As we head into the new school year, I’m struck by how much focus there is on the technical aspects of schooling: lesson planning expectations, data analysis, culture walks, the rules and roles of Title I meetings, maintaining accurate rosters, and addressing EL/SPED designations. However, what often gets less attention is the importance of relationships within the school. Megan Tschannen-Moran refers to “trust” as the lubricant that enables all systems to function smoothly. Without trust, even the best systems and expectations will fail.
I once worked at a school where there was strong resistance to having classroom observations. Teachers were wary of the feedback they received, doubting its ability to improve teaching and learning. They often asked, “What can an observer really see in just 10 minutes?”
This divide created frustration on both sides: leaders were exasperated by the teachers’ resistance, and teachers felt their hard work was misunderstood or devalued. It became clear that before we could leverage observations to improve classroom practices, we needed to address the underlying beliefs that were fueling the resistance.
To bridge this divide, we introduced an exercise during a professional development day. Teachers were released for one period to conduct 10-minute peer observations. Their guiding question was, “What can an observer see in 10 minutes?” Later that day, we held a Socratic Seminar to discuss their findings. The results were eye-opening. Teachers remarked, “We can see a whole lot in 10 minutes.” They noticed student engagement and disengagement, clarity of learning objectives, respect between teachers and students, and even identified teachers who needed support with classroom management.
Most importantly, teachers concluded that 10 minutes of observation can yield powerful information. These brief glimpses provided valuable insights that could inform leadership decisions, such as focusing support where it was needed, identifying trends for professional development, defining common classroom management tools, or highlighting a “superstar” teacher whose methods could be shared.
By addressing teachers’ concerns directly and engaging them in the process, we created a crucial shift in the relationship between teachers and leaders. Observations were no longer seen as intrusive but as a valuable tool to advance instructional practices across the school.
Too often, schools operate within an “us vs. them” culture, with teachers and leaders on opposite sides, pulling against each other. When this dynamic is present, it hinders student success. Instead, teachers and leaders must work together as a united team, pulling every student toward their fullest potential. Leaders are most effective when they understand the adult culture, diagnose the root causes of resistance, and take strategic action to build trust and strengthen relationships. Only then can the school truly thrive.
About Holonomy Consulting:
Holonomy is a combination of two Greek words, ‘halos’ or whole and ‘on’ meaning part. Thus, holonomy means that an entity is both an autonomous unit and a member of a larger whole simultaneously. We believe that the best solutions are born from deep listening and using processes to build solutions collaboratively with organizational stakeholders who hold the intimate knowledge and intelligence of the organization. Our consulting approach offers strong processes that promise engagement and inclusion as a means to design and achieve solutions. Learn more at www.holonomyconsulting.com
