How it all began

 I began to use the Walk-Through method of supervision in around February of 2007. I was introduced to the idea at an administrators meeting. The idea sounding interesting so I found the book and ordered it. It took me some time to read through the different chapters and figure out how each step of the process would actually look like. Now the book

The Three-Minute Classroom Walk-Through: Changing School Supervisory Practice One Teacher at a Time

was an easy read and very straight forward. I then took time at a staff meeting to introduce the idea to the staff and explain what it was I was going to do. The staff was very open to the idea of me being present more often in the classrooms. Of course some were probably a bit more hesitant than others but it was well received. I began by explaining why this type of supervision method interested me - it was short, to the point and focused on specific things that would give me some strong feedback about what was happening in the class. It wasn't as obtrusive as a more formal supervision yet, after a number of visits, patterns would emerge that would lead to a critical question or reflective thought.

When I first began visiting classrooms, I used a recipe card to record the information. Of course, I had to write out the items for which I was looking so I could remember them. I would go into the room and record the notes as I was in the room. I've learned that doing that doesn't work. You observe the classroom and make mental notes of what is happening. The more I do, the better I become at making these mental notes so that after I leave the room I can record what I have seen. I also realized that the format outlined in the book didn't quite work in a smaller school like mine where there are 14 total teachers. I continue to work at developing something that will work in the building where I am.