Walkabouts are professional learning experiences that help increasing instructional alignment to the school’s vision for instruction. Every walker is a learner. These walks make teaching and learning public. Another purpose of these walks is to collect data, look for evidence of the implementation of effective practices, and gain insights into next steps. These walks are also used to determine current trends in instruction, establish instructional baselines, and observe growth across time. These walks also provide feedback for teachers on instructional practices aligned to the professional learning goals of the school.

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Half day sessions (one AM and one PM)

A host teacher volunteers to open up his/her classroom for the observation of a lesson that was developed based on current learning provided by SLC. The host teacher collaborates with an SLC facilitator during a coaching day (or a distance coaching session) to prepare to teach a lesson based on previous SLC PD. There are two lab sessions per day. Each includes a pre-brief (45-60 minutes), an observation (50-80 minutes), and a debrief (90 minutes). Each lab session can accommodate at most 10 participants. The host teacher needs to be available during the pre-brief and the debrief.

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An SLC facilitator provides one-on-one or small group coaching for teachers as they implement lessons based on their learning in SLC PD sessions. During these coaching days SLC facilitators can prepare host teachers for learning labs, co-teach lessons (a favorite of both teachers and students), or provide teacher feedback based on a more traditional coaching model. During coaching sessions, SLC facilitators can also help with lesson or unit development. In addition, SLC coaches support instruction by modeling lessons.

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Participants can engage in either one coaching cycle or a sequence of three coaching cycles. All meetings are done remotely either via phone or an online video discussion platform. All coaching cycles begin with an initial coaching conversation between the teacher and the coach to set goals and outline the coaching cycle process. One coaching cycle includes a pre-conference, a video-recorded classroom observation that is completed by the teacher (iPhone or iPad), and a debrief meeting that includes reflective conversation. Teachers can engage in a single coaching cycle, or a sequence of three.

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A Sterling facilitator can provide an array of on-site support depending on the learning needs of teachers or administrators. For example, the facilitator can provide any of the following support: work directly with Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), engage groups of teachers in data conversations, coach alongside a school-based or district coach, engage teachers in lesson planning sessions during their planning periods or work days, visit classrooms with administrators to ensure a common vision of instruction to support a fair teacher evaluation system.

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On-site support days can help facilitate PLCs meetings as members engage in continuous improvement cycles – Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycles. These cycles support peer collaboration and can include the use of classroom video or student artifacts (through structured protocols) to study implementation of new instructional practices (strategies) and plan for continuous improvement.

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SLC facilitators support instructional leaders in the coaching and calibration of effective classroom observations and teacher feedback that strengthens instructional practices, teacher reflection, and implementation of new learning. Foundational learning sessions focus on the necessary skills and practices that support quality classroom observations, help develop effective feedback, and enhance teacher reflection and practice.

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All professional learning sessions include online learning modules. These modules can be used as a review of content and processes learned throughout the project. SLC embeds the videos gathered by school or district partners for up to a year from the initial PD delivery. In addition, any specialized tools developed during the collaboration between SLC and school/district partners will be added to the online learning modules. This allows for customization of future PD support.

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