STAR Learning Walks

STAR Learning Walks™

STAR Learning Walks are a structured professional development process where educators observe and reflect on instructional practices through the lens of personal schema. The goal of a STAR Learning Walk is to reflect on and to develop Powerful Teaching and Learning (PTL) in our own classrooms. The best way to learn about ourselves is to watch someone else teach through the lens of the Four Habits of Powerful Teaching and Learning Rubric and to reflect on our own practices. While you do this, ideas will STAR stands for See, Talk, Analyze, and Reflect.

The best way to learn about and change our own instructional Habits is to ...

See teaching and learning take place
Talk to colleagues about what you see
Analyze what elements of PTL showed up
Reflect on your own instructional Habits

KEEP IT SIMPLE

STAR Learning Walks are designed to help us simplify
effective instruction around the Four Habits of
Powerful Teaching and Learning. These habits are
aligned with cognitive science (brain research) and
many current initiatives including AVID, PBIS, Trauma
Informed Practices, CCSS, NGSS, C3 Framework, EES,
and SBA.

STAR Learning Walks are designed to help all
educators ensure that daily instructional practices are
aligned with cognitive research related to how the
brain learns.

Learning walks are opportunities for teachers to learn
from teachers by observing in multiple classrooms.
Most people assume that the purpose of classroom
observations is to make judgments and provide
feedback to the teachers observed. With STAR
Learning Walks, nothing is further from the truth!

Goal and Process

GOAL
The goals of a STAR Learning Walk are (1) to learn
what Powerful Teaching and Learning looks like,
(2) to become proficient in the language of the STAR
4 Habits Rubric, and (3) to personally commit to
instructional change. It is never the purpose to
critically evaluate others.

PROCESS
The best way to learn about our own practice is to
watch someone else teach and to then turn the focus
of our learning onto ourselves. We can use (live, video,
or virtual) classrooms. When we visit a host
classroom, the teacher will not expect any feedback.

KEEP IT SAFE

STAR Learning Walks simply use classroom
observations as opportunities for the observers to
reflect on their own instructional habits. Classroom
observations are an opportunity to enter learning labs,
where observers are NOT trying to critique the
teacher observed. Rather, they are trying to determine
if THEY see the various elements of the Four Habits of
Powerful Teaching and Learning (PTL) and then
apply what they learn to their own teaching situations.

During the debrief, participants talk about what
elements they saw and how they could make sure the
brain-based practices are manifested in their own
classrooms. As they discuss the lesson, participants
maintain an internal dialogue about how they can
apply what they are learning to their own classrooms.

Reflecting on our own practices rather than judging
someone else can be a new experience for some
people. If we are going to learn to change our practice
we need to follow a few simple steps:
See, Talk, Analyze, Reflect.

The WHY?

There are several advantages to improving our
instructional practices through Learning Walks; most
of which is that they are NOT part of the teacher
evaluation process. Learning Walks are simply an
opportunity to visit other classrooms and to think
about our own instructional practices.

STAR Learning Walks are not an Initiative; they are an Invitation.

We believe that by teachers leading the way and
teachers learning from teachers we will be able to
accomplish the following:
• Develop Common Language
• Learn to reflect on our instructional habits
• Identify instructional habits we want to change
• Plan lessons focused on the 4 Habits of PTL
• Align our instructional habits with best practice

The humble leadership demonstrated by teachers
who are willing to open up their classrooms for
visitations and by teachers who are willing to discuss
their observations in a respectful and reflective way
creates a safe, supportive environment that facilitates
change in instructional practice.