As a part of each day, I try to make a point to visit at least one classroom, often two or three if I can. In my role as Executive Director, it could be very easy to let my schedule be dominated by meetings, working on grant applications, and the like. While those are all important aspects of my job, it’s essential for me to stay grounded in what our core work is—teaching and learning. These classroom visits (along with teaching a class of my own when I can) help me to do just that. It gives me the opportunity to see our wonderful teachers in action and to sit alongside students as they develop new skills and gain new knowledge.
When I spend time in a classroom—whether for just a few minutes or when I spend a full day shadowing a student—I’m looking for evidence of our school’s mission in what I’m seeing and hearing. There are three main ways to get a quick assessment of this:
- Look at what’s on the walls of the classroom: Is work that highlights student learning on display? If so, is it just finished products or some examples of learning, struggles, and false starts along the way? Are there norms that guide how students (and adults) work together in that classroom community? Does what is on the walls and in the room inspire both a seriousness of purpose and a sense of joy and wonder?
- Observe what the teachers are doing/not doing and saying/not saying: Does the idea of “teacher as coach” come across? How and when is the teacher directing the learning as compared to students directing the learning? What tone does she/he convey?
- Ask students to explain what they are learning: Can a student explain what it is he is learning in class, both in that moment and as a part of a larger project/unit? Does she seem excited about and committed to her learning or just following along with what she’s asked to do?
No matter what kind of day I am having, spending time in our classrooms at both campuses renews my energy and reminds me of the importance of the mission we’ve developed here at ANCS.