Learning walks! Are you having them at the moment?

[iHaveACold]

The primary school where I work has a new headteacher. Nobody has heard a peep from her since she started...not even an email introducing herself. She's busy- I get that. But not too busy to go on a bunch of learning walks. My colleagues were told at 5:15pm she would come and observe them the next day 😑 There is a load of scheduled learning walks in the calendar for next week now.

I think it's wrong to start observing people during such a stressful time. It's also not very covid safe going to all those bubbles 😂 I think I be more on board if she had made the effort to see how everyone is doing before scrutinising their teaching.

Are you still having learning walks at your school?

Yes, we are. Also observations. And the head is in and out of classrooms seeing "how we are settling in" (making sure we are doing as we are told). Our trust are fine with it providing they stand 2m away from the kids (in the way I can't).

What’s a learning walk?

@CraftyGin

What’s a learning walk?

It's basically a lesson observation but not written up.

No learning walks this half term. Lots of staff still annoyed at the number of teaching rooms they have to be in and therefore plenty of staff using wheely crates etc to cart their stuff around.

So learning walks will recommence after half term or in the spring. No mention of lesson observations yet.

I've had the headmaster pop in at least 5 times and others since being back. But it is literally a head round the door and leave job, so I genuinely think it's to check the kids are settling and is meant to be supportive. But yes, my school have increased our timetables, increased demands and ramped up pressure. I'm sure learning walks and observing etc will be on as normal.

@CraftyGin Learning walks are pretty standard now. They do not replace observations but do add to the pressure.

So within a secondary school when a member of SLT has a 'free' they are sometimes schedules to do a learning walk on a particular department of building block and will stay for up to 10 mins in a lesson.

Yep, we've got them and observations too. Head hasn't asked me how I am yet though...no time for that I suppose. I've lost a lot of respect for my head lately.

I am doing learning walks more than normal, checking in with my department and seeing how teachers and students are getting on. For us it is a support measure - nothing sinister at all. I have also had numerous SLT pop their heads round the door, again nothing sinister and I really appreciate the presence and potential support.

I have scheduled mutual observations with the NQT on the understanding that they are purely supportive and not written up (unless it’s good, then we most definitely will write it up!).

My department know that the priority for the first 2 weeks is pure survival. Anything more than that will have to wait. We’re all beyond tired after week 1.

Yes and book looks!!!

no book looks but slt do want to see the assessments on Teams

Yes and they will be taking place in each class over the course of a day so multiple visits from the same person with a clipboard. We’re also having mock deep dives into every subject (primary.)

What useful purpose does this level of scrutiny serve at this time and can it even be effective and fulfilling it?

As a member of SLT, I understand the need for scrutiny although I do think it is mismanaged in many schools and has lost much of its purpose (teacher management instead of support and CPD). However, at this time, I'm genuinely struggling to see what meaningful data I could gather from an observation or a book look. Learning walks could be more helpful if done in the right way but the level to which they would violate the risk assessment does not merit any potential gains that could be made in supporting teachers with their new classes.

I am not using exercise books this term. Everything is on Google Classroom/Chromebook.

Pre Covid our new HT had done away with formal observations and said that Learning Walks reflect more honestly what goes on in the classroom. He hasn't mentioned when he'll be starting them but I hope to God it's not before half term.

I see your learning walks (which we're having) and raise you a "review" with some subject area "deep dives" next week!! I don't even know all the names yet!!

We are having a book scrutiny next week and drop ins (learning walk.) We’ve got a deep dive for every subject leader coming up and our performance management targets state that every pupil premium child must make accelerated progress in all subjects. I don’t know how that works with attendance. I don’t think attendance is a reason for them not to make this progress.

I know we need targets etc but you wouldn’t believe that we’re in the middle of a pandemic going by this. The pressure is worse than usual both in and outside the classroom.

@Iamnotthe1 I'm only a new trainee, but my school does daily learning walks and actually I like them. It can remind me to make sure I'm on top of low level disruptions and has once prompted me to stop waffling and let the year 8s speak! It helps that the SLT aren't the only people doing them - everyone does, so I feel okay popping into other classrooms to see and learn how to get better at teaching. We get 'action steps' by email although not everyone does them. They are always good food for thought as I have tonnes to learn and zero experience!

We are only doing a book look to see how pupils are settling back in to learning.

We do visit lessons in my faculty (I'm 2nd in charge) but there is nothing sinister about it at all. It's purely supportive and is a nice way to pick up and share ideas for teaching in these crazy times!

I am doing the scheduled observations with my NQT but again, these are supportive and developmental (which he knows and I remind him of frequently) and a way to help us evidence the standards.

It's a shame when some schools use learning walks to judge. At our school, people are very used to having others pop in and no one minds. Our head is a scientist and last year she once came into one of my KS3 lessons and joined in with a practical because she just wanted to get out of her office!

Full 1 hour observation today - pandemic what pandemic!!!

@ElvisandAngel

Full 1 hour observation today - pandemic what pandemic!!!

That's ridiculous.

An hour observation is never needed. If a member of SLT can't identify what is working well and how to best support the staff further within a 20 minute time frame then they need to work on their observation skills.

If one wished to see different parts of the lesson then, by all means, pop in and out across a longer time period but no-one should need to stay in a lesson for an entire hour.

I had one this afternoon, feedback ( electronically so couldn’t even discuss it) was back row were talking about predicted grades ( apparently I didn’t hear them)
Will be asking for strategies to ensure back row on task in large rooms where you cannot move from the front and cannot hear what they are up to at the back

I haven't been formally observed in yonks. My head is in and out all the time, I don't mind. SLT take our books in every half term, interview kids etc, and there are always things to change from that, but meh. I do an alright job, I don't feel stressed by scrutiny, so I'm fairly relaxed.