Walk Through Template using the Downey 3 Minute Walk

Through
The Downey 3 Minute Walk Through is intended for five or six three
minute observations in one classroom over a certain period of time. The
evaluator uses:
Part I
3 X 5 index cards to keep notes on for each classroom. (Hand held
electronics are also used.) Times for walk through in a particular
classroom should vary. It is not necessary to interact.
There are five key components to observe this process:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Are the students engaged?

Can you identify the district curriculum?
Instructional method/presentation?
Walk the walls for relevant content
Room issues

Use components 1-3 to develop a reflective question to ask the

teachers in a casual conversation. (Do not ask yes or no question.)
Your goal is to have the teacher reflect and process. (You do not have
to have a teacher conference for this assignment but what would your
reflective question be to get the conversation started?)

Reflective question for teacher: How did you know that all learners were actively engaged and
able to cite their sources properly?
Part II What was the level of student engagement during the walk
through? Use one of the descriptors to reflect on what you believe the
engagement was while you were in the class. How did you arrive at
selecting the descriptor you did? Data? How?
Instruction Focused on Student Learning walk through observation results
in determining the level of student engagement based on six choices:
1. Student Active/Engage Learning (projects, cooperative learning,
hands-on activities, demonstrations, higher order thinking)
2. Student Learning Conversation (active conversation between
students with most or all engaged, teacher initiated but not
directed, higher order thinking)
3. Teacher-Led Instruction (lecture, question an answer, teacher giving
instructions, video instruction with teacher interaction, instruction
and ideas come primarily from the teacher)

4. Student Work with Teacher Engagement (students working on

worksheets, workbook, video with teacher watching, teacher
assistance or support evident)
5. Student Work with Teacher Not Engaged (students working on
worksheets, workbook, video, teacher support and assistance not
evident)
6. Complete Disengagement (Neither teacher nor students engaged in
learning or teaching, such as watching video or doing activities not
directly related to the curriculum.

I was able to complete five walkthroughs over the course of six days in a humanities classroom,
but of a different grade level from what I teach. This was achievable as I have two hours and
forty minutes of planning time every other day, and was able to see a number of different classes
as we are on an eight-day cycle. I was able to see the teacher under many different circumstances
and at different times throughout the day. During the first walk through, the majority of learners
were engaged, but three students at a table in the far corner of the room were using online
resources that were not on topic (two were on a math game site-in a humanities class- and one
was looking at random pictures on Google Images). Five other learners had their hands up
waiting to ask questions. I was immediately able to identify the curriculum standards as an
essential question was written on the board, along with one AERO Standard. At the moment I
walked in, the teacher was wrapping up a short presentation on how to properly cite sources.
Learners were in the process of citing a webpage and journal article using MLA. I saw three
examples of properly cited sources on posters hung up along the back wall. The casual question I
would ask this teacher would be, How did you know that all learners were actively engaged and
able to cite their sources properly? I arrived at this question after seeing the three students off
topic and more than one third of the class asking questions immediately after the presentation.
The level of student engagement, initially, seemed high, but as I walked around more I noticed
that many learners seemed puzzled as to what they were doing. My initial thought was that this
was a new concept to them, and that citations can be tricky to teach. Learners were asking one
another questions and the teacher was moving around the room addressing concerns. I would put
the level of student engagement at student learning conversation. With the exception of the
three boys (one of whom got back on track after the second minute had passed), the learners with
their hands up were receiving instruction from students around them, and those that were
working on their own were conversing back and forth on what to look out for (periods and
commas in the right places, capital letters in the right places, and other small, attention to detail
pieces). While the content did not necessarily warrant higher order thinking, the learners
initiative showed me that they were committed to learning this new process.
Part III
Finally write a paragraph on your overall reflections of the process you
used your thoughts and opinions.

I found three minutes to be extremely short, and I need to be more focused in the future. By the
end of the fifth walkthrough, I felt that I had somewhat of a better understanding of what to look
for and how to stay more on point. It was easy to get distracted by individual learners and what
they were doing, so I had to keep my head up and in a more broadly positioned perspective to

take in what was going on. I found the teachers methods to be consistent throughout as he was
teaching the same skill during three of my walk-ins, but at different stages. Each time I walked
through I noticed him moving from group to group offering advice and encouragement. After
completing this exercise, I am of the opinion that three minute walkthroughs can be effective if
done with intent and focus. I need a lot more practice to be able to offer useful feedback, but that
is something I hope to work on over the next few years with my seventh grade team and the push
for short, peer observations.