Learning Rounds
We learn by doing; not by being told what or how to do it. The most effective professional learning is not done to people; it is done WITH them. Coach to Lead's Learning Rounds engages a team of teachers and administrators in a full-day qualitative research process where everyone takes on the roles of researchers and learners in their own school. As we collectively study the students' learning experiences, we deepen our understanding of the instructional core, our role as change agents, and how we can maximize our improvement efforts - the Focus for Student Learning.
The Instructional Core for Engaged Learning
Learning is an internal process - it happens in the brain. Learning to see evidence of cognitive processes takes time, practice, and skill.
Coach to Lead can help your team learn to see evidence of learning, analyze the evidence to develop assertions, prioritize the provocations to determine a Focus for Student Learning, and most importantly, develop a short-term action plan to improve outcomes for students.
Learning Rounds is a powerful professional learning experience that leads to meaningful changes to the student learning experience. This process evolved through 15 years of study and refinement of instructional rounds.
We start with an emergent design approach to understand the data and then customize for each school by applying lenses aligned to district and school priority areas and frameworks such as Portrait of a Graduate competencies, cognitive complexity, equitable access, engagement, etc.
© 2025 Coach to Lead.
Learning Rounds - The What & Why
Purpose
To collectively study the school and understand the health of the learning system.
To identify a Focus for Student Learning (area of improvement) through an emergent approach.
Benefits
Builds Collective Efficacy
Focuses on Tier 1 Strategies
Develops Systems Thinking
Improves: Student Learning, Teacher Practice, School Culture, and Alignment
Descriptors
Collective Inquiry
Qualitative Research
Non-Evaluative
Professional Learning
Systematic
Action-Oriented
Voices of Participants
"Coach to Lead's reverse power structure - where those closest to student learning, the teachers, are empowered over others - makes a huge difference for our level of engagement and commitment."
High School Teacher
Focus Walks takes peer observation to the next level. This process empowers educators to develop a Vision of Practice and a Continuum of Practice to guide their learning as they invitationally visit each others' classrooms and study the implementation of their school's Focus for Student Learning.
Focus for Student Learning
Example: Our students need more opportunities to talk about the content with each other regularly (using academic vocabulary).
Vision of Practice
Positioned in the Future
Example: What do we see and hear now that our students have more opportunities to talk about content with each other regularly (using academic vocabulary)?
Continuum of Practice
What are 3-5 specific attributes of our Focus for Student Learning? Develop a 4-point descriptive rubric for each attribute.
Example Attributes: Teacher Questions, Wait Time, Student Use of Academic Vocabulary, Student-Teacher Voice Ratio
Focus Walks - Build Ownership & Efficacy
