A Sprint to the Finish

In the midst of all the meetings and paperwork that principals have, there is not always enough time to conduct daily classroom observations. But principals in Charlotte, North Carolina, are finding that informal "Three-Minute Classroom Walk-Throughs" can be a welcome complement to formal teacher observations. While there was some initial skepticism to the technique that has principals dashing through the classroom in three-minute intervals, principals and teachers there agree that it is an effective way to help improve teacher quality and also sends a strong message that "academics are a top priority." Tell us what you think about using this technique or share other techniques that you use for informal classroom observations.