printer friendly >
Toolbox
The Toolbox contains a collection of articles with practical advice for school and classroom management.
Toolbox Archives >
Lead by Walking Around
When Mansfield administrators enter a classroom, they know how to observe and how to follow through. You should know, too.
Why You Need to Know
Mansfield’s Literacy Collaborative incorporates essential elements of the balanced literacy program. Delivered with a combination of tested instruction and intervention strategies, the Literacy Collaborative offers teachers support from trained literacy coordinators at the building level.
Principals also need to give literacy teachers knowledgeable feedback and support to reflect on the organization and instruction taking place in their classrooms.
The Workshop
Developed by Carolyn J. Downey and Larry E. Frase of Curriculum Management Services, both workshop and manual (Conducting Walkthroughs with Reflective Feedback to Maximize Student Achievement, Curriculum Management Services, Inc., Huxley, Iowa) give principals and district administrators the know-how to help teachers raise literacy achievement for all students.
Here’s what the participants learn:
- Rationale and observation structure
- Walk-through simulation
- Feedback options to complement walk-throughs
- Components of reflective questions
- Criteria for coaching teachers
- Time management for the process
- Data collection and analysis
Strengths of the Manual
In addition to a slide-by-slide record of the presentation, the manual includes space for participant notes, especially handy for follow-up.
Examples of reflective questions and feedback statements help principals focus on curriculum and instructional issues. As well, the manual contains a glossary of terms, research references, professional books on curriculum and instruction, and two relevant journal articles.
Mansfield also uses an observation checklist, Principal’s Guide to the Literacy Collaborative.
