Reimagining The Observation Cycle: A Practical Approach To Principal, Assistant Principal, And Teacher Pedagogical Relationships

David Newman • Cahn Fellow 2022

Brooklyn Technical High School is an iconic New York City high school with a storied history as it looks toward innovation to lead the way to the future. As the largest brick-and-mortar school in the nation, we constantly have our eye on modernization and revolutionizing our educational model. In order to do this, administrators and teachers must work together towards a common goal. This project focuses on transforming those pedagogical relationships, utilizing a practical approach to changing the instructional dynamic between administrators and teachers. Employing the Three-Minute Classroom Walk-through model developed by Downey et al. (2004), we concentrated on fortifying the relationship between the principal, assistant principals, and teachers by engaging in meaningful conversations and practices in a low-stake manner. This approach centers the principal as an instructional leader and ensures the principal’s pedagogical vision is incorporated and aligned with the school’s pedagogical practices.

Throughout the project, the norming process and conversations between the principal and assistant principals helped to strengthen administrative partnerships. In addition, we have effectively engaged in authentic discussions between administrators and teachers concerning best practices for improvement and true teacher growth, by focusing on feedback and support from more frequent observations.