWARDS is an independent educational consultant and the graduate coordinator for the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma. She earned her B.S. and M.Ed. at Cameron University. She is a retired classroom teacher with 29 years of teaching experience in the Oklahoma public school system. Her teaching experience ranges from kindergarten through college. As a secondary teacher, Claudia developed a transition program for middle school entry-level students. She also helped create a Saturday program for at-risk students and was the district co-trainer for cooperative learning. During her teaching career, she was a staff developer and an assessor for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, supervised entry-year teachers, and served as a mentor for student interns. She coauthored the book Classroom Walkthroughs to Improve Teaching and Learning (2010). She has also coauthored articles for Educational Leadership, Florida Educational Leadership, and the Oklahoma Middle Level Education Association Journal and has presented at numerous national professional conferences. She can be reached at cedwards@cameron.edu.

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