On October 25, a group of Neshaminy School District teachers and administrators visited several classrooms at Maple Point Middle School, then gathered in a nearby conference room to discuss their observations as part of Instructional Rounds.
This program, started last year at Neshaminy, offers an opportunity for constructive dialogue on the effectiveness of curricula and classroom procedures based on interaction with teachers and students as they go about their normal day. It is based on the concept of medical rounds conducted at hospitals to observe patient care, share best practices and adjust treatment based on shared knowledge combined with those observations. It not meant as a tool to evaluate teachers, but rather as one to promote and share techniques that work and offer constructive, practical suggestions based on real-world classroom activity.
Instructional Rounds was developed at Harvard University. Members of the Neshaminy staff attended Instructional Rounds training at Harvard last year and are teaching their colleagues the techniques for future implementation throughout the District.
Instructional Rounds at Herbert Hoover Elementary School in Levittown