Reflective

Question
Examples

Reflective
Questions
Best
Practices

Did you notice any

trends in student
questions/misunderstand
ing?

How could you use this

information to improve
your lesson?

How do you establish

equity of voice among
students?

How could you tie this

lesson into other
subjects?

Be purposeful in
questioning

What strategies do you

use for?

Stay away from using

phrase I liked

Im curious about

Can you think of ways

you might?

Tend to be open-ended
Balance general questions
(building/district goals,
PD focus areas) with
specific questions
(content, teacher skills)
Should lead to higher
level thinking by the
teacher
Purpose is to lead to
instructional conversation

Refer to evidence,
artifacts, and student
comments

EDL 278

Supervising
Instruction
Supervision of Instruction
is to provide students the
opportunity to gain
knowledge and skills
necessary for effective
supervision of teachers.

Best Practices for Walk-Throughs

The purpose of walk-throughs is
to lead to instructional
conversations
Convey the purpose of walk throughs to staff

Comments/notes should be
concise
Wording matters! Think about
the perception of the teacher

Effective
Evaluation
Practices
Focus on instructional
practices

Make sure expectations are clear

Start with positive

statements/topics

Have specific look-fors

Provide 1-3 reflective questions

Share walk-through criteria with

staff

Personalize the feedback

Convey a growth
mindset

Look for evidence and artifacts

Conversations before or after

walk-throughs are important

Provide positive
feedback/suggestions

Focus on students rather than

teacher

Solicit staff input on the walk through form

Make it personal to
the teacher

Talk to students during

observation (if possible)

Look for engagement vs. just

compliance

Ask how and

why questions

Be non-judgmental/objective

Routinely get into classrooms

to monitor instruction

Use coaching friendly

language

Acknowledge your biases

Use open -ended

questions

Walk-throughs should be growth

focused
Keep walk-throughs positive

Clearly articulate
comments/statements

Reinforce what you

see done well

Pre-Conference
Best Practices
Complete within 1 to 3 days before
observation

Formal
Observation Best
Practices
Focus on meaningful data

Communicate what is expected of teacher

Cite specific evidence (ex. Artifacts,

teacher or student comments,
observations, etc.)

Sample Questions

Connect statements to standards/criteria

Post-Conference
Best Practices

Ask another evaluator to look over and

provide feedback regarding
documentation

Know preferences of the teacher

Be intentional about desired outcomes

from conversation

What will the students be doing?

Only document what you actually observe

What is the main focus of the

lesson today?

Make documentation concise and

objective

Prepare for conversation but be flexible

and truly listen

Utilize wait time (80/20 guideline)

What will your students be able to

do as a result of this?

Observe more than one lesson if necessary

Consider videotaping the lesson

(especially to collect data)

Take advantage when door for

growth conversation opens

Allow appropriate time for

conversation and minimize possible
disruptions

Address areas where teacher asked you

to provide feedback

Add follow-up steps to conversation for

both teacher and evaluator

What will students say at the end

of the lesson?
What would you like feedback on?

Identify the best format to structure your

documentation

Where do you want me to sit in the

room?

Document in 3rd person

Do you want me to record the

observation?
Offer an option to record lesson if
unforeseen events do not allow you
to attend

Convey expectations on areas of

growth/improvement
Meet deadlines
Allow yourself time to reflect before postconference meeting