Hurrah. Learning walk.

[elephantoverthehill]

Yes I hate these 'Learning walks' but today the Deputy Head dropped into my year 11 lesson, thank goodness the student could say 'I am doing XY and Z because....' I might add he is not one of the most engaged students in Y11. Do you think they will start leaving my lessons alone or will I know get everyone and his dog in because year 11 dodgy student was actually performing?

You'll get people all the time! It didn't seem to matter what we were doing when they visited, a few weeks later they'd be back :( Well done on engaging your students though, you'll probably be asked to run a PLC on that now ;)

Damn! I thought as much.

What is the point of a learning walk? As Dylan Wiliams said, you cannot judge a teacher nor can you assess if children are progressing from a lesson observation so why a learning walk????

Last year our DHT did a learning walk;5 minutes in each class (thereabouts). She claimed that she didn't witness open ended questions so we were all ORDERED to plan open ended questions into our lessons and they also had to be on the lesson plans which had to be handed to the HT every week.

Obviously completely oblivious that open ended questions cannot always be planned (how the hell do we know how kids will lead a lesson?) and may not be relevant for the time of the leson that they choose to walk into!

Sometimes I think we'd be better off if KIDS ran schools! (At least we'd get longer breaks!! )

I've never been happier since leaving teaching.

You lot are all saints.

The whole education world is completely unhinged.

Actually I think teachers should embrace learning walks beacuse it might remind SMT what we have to do/put up with on an hour by hour basis. No this isn't going to put a positive spin on stuff, is it?

I was visited on a learning walk this week..... I talk too much.... We were debating :(

Yup. I have had that one too. Wannabe

Oh God, our learning walks start next week.
I have no real idea what to expect, am an NQT. The other teachers don't seem too stressed by it.
Let's see how we all feel this time next week.

You will be fine Lizzylou. They should be gentle with an NQT. Just make sure you have objectives, extension and differentiation on show clearly. Oh as well as seating plan, colour coded for behaviour, SEN, PP, G&T and medical. Ensure all work is marked and up to date in different coloured pens, that the students are engaged in peer assessment and you have a mini plenary ready to go. Etc.etc. Sorry it is Friday night. Do I sound old and cynical?

We have learning walks that don't involve any of that stuff. The head or other smt basically walks into the lesson, watches what we're doing for a couple of minutes, asks a few of the kids what they're doing if it's an appropriate point in the lesson, then leaves again. Nobody wants to see lesson plans, we have no school policy about colours of pen for marking (my preference is orange or pink sparkles). I'm so glad I'm in a school where I'm trusted to get on with the job professionally without being checked on all the time.

Do you see what I did there? I didn't even mention a lesson plan.

Charis2 me too!

Well, I have been told that it will be how MsMermaid's describes. I have been told not to do contextuals/seating plans for a few weeks as they are changing the sets constantly (I have done them for my GCSE groups as they won't change).
My books are marked up to date, with smatterings of green pen peer assessment (when I remembered to hand the green pens out ).
As an added bonus I have my first NQT observation next week.

I now really want a pink sparkly pen.

Well done Lizzylou it will be fine. I was just in a Friday night grump. I may have relaxed now .

It may turn out that you were right, am sure I will have forgotten something key. I came home today and collapsed on the sofa, slept like a baby for 1 1/2 hrs. Next Friday I think it may be even longer.

I'm sure it will be fine LizzyLou. Some schools seem to be very sensible and informal about these things, some go massively ott about it, the majority are somewhere in the middle.

BTW, my pink sparkly pen came in a pack of sparkly gel pens from poundland. I use all the colours eventually but I definitely prefer the pink one. The kids enjoy seeing what colour I've marked their books in this week.

Thank you MsMermaid. I've just remembered to send an e-mail to the Senco about VI student who probably can't see pink writing on white. Thanks again.

I work in a special school. The head did an impromptu learning walk last week. I.was working one.to.one with a tricky child who was really engaged. She decided to come up and ask some questions he replied "for f###sake I was working with VeryEarlyDays she is my teacher F### of out my classroom you f###ING c###!"
The head had the good grace to find me later and apologise!!

Oh I would've given a year's salary to have a student say that to one of my managers!

Oh dear. What SEN does that student have?

I used to work in special school - just love it when students come out with things like that

Learning walks start in my new school this week too. I'm not remotely bothered though. It's the most amazingly, sensible, two fingers up to Ofsted kind of school I have ever encountered!
In fact, I took in a bunch of books last week and was promptly asked why on earth I was planning on wasting my time marking class notes! Kids do one piece of 'well marked' work and a test each half term. I nearly collapsed!!

I work in a special school. The head did an impromptu learning walk last week. I.was working one.to.one with a tricky child who was really engaged. She decided to come up and ask some questions he replied "for f###sake I was working with VeryEarlyDays she is my teacher F### of out my classroom you f###ING c###!"The head had the good grace to find me later and apologise!!

I would have loved to see the look on the head's face!

I love a"'fuck off' merchant" . You know where you stand.

I'm about to start work in a place where that sort of talk might be rather common - looking forward to it immensely! I almost can't wait for an Ofstead...