Episode Details

Jordan Collier, a principal at a school in Arkansas, is getting rid of formal observations in favor of many short classroom visits for teacher observation. Each one runs 10 to 15 minutes, followed by a scheduled 30-minute conversation. His big goal for the year is observations, never as a gotcha.

In his first two weeks he observed and met with 31 teachers, missing only one, and learned about needs he never knew existed, like a bad VGA splitter that had caused projector lag for three years. He also shares the school-specific culture walkthrough rubric he built from a book he says every administrator needs to read.

What you'll learn

• Replace one formal observation with many 10 to 15 minute visits, then follow up with the teacher within a couple of days.
• Block a standing meeting time with each teacher, such as every other Tuesday at 9:30, because it will not happen unless it is scheduled.
• Role-play an observation at in-service using a six-minute video, so teachers see how easy it is to find something positive and one improvement.
• Pop into a classroom that sounds loud or off track, ask the teacher later what was going on, then offer a sponge activity instead of criticism.
• Build a school-specific culture rubric, with percentages and a team of five staff, so complaints about hallways or dress code become something you can measure.

Chapters

• 0:00 A big goal: many short observations
• 2:50 How the first two weeks went
• 8:41 Role-playing observations to ease teachers' fears
• 13:02 How to schedule your week around classrooms
• 15:05 Never being in your office
• 18:36 Correcting a class while staying positive
• 23:12 Culture walkthrough rubric and staff culture check
• 30:02 Be obnoxiously positive about your school

Times are for the episode without ads. Your player may be off by the length of any ads.

Questions this episode answers

How do you reduce teachers' fear of classroom observations?
Collier showed teachers a six-minute video of a real lesson, had them role-play the follow-up conversation, then revealed it was only six minutes. He also plans to meet teachers in their own classrooms and told them he wants to see them try a new app and fail.

How often should a principal observe teachers?
Collier aims for at least 15 mini observations of 10 to 15 minutes each week, plus about 15 scheduled 30-minute meetings, across 31 teachers. He admits it is ambitious but says it prompts conversations that uncover needs he would never have known about.

How do you address a classroom that is off track without being negative?
Collier pops in, then asks later what was going on. If a class sat idle after a test, he suggests a sponge or extension activity and shares resources like his freaky Friday folder. He says the conversation is not personal and usually fixes the problem.

About Jordan Collier

Principal at a school in Arkansas who blogs about instructional leadership at jcollierblog.com.

Links and resources

• Intentional instructional leader blog post
• Photo of the Fruit Loops lab
• Jordan Collier's tweet, September 2, 2014
• Staff Culture Check resource
• Leverage Leadership book
• Sanebox email tool