In his short video “The Power of Drop-Ins”, Peps Mccrea promotes the use of informal, low-stakes classroom visits as an additional tool for teacher professional development. Drop-ins are not evaluative observations, but brief, purposeful interactions designed to create a rhythm of feedback and reflection, and research shows that the impact on professional practice can be at par with instructional coaching (a format we have adapted for our Professional Learning Plan at Le Rosey).
Mccrea emphasises that drop-ins are particularly relevant for teachers in years 3–10 of their career, a period during which professional growth will plateau without intentional exploration of innovative pedagogy. At our school, our Professional Learning Plan (with the support of a trained coach we call Learning Partner), school-wide or department-wide initiatives and collaborative networks are all aimed at feeding teachers’ professional curiosity and drive. Several departments have begun to implement formal and informal visits, but the drop-in format (which adds immediacy and frequency, reinforcing a culture of continuous improvement) has not been exploited.
I invite colleagues to try the following format as a department- or section-wide initiative:
- Drop in for 5-7 minutes.
- Note something positive (that you value) that your colleague did in their lesson.
- Note the impact that action had on student learning (individual or group).
- Share that note, either in conversation or on an email to that teacher.
- If the team decides to move to group share formats, share it with the wider group.
Keeping in mind that our professional growth can plateau after our 3rd year of experience, how can we inject new energy to our work and to our exploration of best practices? Now that we are moving to a new academic building with learning hubs for departments and classrooms that are physically and visually inter-connected, exploring the potential of drop-ins can help us all get our mojo back.
