East Penn Teachers, Administrators Will be Going on Rounds

Apparently doctors aren’t the only ones to go on rounds any more. The teachers and administrators of will soon be going on rounds too, according to the East Penn Superintendent of Schools.

Thomas L. Seidenberger told the East Penn Board of School Directors at Monday night’s school board meeting that a team of 24 East Penn teachers and administrators will be touring on Friday, Jan. 13 as part of a process known as “Instructional Rounds.” Lincoln is the first school on the agenda this spring for what is eventually to be a three-school series of visits.

Modeled after the medical rounds conducted by physicians and medical students in hospitals, instructional rounds are meant to help teachers and administrators to deeply examine what is happening in the classrooms in their schools and to uncover best practices for teaching/learning.

Seidenberger said that he is pretty sure that East Penn is the first district outside of the New England area to conduct Instructional Rounds.

Seidenberger said that 115 East Penn staffers expressed an interest in going on rounds, and the field was narrowed through a process similar to a “NCAA selection.” Ultimately, 12 teachers and 12 administrators were chosen for rounds at Lincoln.

Those who did not get picked to go on rounds this time will be eligible to go on rounds at another school later this year. Instructional rounds will be held in the coming months at and a third school, yet to be selected, Seidenberger said.

“It should be an outstanding professional experience,” Seidenberger said. “We’re excited.”

After spending the day at Lincoln on Friday, the 24 educators will participate in a debriefing and the 12 administrators will also take part in a workshop on Saturday morning. “Instructional rounds are the focal point of our administrative in-service this year,” Seidenberger said.