Classrooms are the heart of schools, but how much time do we get to spend in them as leaders?
Intention is important and Instructional Rounds are intended to deepen collective practice. Instructional Rounds are facilitated classroom observations done in a community of practice. Feedback is focused on using data and a focus question.
These visits also show students and teachers that they are valued, with leaders investing time in their classrooms. The objective is not to monitor or “catch” someone. Rather, these are times for leaders to gather data, check their own assumptions, and reflect on successes occurring every day.
Janelle Clarke-Holley, Senior Director of Program Implementation
Instructional Rounds create synergy between district goals, school improvement, and classroom practice by deepening collegiality and offering relevant and actionable next steps for school leaders. Classroom visits can benefit district leaders, school improvement teams, and school leaders. Leadership time can quickly get eaten up with logistics and transactional needs early in the school year, so it is important to invest time in Instructional Rounds now. Work with CLEE to launch Instructional Rounds in your community as a further way to continuously improve school or district.
