We all know the feeling.
You are a teacher. You are in the middle of a lesson. Suddenly, the door handle turns. The room goes silent. The Assistant Principal walks in with a laptop (or worse, a clipboard).
Your heart rate spikes. You immediately wonder: “What did I do wrong? Is he checking my learning targets? Is that kid in the back asleep?”
For years, school administration has weaponized the “Observation.” We have turned it into a “Gotcha” moment. Because we only visit classrooms when we have to (for formal evaluations), our presence becomes a signal of judgment.
When I became an Assistant Principal, I wanted to break that pavlovian fear response. I didn’t want my teachers to stiffen up when I walked in. I wanted them to ignore me.
The only way to normalize your presence is to increase the frequency and lower the stakes.
I set a personal goal: 5 Pop-Ins a Day.
It takes about 20 minutes, but it has done more for my school culture than any faculty meeting ever could. Here is how (and why) I do it.
The Goal is “Witnessing,” Not Evaluating
When I do a formal evaluation, I bring my laptop. I sit in the back. I type. That is a legal process.
When I do a “Pop-In,” I leave the laptop in my office.
I walk in with empty hands. I am not there to rate their DOK levels or check their lesson plans. I am there to witness the work.
- I smile at the teacher.
- I kneel down next to a student and ask what they are working on.
- I pick up a piece of trash.
By entering without the tools of judgment (the clipboard), I signal safety. I am just part of the furniture.
The “5-a-Day” Habit
If I wait until I have “free time” to visit classrooms, it will never happen. The tyranny of the urgent (emails, discipline, parents) will always eat my schedule.
I schedule my Pop-Ins just like I schedule a parent meeting.
- 9:00 AM – 9:20 AM: I walk the 3rd Grade Hall.
- 1:00 PM – 1:20 PM: I walk the 5th Grade Hall.
I visit 5 rooms. I stay for 3-4 minutes each.
This consistency changes the atmosphere. If I only show up once a semester, it’s an event. If I show up every Tuesday, it’s just Tuesday.
The “Sticky Note” Feedback
A Pop-In is useless if the teacher doesn’t know what you thought.
If I walk out without saying anything, the teacher’s anxiety fills in the blank. “He hated it. He looked bored.”
I leave a trail of breadcrumbs. I carry a pad of sticky notes in my pocket. Before I leave, I write one positive thing I saw.
- “Loved how you handled that interruption.”
- “Great check for understanding.”
- “The energy in here is awesome.”
I stick it on their desk and walk out.
This does two things:
- Validation: Teaching is a lonely job. Getting instant credit for a small win feels huge.
- Deposits: I am making “emotional bank deposits.” Later in the year, when I have to have a hard conversation with that teacher, I have earned the relationship capital to do it.
The Takeaway
You cannot lead a school from behind a desk.
If the only time your teachers see you is when they are in trouble or when they are being graded, you have a culture of fear.
Get into the classrooms. Leave the laptop. High-five a kid. Leave a sticky note.
Make your presence boring. Because when your presence is boring, your feedback becomes safe.