How can classroom visits improve school-wide instruction?
When you're in every classroom regularly, you start to see patterns that no one else can see. You notice that three teachers on the same team are struggling with the same transition issue. You see that the new math curriculum is landing differently in third grade than in fourth. You realize that the professional development from last month is showing up in some classrooms but not others.
That bird's-eye view is unique to you. Teachers don't see each other teach. Coaches work with a subset of staff. You're the only person positioned to see across the whole school — but only if you're actually in classrooms often enough to build that picture.
Over time, this knowledge transforms your decision-making. You stop guessing about what professional development your staff needs. You stop relying on test data alone to identify areas for growth. You can make resource allocation decisions based on firsthand knowledge of what's actually happening in classrooms rather than assumptions.
I discuss how frequent classroom presence leads to better school-wide decisions in Now We're Talking!, Days 18-20.
From the Book
Now We’re Talking! 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership
About the Author
Justin Baeder, PhD
Justin Baeder, PhD is Director of The Principal Center, where he helps senior leaders in K–12 organizations build capacity for instructional leadership. A former principal in Seattle Public Schools, he is the creator of the Instructional Leadership Challenge, which has helped more than 10,000 school leaders in 50 countries around the world:
- Confidently get into classrooms every day
- Have feedback conversations that change teacher practice
- Discover their best opportunities for school improvement
Dr. Baeder directs the Instructional Leadership Association, the premiere professional membership for school leaders, and is the author of three Solution Tree books on instructional leadership:
- Now We’re Talking! 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership
- Mapping Professional Practice: How to Develop Instructional Frameworks to Support Teacher Growth (with Heather Bell-Williams)
- Cultivate and Activate: Building Teacher Capacity for Instructional Leadership (with Keith Fickel)
Justin is the host of Principal Center Radio, a long-running audio podcast featuring more than 400 education thought leaders and more than 500 books, as well as The Teaching Show and The Eduleadership Show. A prolific education commentator, he has more than 250,000 followers and 30,000,000 annual impressions on social media, and is frequently consulted by major media outlets on issues of education research, policy, and practice.
As a consultant, trainer, and speaker, Dr. Baeder has worked onsite with groups across the US, Canada, and Central America, and virtually with groups across the Middle East, Australia, and around the world. He is a frequent speaker at conferences, and regularly provides administrator professional development on classroom walkthroughs, teacher evaluation, and instructional leadership.
He holds a PhD in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies from the University of Washington and an MEd in Curriculum & Instruction from Seattle University, and is a graduate of the Danforth Program for Educational Leadership at UW.