Instructional Rounds

During our October First Friday meetings teachers participated in the first of a series of "learning walks". This article (http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb11/vol68/num05/Making-the-Most-of-Instructional-Rounds.aspx) does a nice job articulating just what we hope to achieve with such walks. The article, by Robert Marzano, discusses a practice called instructional rounds, a spin-off of medical rounds performed by groups of M.D.s. Interesting and relevant reading. I hope you will take a moment and learn more about instructional rounds. Here's an excerpt:

Instructional rounds are one of the most valuable tools that a school or district can use to enhance teachers' pedagogical skills and develop a culture of collaboration. The goal of instructional rounds isn't to provide feedback to the teacher being observed, although this is an option if the observed teacher so desires. Rather, the primary purpose is for observing teachers to compare their own instructional practices with those of the teachers they observe. The chief benefit of this approach resides in the discussion that takes place among observing teachers at the end of the observation as well as in subsequent self-reflection.