Get How-to Guide Why Learning Walks Learning - Aitsl

The primary purpose of Learning Walks is for the observing teachers to compare their instructional practices with those they observe. The discussion at the end of the Learning Walks and the subsequent self-reflection by observing teachers are the chief benefits of this collaboration.

Instructional rounds are a disciplined way for educators to work together to improve instruction (City, Elmore, Fiarman, & Teitel, 2009). The practice combines three common elements of improvement: classroom observation, an improvement strategy, and a network of educators.

Lesson observations that form part of a one-to-one coaching process or a formal observation process (where this is still used) are different to learning walk drop-ins and should be regarded as such. Learning walks are explicitly unannounced, routine drop-ins; observations are planned and anticipated.

Instructional walks are the daily visits a school leader makes in classrooms. They are non-evaluative in nature. Rather, the purpose is to build a sense of trust with teachers by communicating both verbally and nonverbally that the school leader is here to support their important work.

The main approach to learning walks is through paying a brief visit in a single classroom alongside senior leaders using a researched-based tool, offering teachers individual feedback and the opportunity to reflect on students' learning, learning strategies, student engagement and their current level of interaction ...

Learning walks can also help you and your senior leadership team (SLT) save time by reducing the amount of formal lesson observations you carry out. Read our case study about how 1 school has used learning walks to cut down on workload.

Purpose: Learning walks provide opportunities for teachers to observe their colleagues, learn from other teachers' practices, and reflect upon their own practices. Description: In a learning walk, teachers visit a colleague with a focus for the observation.