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Confidently get into classrooms every day

Have feedback conversations that change teacher practice

Discover your best opportunities for school improvement

Use The Classroom Walkthrough Model
Trusted By More Than 10,000 K-12 Leaders

In the Instructional Leadership Association, you'll get everything you need to implement the kind of classroom walkthroughs Dr. Justin Baeder describes in Now We're Talking! 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership:

  1. Frequent—18 biweekly visits per teacher per year
  2. Brief—around five to fifteen minutes
  3. Substantive—more than just making an appearance
  4. Open-ended—focused on the teacher’s instructional decision-making, not just narrow data collection
  5. Evidence-based—centered on what actually happens in the classroom
  6. Criterion-referenced—linked to a shared set of expectations
  7. Conversation-oriented—designed to lead to rich conversations between teachers and instructional leaders

Your membership includes a hardcopy of Now We're Talking—the #1 book on classroom walkthroughs—plus immediate access to the audiobook.

Your membership also includes Repertoire, the world's most advanced app for teacher observation & evaluation.

The Professional Writing App for Instructional Leaders

Keep precise professional language at your fingertips—and write with A.I.

Capture evidence-rich notes in the classroom—with dramatically less typing

Use drag-and-drop templates for flawless high-stakes writing

Evaluation Criteria At Your Fingertips

Tired of flipping through a multi-page document to find relevant evaluation criteria as you observe? 

With Repertoire's Snippet feature, you can search by keyword and find exactly what you're looking for.

Then, you can "pin" relevant criteria on the screen to guide your observation.

Repertoire supports all teacher evaluation systems, from Danielson to Marzano to custom criteria. Simply let us know what you use, and we'll set up your criteria as Snippets.

It's also easy to add custom Snippets that match your writing style. In fact, Repertoire saves new phrases automatically as you type.

Find The Perfect Feedback

Ever notice how Google Search shows suggestions as you type? Repertoire works the same way, drawing on your personal Snippet database. 

As you type, matching Snippets will appear—insert them with just a click and cut your keystrokes by up to 90%.

Repertoire makes it easy to re-use your writing. If you type something new, it's automatically saved as a new Snippet.

Your repertoire of feedback phrases will grow over time, so you can give more precise feedback with less typing.

Rapid Notetaking with Timestamps

Capture timestamped low-inference notes, line by line, as you observe with Repertoire.

Just hit "Enter" after every line you type, and your notes will be encoded with a timestamp marking the exact time, down to the minute or second.

Need to make narrative comments? You can switch between notetaking and feedback any time by activating the right onscreen tools.

And Repertoire isn't just for observations—you can use these tools to take notes in meetings, too.

Drag-and-Drop, Multiple-Choice, Fill-In-The-Blank Templates—Use Ours or Make Your Own

Repertoire features dozens of ready-to-customize templates for recommendation letters, teacher evaluations, emails, and more.

Turn anything you've written into a reusable template with one click, so you never have to start from scratch.

Repertoire will automatically split your writing into drag-and-drop Phrases, and create fill-in Fields for any variables you mark with [brackets].

Each Phrase can have up to 8 multiple-choice options—write your own, and generate more with our built-in A.I.

For example, if you need to write a recommendation letter, stop reinventing the wheel—start with our template or a letter you've already written.

Repertoire makes it easy to update the details and change the tone for each unique situation—without having to write a single phrase from scratch.

Flawless High-Stakes Writing
with A.I-Powered Templates

Repertoire's powerful drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to customize templates like our Final Evaluation Generator. 

Each drag-and-drop phrase in a template can have up to 8 multiple-choice options, with fill-in fields to make your writing fast, flawless, and fully customized.

Want a different way to word your ideas? You can generate endless variations using our built-in A.I. tools. 

Start with an existing phrase, and instantly create variations by clicking the A.I. button.

Combine Low-Tech & High-Tech Tools

The Instructional Leadership Association gives you the perfect combination of strategy, tools, and support.

Use Repertoire's high-tech writing tools alongside these printable low-tech tools to help you get into classrooms:

Plan, Track, and Organize Your Visits

Start getting into classrooms immediately with our one-sheet Classroom Walkthrough Tracker.

No prep needed—just print and go. 

The Tracker will guide you through your first three cycles of visits over a 4-week period.

Then, you'll be ready to use the Classroom Visit Index Cards to stay on track for the entire school year. 

Every day, you'll take the top 3 cards from your stack, so you know who's up next in your rotation.

Each notecard has space for the teacher's schedule, prep time, lunch, and more, so you can find the best time to visit. We'll send you pre-cut notecards printed on heavy card stock—as many as you need.

Record the date, return the card to the bottom of the stack, and you're on the path to 500 walkthroughs a year—putting you in the top 1% of instructional leaders in our profession.

Schedule for Sustainability

Use the Classroom Walkthrough Schedule Generator to build a realistic, sustainable schedule that gets you into classrooms—with plenty of flexibility to handle interruptions and emergencies. 

Plan your visits (Excel and Google Sheets versions included), then add them directly to your Google, Outlook, or Office365 calendar.

Put Systems In Place To Protect Your
Time For Classroom Visits

Experienced leaders know we'll never "find" time for classroom walkthroughs—we have to make time.

The conventional wisdom says to "block off" a large chunk of protected time on your calendar—but for most leaders, that's a huge mistake. It simply doesn't work, because interruptions are inevitable. 

If you've been frustrated by interruptions, and feel like you can't get away from the office for hours at a time, you're not alone. 

In the Instructional Leadership Challenge, you'll discover a flexible approach to planning time for your visits, so you can deal with whatever each day brings—while still getting into classrooms three times a day—500 times a year. 

3 a Day = 500 Walkthroughs A Year

If you ask principals how often they're in classrooms, they'll often say what they're expected to do—perhaps 10, 20, or 30 walkthroughs a week.

If you ask teachers, though...you get a different answer: "My principal only comes once a year, for my formal observation." 

The sad reality: almost everyone tries to get into classrooms, and almost everyone fails miserably

Why? Because conventional wisdom steers us wrong—into approaches that are too complicated, too time-consuming, and just plain unpleasant. 

Here's the secret: classroom walkthroughs can and should be FUN! Done right, they take just a few minutes a day, and they're the BEST minutes of the day—for students, teachers, and administrators alike. 

In the Instructional Leadership Challenge, you'll learn how to develop a permanent new habit of visiting three classrooms a day, every day—so you can have the impact you've always dreamt of having. 

With consistency, 3 visits a day adds up fast—to an astounding 500+ visits per year. 

Powerful Tools for Better Walkthroughs

Your Instructional Leadership Association membership includes instant access to the entire Classroom Walkthrough Toolbox, so you can start getting into classrooms right away.


3-Cycle Startup Plan

($29 value)

Teachers often become alarmed when leaders start getting into classrooms more often:
"Why are you here?"
"Am I being singled out?"
"Is this part of my evaluation?"
 

In the 3-Cycle Startup Plan, you'll discover how to build trust and make teachers feel good about your visits—no fear, no panic, and no grievances. 

You'll ramp up your visits gradually, over three cycles of visits to each teacher you supervise, so no one feels singled out, and no one feels like you're out to get them. 


Classroom Walkthrough Tracker

($19 value)

The Classroom Walkthrough Tracker will help you stay on track with two key aspects of your classroom visits:

1. Ensuring that you don't miss anyone

2. Getting into the habit of visiting three classrooms a day, every day

The Tracker will guide you through your first three cycles of visits—use it to get started, and when school resumes after every break. 

The Tracker is also the fastest way to get started—just print it on a single sheet of paper and go get into classrooms! 


Classroom Walkthrough Schedule Generator

($29 value)

You'll never "find" time to get into classrooms. You have to make time. 

The Classroom Walkthrough Schedule Generator features an interactive quiz that will guide you to the right plan based on your master schedule (elementary vs. secondary) and how often you're interrupted. 

Then, you can use the spreadsheet (Google Sheets & Excel) to rapidly schedule specific times on your calendar (Google, Outlook, or Office365) with one click. 


Teacher Schedule & Visit Record Index Cards

($19 value)

Finding the best time to visit each teacher is tricky, because everyone has a different schedule—plus, you need to find time to talk afterward. 

The solution is to keep each teacher's schedule at your fingertips with our Teacher Schedule & Visit Record Index Cards. They're trusted by more than 33,507 school leaders in 50 countries around the world, because they're so simple and reliable. 

Keep them in a stack, and take the top 3 cards each day. Visit those teachers when your schedules align, jot the date, and return the cards to the bottom of the stack. 

Absent teacher? Miss someone? Put their card back on top for tomorrow., and you'll always stay on track—without missing anyone. 


Teacher Evaluation Organizer

($27 value)

How can you keep track of every stage of the teacher evaluation process—especially if you have a complicated process or a large staff? 

Our Organizer spreadsheet (Google Sheets & Excel) allows you to quickly customize up to 50 steps in your walkthrough, observation, and evaluation process, for unlimited staff. 

Tired of getting lost in big spreadsheets? Staff names and column headers are pinned in place so they always remain in view. Tip: Use Google Sheets to share with your admin team.


Classroom Walkthrough Interruption Matrix

($19 value)

Not all issues are emergencies, and not everything that comes up should interrupt your classroom walkthroughs. 

Get on the same page with your office staff about dozens of common interruptions, using the Classroom Walkthrough Interruption Matrix.

Should they call you? Wait till you're done in classrooms? Handle it without you? Decide in advance, so you can anticipate common events that would otherwise derail your time in classrooms. 


7 Keys To Sustainable Impact

($49 value)

What should you include in your walkthroughs?

Make them too complicated, and they become unsustainable. 

Make them too casual, and they won't have an impact. 

There's a sweet spot, and in the 7 Keys to Sustainable Impact training, you'll learn how to conduct classroom walkthroughs that maximize your impact, while remaining simple and sustainable. 


Communication Scripts

($19 value)

What should you announce about your walkthroughs—before you start, and after people have started to see a pattern? 

Don't start with a big announcement or grand promises. But after you've visited everyone twice, there's a specific message to send so people don't doubt your intentions or worry you're out to get them. 

You'll also get specific language you can use to answer questions from students and staff. 


Feedback Phrase Bank

($19 value)

Finding the right words for a tricky situation is never easy. In the Feedback Phrase Bank, you'll get sentence-starters and sample language to use for:

  • Introducing a difficult topic
  • Clarifying a concern
  • Setting expectations
  • Getting teachers to reflect on their practice

..and more, so you'll always know what to say. 


Advance Your Career with Ascend Job Search Resources

Seeking a new role in the near future? The Ascend Job Search Starter Pack is included with your membership, giving you everything you need to rise above the competition and land your next-level instructional leadership role.

Total value: $2,612—included with your membership

  • 10 Experience Matrixâ„¢ Résumé Templates with Matching "Perfect Fit" Cover Letter Templates ($170 Value)
  • Rapid Interview Prep Toolkit ($589 Value)
  • Trail Map Application Tracker ($19 Value)
  • Job Search Diagnostic ($99 Value)
  • Interview Prep Game Plan ($49 Value)
  • How To Write Accomplishment Bullets For Your Résumé ($49 Value)
  • How To Craft Your "Perfect Fit" Cover Letter To Get More Interviews ($99 Value)
  • Ascend Leadership Journal ($19 Value)
  • Experience Matrixâ„¢ Résumé Blueprint ($19 Value)
  • Cover Letter Generator ($500 value)
  • Ascend VIP Video Interview Practice ($500 value)
  • Ascend Live training library ($500 value)

Your Instructional Leadership Roadmap

What does it take to have a real impact as an instructional leader? In the Instructional Leadership Association, we help you advance in six key areas: 

  1. Getting current on your other work, so you're not overwhelmed
  2. Getting into classrooms—three a day, every day
  3. Getting into feedback conversations with teachers
  4. Getting aligned and specific in the language you use
  5. Getting consistent and impactful over time
  6. Getting strategic, making classroom-informed decisions

You can assess your current practice in each of these areas using the Instructional Leadership Roadmap.

Here's a recap of everything included in your membership:



What's Included:

The Instructional Leadership Challenge, our fast-start video training program that has helped more than 10,000 administrators in 50 countries make a habit of getting into 3 classrooms a day

Now We're Talking! 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership (Solution Tree), the definitive book on classroom walkthroughs—print edition ($29.95 value), plus unabridged audiobook ($29.95 value)

The Classroom Walkthrough Toolbox—everything you need to start getting into classrooms, including the Tracker, Notecards, Interruption Matrix, and more ($229 value)

The Instructional Leadership Show, our weekly video podcast to help you deepen your instructional leadership practice according to the Instructional Leadership Roadmap

Repertoire Content Creator, the professional writing app for instructional leaders, with the world's most advanced tools for teacher observation and evaluation

Ascend Live, our video podcast on the job search for educators seeking their next-level instructional leadership role

The Ascend Job Search Starter Pack—everything you need to succeed in the admin job search, including résumé templates and the Rapid Interview Prep Toolkit ($2,612 value)

The interactive Video Interview Practice tool, with more than 50 questions you can practice on-camera so you ace your next interview ($500 value)

The Cover Letter Generator, our drag-and-drop, multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank app for writing a powerful cover letter that gets you more interviews ($500 value)

The Instructional Leadership Association Planner, our printable monthly planner with 2-page spreads to help you track your time, priorities, and classroom conversations

The Marshall Memo, a weekly summary of the most important news and research for K-12 educators ($50 value)

The Inbox Overhaul, our program for leaders who want to end email overwhelm and use email as a leadership tool

Pricing

individual

Monthly

$99

Join with no commitment

2 months free

Individual

Annual

$999

12 months for the price of 10

School/District

Custom


Interested in custom options?

Who's Behind the Instructional Leadership Association?

JUSTIN BAEDER, Ph.D.

Director, The principal center

The Instructional Leadership Association is led Justin Baeder, PhD, Director of The Principal Center. Dr. Baeder has been a full-time author and consultant since 2012.

He is the author of 
Now We're Talking! 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership (Solution Tree), the leading book on classroom walkthroughs, as well as Mapping Professional Practice: How to Develop Instructional Frameworks to Support Teacher Growth, with Heather Bell-Williams.

Dr. Baeder is the host of Principal Center Radio, a weekly podcast featuring interviews with leading authors and thinkers such as John Hattie, Charlotte Danielson, Robyn Jackson, Douglas Reeves, Ken Williams, and more than 365 other distinguished guests.

Justin served his entire career in public education as a principal and teacher in Seattle Public Schools. He holds an M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction from Seattle University and a PhD in Educational Leadership & Policy from the University of Washington.

Money-Back Guarantee

We guarantee that the Instructional Leadership Association will increase your effectiveness a leader.

If you're ever feeling stuck, reach out for guidance, and we'll help you focus on the most powerful actions to increase your productivity and impact. 

The Instructional Leadership Association has helped more than 4,000 leaders in 50 countries around the world to:

  • Confidently get into classrooms every day 
  • Have feedback conversations that change teacher practice
  • Discover their best opportunities for school improvement

You can cancel any time, and if you're not 100% satisfied with your membership, we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Join the Instructional Leadership Association

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