walk through observation forms

Walk-Through Observations

By © 2009

Michael D. King

Classroom observation is by far the most common form of data collection for teacher evaluation.

In order to obtain a representative sample of the teacher’s performance in the classroom, several

different classroom observations must occur. One observation of one class does not provide

sufficient data. A frequent complaint by teachers is that evaluators do not take the time to gather

relevant information and provide them with useful feedback. On the other hand, teacher

evaluators need some vehicle not only for collecting performance data but also for

communicating it to the teacher.

The central purposes of Walk-Through observations are to establish a reflective dialogue with

teachers on what is being observed in the classroom. Walk-Through observations are short,

usually not lasting more than three to five minutes in duration.

During the time that the evaluator is in the classroom, observations of teaching practices are

recorded on the Walk-Through observation form. At the end of the Walk-Through the evaluator

provides that teacher with feedback presenting the information gathered from the observation

which is checked off on the form. The form should also include a place for remarks under the

categories of reflective thoughts and reflective questions. Reflective thoughts and questions are

the key components to a walk-through observation. The purpose for a written statement and

question is to encourage the teacher to reflect their thinking about a lesson, classroom

environment or professional practices. The evaluator’s reflective statements should always be

non-judgmental and in the form of a statement followed by a question. The assessment criteria

can be built around district performance expectations or designed around teacher and student

behavioral criteria. An example of a behavioral teacher walk-through assessment form with

printed teacher criteria and reflective thoughts followed by a question are provided in (Exhibits

1-1 through 1-15 .)

http://techntuit.pbworks.com/About-Mike-King

Exhibit 1-1

Criteria Based Walk-Through Assessment Form

Teacher ____________________ Date __________ Time _________ Subject _________

DOMAIN ONE: PLANNING

Develops and prioritizes weekly to yearly plans that are in direct alignment with priority

skills matched to district and state standards.

Lesson plans reflect an understanding of student developmental characteristics and patterns

of learning.

Designs instruction in reflective response to the unique needs and learning styles of

individual students.

Involves students in interactive activities that stimulate their interest and participation. Utilizes grading patterns that are fairly administered and based on identified criteria. Uses a variety of alternative assessment strategies to “know” the whole child.

DOMAINTWO: CLASSROM ENVIRONMENT

Transitions occur smoothly, with little loss of instructional time. Teacher-student interactions are friendly and demonstrate general caring and respect. Such

interactions are appropriate to the age and cultures of the students. Students exhibit respect

for the teacher.

Instructional outcomes, activities and assignments, and classroom interactions convey high

expectations for most students.

Teacher is alert to student behavior at all times. Teacher uses physical resources skillfully, and the furniture arrangement is a resource for

learning activities.

DOMAIN THREE: INSTRUCTIONAL PERFORMANCE

Clearly communicates specific learning objectives to students Captures student attention through active involvement. Uses a variety of interaction techniques to enhance communication, such as class discussion. Provides guided practice for new learning that is appropriate to the level of complexity and

difficulty of the content.

Moves among students to give assistance during guided practice. Differentiates independent practice based on individual learner needs. Acknowledges student responses in positive, praising, and encouraging ways. Structures question load to the correct level of complexity and difficulty to meet individual

expectations.

Closes the lesson by restating and summarizing the learning objective. Reflective Statement:

Reflective Question:

(O = Observed) (N = Needs Attention) (U = Performance Assistance Needed) (Blank = Not Observed)

Evaluators Signature: _______________________________ Date__________________

© 2009 Michael D. King


Exhibit 1-2

Behavior Based Walk-Through Assessment Form

Teacher _____________________________Time _________ Subject _____________________

Student Engagement Teacher Engagement

___ Students were on task at 80% ___ Using structuring statements

___ Working Independently ___ Monitoring seat work

___ Asking questions ___ Providing guided practice

___ Working problems at the board ___ Asking higher order questions

___ Reading ___ Modeling

___ Listening ___ Lecturing

___ Working in groups ___ Giving directions

___ Discussing assignment ___ Answering questions

___ Making a presentation ___ Providing corrective feedback

___ Transitioning ___ Praising student efforts

Reflective Statement: ___________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Reflective Question: ____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________




Exhibit 1-3

Executive Function of Teaching

Walk-Through Assessment Form

Teacher ___________________________ Time _________ Subject ____________________

Develops and prioritizes weekly to yearly plans that are in direct alignment with

priority skills matched to district and state standards.

Lesson plans reflect an understanding of student developmental characteristics and

patterns of learning.



Involves students in interactive activities that stimulate their interest and

participation.

Utilizes grading patterns that are fairly administered and based on identified criteria.

Uses a variety of alternative assessment strategies to “know” the whole child.

Reflective Statement:



Signature_______________________________________________ Date _________________



Exhibit 1-4

Walk-Through Assessment

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

Teacher _______________________ Time _______________ Subject ______________

Use of Physical Resources Positive Climate The classroom is safe, and learning is equally

accessible to all students. Students exhibit respect for the teacher.

Teacher uses physical resources skillfully, and

the furniture arrangement is a resource for


Teacher-student interactions are

friendly.

Monitoring Student Behavior Management of Transitional Time Standards of conduct are clear to all students.

Small-group work is well organized,

and most students are productively

engaged in learning.

Teacher is alert to student behavior at all

times. Transitions occur smoothly, with little

loss of instructional time.

Teacher response to misbehavior is

appropriate and successful and respects the

student’s dignity, or student behavior is

generally appropriate.

Routines for handling materials and

supplies occur smoothly, with little loss

of instructional time.

Expectations for Learning Pacing Decisions

Classroom interactions convey high

expectations for most students. Strategies are used to ensure that all

students receive the level of instruction

that they need?

Teacher conveys genuine enthusiasm for the

content Provides additional time for those

students who are demonstrating

difficulty in learning.

Students demonstrate pride in that work. Reflective Statement:






PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Domain One: Executive Functions of Teaching

Planning

Develops and prioritizes weekly to yearly plans that are in direct alignment with priority

skills matched to district and state standards.

Plans for the resources and activities needed to accomplish the learning task.

Plans for assessment strategies that clearly communicate to students that they are

progressing toward state assessment standards.

Uses a variety of visual and manipulative aids regularly as an integral part of planning

lessons and assignments.

Lesson plans reflect an understanding of student developmental characteristics and

patterns of learning.

Written Records

Maintains a written record of student progress as outlined by district policy

Maintains records as required by, law, district policy, and administrative regulations.

Designing Meaningful Task



Designs learning task for opportunities to transfer learning to other disciplines.

Involves students in interactive activities that stimulate their interest and participation.

Designs authentic tasks oriented to real-life applications.

Assessing Student Performance

Utilizes grading patterns that are fairly administered and based on identified criteria.

Is cognizant of student success rates.

Uses a variety of alternative assessment strategies to “know” the whole child.

Provides the students with constructive feedback in regard to their performances.

Uses assessment results to plan for subsequent instruction.

Shares diagnostic profile data with individual students and parents.

Developing Content Objectives

Demonstrates the ability to select content at the correct level of complexity and difficulty

for student learning.

Understands the prerequisites and relationships among concepts and can link cognitive

structures to ensure high success rates.

Can design meaningful learning experiences which are developmentally appropriate and

understands how concepts are tied together as prerequisites of prior knowledge.

Uses state and district learning criteria to develop content objectives.

Domain Two: INSTRUCTIONAL PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

SET

Clearly communicates specific learning objectives to students

Provides context for objective by presenting an overview or outline of how information

fits together.

Provides context for objective by reviewing related previous work

Provides context for objective by describing the purpose of, rationale for, or relevance of

what is being taught.

Captures student attention through active involvement.

MODELING

Organizes and presents content information in a logical sequence.

Uses a variety of interaction techniques to enhance communication, such as class

discussion.

Provides time in the lesson to demonstrate what is required to complete the activity or

assignment.

Gives clear directions as needed to ensure high success rate.

Uses a level of language that students can understand.

Guides students in using a wide array of higher cognitive operations, such as analyzing,

synthesizing, and evaluating.

GUIDED PRACTICE

Provides guided practice for new learning that is appropriate to the level of complexity

and difficulty of the content.

Continues guided practice until a majority of students are capable of mastering the lesson

outcome.

Uses an array of question types that promote different levels of thinking on the part of the

students.

Encourages and guides student responses and student/teacher interactions.

Moves among students to give assistance during guided practice.

Praises student efforts and responses using phrases, sentences, and tone inflections that

are meaningful to the students.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE

Assigns independent practice after successful guided practice.

Assigns appropriate independent practice through in-class or homework activities.

Differentiates independent practice based on individual learner needs.

Encourages students to seek assistance from other school personnel, parents, and others

in conjunction with independent practice assignments.

Reminds students of deadlines for completion of independent practice assignments.

REINFORCEMENT AND CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK

Acknowledges student responses in positive, praising, and encouraging ways.

Avoids negative reactions, criticisms, threats, and sarcasm.

Provides specific feedback on correct student responses and explains why responses are

correct.

Provides specific feedback on incorrect student responses and explains why responses are

incorrect.

Leads students in correcting and diagnosing their own efforts.

QUESTIONING TECHNIQUES

Acknowledges student responses in positive, praising, and encouraging ways.

Adequate wait time is given for a student to respond.

Provides specific feedback on student responses that are correct and on why they are

incorrect.

Provides cognitive paraphrasing techniques to support student responses by modifying,

applying, comparing, or summarizing student responses.

Leads students in correcting and diagnosing their own answers.

Distributes questions evenly among all students.

Structures question load to the correct level of complexity and difficulty to meet

individual expectations.

CLOSURE

Closes the lesson by restating and summarizing the learning objective.

Asks questions to see if students can transfer their learning into related contexts.

Tells students what they will be studying the next day and how it will relate to today's

lesson.

Asks questions to determine if students are thinking about what they have learned and

connecting ideas.

Domain Three: CLASSROOM CLIMATE PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

MANAGEMENT OF TRANSITIONAL TIME

Small-group work is well organized, and most students are productively engaged in

learning while unsupervised by the teacher.

Transitions occur smoothly, with little loss of instructional time.

Routines for handling materials and supplies occur smoothly, with little loss of

instructional time.

Effective systems for performing noninstructional duties are in place, resulting in

minimal loss of instructional time.

Volunteers and paraprofessionals are productively and independently engaged during the

entire class.

POSITIVE CLIMATE

Teacher-student interactions are friendly and demonstrate general caring and respect.

Such interactions are appropriate to the age and cultures of the students. Students exhibit

respect for the teacher.

Student interactions are generally polite and respectful.

EXPECTATIONS FOR LEARNING AND ACHIEVEMENT

Teacher conveys genuine enthusiasm for the content, and students demonstrate consistent

commitment to its value.

Instructional outcomes, activities and assignments, and classroom interactions convey

high expectations for most students.

Students accept the teacher’s insistence on work of high quality and demonstrate pride in

that work.

MONITORING STUDENT BEHAVIOR

Standards of conduct are clear to all students.

Teacher is alert to student behavior at all times.

Teacher response to misbehavior is appropriate and successful and respects the student’s

dignity, or student behavior is generally appropriate.

ARRANGEMENT OF FURNITURE AND USE OF PHYSICAL RESOURCES

The classroom is safe, and learning is equally accessible to all students.

Teacher uses physical resources skillfully, and the furniture arrangement is a resource for




Exhibit 1-5

Lesson Event Assessment Form

Teacher __________________________________ Subject ________________________

Date Observed ___________ Start Time______________ End Time ________________

Directions: Use the dialogue box below to record the sequence of the lesson.

Exhibit 1-6

WALK-THROUGH ASSESSMENT

Classroom Environment


Aggregate Decisions Time Decisions

Learning is equally accessible to all

students

Furniture arrangement is a resource for

learning activities

Grouping students is based on prescription

of learning needs

Grouping students is based on performance

goals and how well each individual

functions as a group

Achievement Decisions Behavior Decisions




Evaluators Signature: _______________________________ Date_________________



Exhibit 1-7


Reflection Conference Notification (Reverse Side of Walk-Through Assessment Form)


______________________________________ ____________ ________________

Teacher Date Subject

I would like to review with you the reflective statements and question

pertaining to my recent walk-through observation of your class. Please plan to

meet with me during your ______________ planning period on M T W Th or F

of ____________________.

The reflection conference will be held at the following place:

_____ Office ______ Classroom ________________ Other

Please respond to the items below ONLY IF THEY ARE CHECKED (X)

( ) Bring grade book and lesson plan book to the conference for review of your

recordkeeping procedures.

( ) Bring emergency lesson plans

( ) Bring professional growth plans for activities that that are most appropriate

for meeting the objective of continuous growth.

( ) Bring classroom rules and discipline plan.

( ) Other: _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Month & Year


Exhibit 1-8


Executive Functions










Exhibit 1-9


Instructional Performance Teacher _______________________ Time _______________ Subject ______________









Exhibit 1-10

Classroom Verbal Flow Assessment Chart

Teacher __________________________________ Subject ________________________


Question Type Assessment Form

Exhibit 1-11

Observation Key

+ Correct Response - Incorrect Response

P Teacher Paraphrase CF Correct Feedback

M Monitoring OT Student off Task

CB Corrects Student Behavior SR Student Reads

BB Student Work at Board

Student Initiates Question Student out of Seat

Please note that the slash bar represents the frequency the behavior occurs.

Chalkboard

Teacher Desk

Podium

Exhibit 1-11

Question Type Assessment

Teacher __________________________________ Subject ________________________


Directions: Record the number of times a teacher asks a specific type of question by placing a

tally mark next to the question type that was used.

Total Solitary _______ Controlled _______ Voluntary _______ Spontaneous _______ Mass ___

Solitary Question:

The teacher designates which student is to respond before the question is presented. Example:

Tom, what is the first step in the writing process?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Controlled Question:

The teacher presents the question before the student is designated to respond. Example: What is

the first step in the writing process, Tom?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Voluntary Question:

The teacher presents the question and students respond voluntarily. Who can tell us what we call

the first step in the writing process?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spontaneous Question:

Teacher presents the question and students respond one after the other without the teacher

designating a particular student. Example: There are five steps in the writing process. Someone

tell me the first step . . . the second step . . . the third step.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mass Question:

Teacher presents the question and the students respond in unison. Example: Class [Row One,

Group Two], what is the first step in the writing process?

Exhibit 1-12

Teacher Affirmation Assessment Form

Teacher __________________________________ Subject ________________________


Directions: Use the tally boxes below to record the type of affirmation used during a classroom

session. Teacher affirmation can be recorded for both responding to student behaviors or

teacher initiated questions.

Teacher Initiated Questions

Probes for Student Answer

Total _______ (Student answer is incorrect restates question with clue)

Paraphrasing Student Response

Total _______ (Affirms student answer restates correct response)

No Response

Total _______ (N0 response moves to another question)

Student Behavior

Corrects Classroom Behavior

Total _______ (Reminds class to follow rules for learning)

Praises Classroom Behavior

Total _______ (Praises class for being ready to learn or affirms proper

behavior)

Corrects Individual Behavior

Total _______ (Reminds individual student to focus on task)

Praises Individual Behavior

Total _______ (Affirms to individual on how well they are focusing on task)



Exhibit 1-13

ALT Seating Chart

Teacher __________________________________ Subject ________________________


Directions: Use the observation key and definition box to record off task behavior.

KEY M = Monitoring

SR = Student Reads

BB = Work at Blackboard

OT = Off Task

Student Out of Seat

Student Initiates Question

Measuring Academic Learning Time

The purpose of the ALT instrument is to provide data on individual learning behavior during a

classroom lesson. The instruments “ALT Symbols Key” is designed to measure teacher

monitoring frequency, which prompts students to stay on task and how the teacher engages

students through reading, working at the board, completing seatwork, or participating in guided

practice. The Symbols Key is defined below for the purpose of helping identify off task

behavior verses engaged time or time on task.

M = Monitoring: Higher correlations of learning are associated with teacher monitoring.

Monitoring of classroom activities is when the teacher frequently inspects papers, and generally

moves around the room to observe academic progress of students while clarifying task to

increase success rate. Monitoring is measured by the number of times a teacher interacts with a

student during independent seat work.

Example: M//// means the teacher monitored the student four times during the lesson.

Student Initiated Question: Student initiated questions are when students are asking for

assistance in clarifying the assignment, needing further explanation of process, or needing

teacher’s assistance to expand an idea. The number of clarifying request made by students

following a guided practice activity may indicate a need for further explanation by the teacher.

In most cases a student will initiate a question by holing up their hand to seek teacher assistance

and the wait time before assistance is received is critical to keeping students on task. The number

of times student request assistance may also be an indicator of how well a student understands

the assignment.

Example: the number of tallies on the arrow indicates that the student requested

clarification three times during the lesson. Students requesting teacher assistance for over sixty-

seconds should be marked OT off task.

OT = Off Task: Students who demonstrate off task behavior are not listening, talking to another

student, playing, or not following the teachers directives during a lesson. Teachers can modify

off task behavior by, monitoring students, engage them in direct questioning. Off task behavior is

recorded every sixty seconds with a tally mark outside the student box on the seating chart.

OT Example: OT/// reflects that the student was not engaged in the learning task for three

minutes during the lesson and should be marked next to the students’ box.

Out of Seat: The number of times students are out of their seats during instruction is

another way to record off task behavior unless the student has been assigned to assist other

students during a lesson.

Exhibit 1-14

Teacher Reinforcement Types and Frequencies

Teacher __________________________________ Subject ________________________


Directions: Record teacher reinforcement statements and use a tally mark for the number of

times the reinforcement statement has been repeated.

Record teacher reinforcement statements and frequencies below:

No response:

Exhibit 1-15

Lesson Line Assessment Instrument

Teacher __________________________________ Subject ________________________


Directions: Indicate parts of the lesson line observed by circling items observed during the

lesson. Use the note section to describe teacher statements that are defined under the lesson line.

SET TEACHING TO THE OBJECTIVE CLOSURE

Relate to past,

present, or future

Statement of the

objective

Explanation

Definitions

Content

Process/Steps

Model

Example

Demonstration

Direction Giving Activities

Independent

Guided

Group

Involve

learner

Student

summarizing

learning

Notes:

Set

Explanation

Direction Giving

Activity

Closure

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