The School Leaders Guide to Strategic Observations and Conversations
Every school leader is told to be an “instructional leader,” but few are told exactly what that looks like day to day. Research is clear that the principal is the second most important factor in student achievement, after teaching itself, yet many hard-working leaders pour energy into visible, satisfying tasks that never change what happens inside classrooms.
This professional learning introduces the Visibility Framework and its Four Pillars:
- Visible Models that define what great teaching looks like,
- Principles that focus a school on a narrow set of plainspoken commitments,
- Active Data gathered through strategic observations, and
- Conversations that deliver feedback teachers can actually use.
Learn to build the systems and habits that bridge the knowing-doing gap and structure continuous instructional improvement in every classroom.
Essential Questions
- How do you strategically use observations and conversations to improve teaching and learning in every classroom?
- Why is accountability and support so important for increasing teaching effectiveness?
- How do exemplary leaders provide support to teachers so they can successfully transfer skills and knowledge into practice?
- How does effective feedback foster growth and development?
Key Takeaways
- Principals influence student achievement most powerfully through instructional leadership and collective efficacy, but only certain uses of a leader's time and energy change classroom practice.
- Visible Models, such as implementation continuums, give teachers a clear, shared picture of what great teaching looks like, replacing vague expectations with concrete mental models.
- Effective schools operate from a narrow set of validated, plainspoken instructional Principles that align the school's three systems and tell everyone what to do, not just what to value.
- Active Data, collected through Look-Fors and Ask-Abouts during structured walkthroughs, reveals whether instructional expectations are actually showing up in classrooms.
- Feedback fails when it triggers the receiver; matching evaluation, appreciation, and coaching feedback to the right moment, and organizing the work into short cycles, turns observations into continuous improvement.
Strategic Observations and Conversations
Professional Development Opportunities
Professional Development Agenda
Strategic Observations and Conversations
Professional Development Agenda PDF
Course Syllabus
Strategic Observations and Conversations
Comprehensive Course Syllabus PDF
Buy the Strategic Observations and Conversations Book -
With The School Leaders Guide to Strategic Observations and Conversations you will learn to use an exemplary model of observing teachers, monitoring for improvement, and providing effective feedback conversations to support and hold teachers accountable, enabling them to consistently and effectively transfer skills and practices into their daily work.
This professional learning provides strategies for making adjustments that will make a significant impact on teaching and learning. Discover the best methods for supporting your teachers for effectively implementing high yield instructional strategies and exemplary practices.
- Regular price
- $50.00
Frequently asked questions
How much is shipping?
Regular ground shipping, which arrives in 7-10 business days, is free. Yes, FREE!
However, if you need faster shipping for an additional charge, call 866-955-3276 to place your order.
Do you offer quantity discounts?
We offer quantity discounts up to 10% on materials when purchased for a school-wide or district-wide professional development
training that we are providing at your location or when using with a Learning-Focused Online course.
Contact us to request a discount.
What is your return policy?
Learning-Focused will accept returns of products within 30 days of receipt of shipment for a refund. Learning-Focused will accept
returns of products within 45 days of receipt of shipment for an exchange or store credit. To qualify for return or exchange, products
must be unused.
Call 866-95-LEARN to arrange the return for a refund or exchange. Products purchased that are made to order (Coaches Binders,
Monitoring Binders, Redelivery Notes) will not be accepted for exchange or refund. Defective products will be exchanged for the same product only.
