As an adult education leader, you are responsible for creating the conditions in which teachers can thrive and students can succeed. Every day, you make decisions about instructional support, professional learning, and program priorities—but how often do you have the opportunity to see what is happening in classrooms and use that knowledge to guide your decisions?
Classroom observations can provide that window. When designed as a collaborative and growth-focused process, observations become more than a compliance requirement—they become a powerful leadership tool for identifying effective practices, supporting teachers, and strengthening instruction across your program.
This professional learning series will help you build an observation process that turns classroom visits into meaningful opportunities for learning and improvement. You will learn how to gather evidence of teaching and learning, provide feedback that leads to growth, and use observation findings to focus coaching, professional development, and program improvement efforts.
Together, these practices can help programs amplify what is working, strengthen evidence-based instruction for adult learners, English learners, and students with disabilities, and create more consistent, impactful learning experiences for all students.
Programs are strongly encouraged to participate in teams of two or three staff members (e.g., program director and assistant director/lead teacher/instructional coach/teacher) to build shared leadership, support implementation, and create sustainable practices across the program.
- Adult education program directors
- Assistant program directors
- Lead teachers
- Instructional coaches
- Coordinators
- Other staff responsible for supporting instruction and conducting classroom observations
This professional development activity/course is designed for:
Classroom observations give you a clearer view of instruction across your program and help you make informed decisions about where to focus your time and resources. This series will help you:
- Focus your leadership efforts on instructional practices that have the greatest impact on student learning
- Use classroom evidence to guide coaching, professional development, and program improvement decisions
- Build a shared vision of effective teaching practices across classrooms, sites, and staff
You will explore the phases of an effective observation cycle—prepare, visit, reflect, and follow-up—and develop skills for conducting focused observations, collecting objective evidence, and engaging teachers in productive feedback conversations.
In addition, you will work with a Beyond the Checklist coach to apply learning within your own program and strengthen local observation practices.
Format & Requirements: This blended professional learning series combines self-paced online learning, live virtual sessions, in-person learning, applied practice, and individualized coaching.
Access & Support: The online components of this professional learning series are hosted via Canvas. You will not be able to access these online components from the SABES website. You will receive instructions for accessing the synchronous sessions via Zoom from Sovanna Carnell Guyon of the SABES Program Support Team. If you need technical assistance to access the course, please contact Sovanna Carnell Guyon at sovanna.carnellguyon@jsi.org.
You should plan to engage in the following:
- Three self-paced online modules (approximately 7 hours)
- One live online kick-off session (2 hours)
- Two in-person learning sessions (6 hours each)
- One live online wrap-up session (2 hours)
- Applied assignments between sessions (approximately 2 hours)
- Coaching with an assigned Beyond the Checklist coach (approximately 5 hours)
Total estimated time commitment: 30 hours
You are expected to complete all components between October 2026 and April 2027.
Professional Development Points (PDPs): Professional Development Points can be requested upon completion of all course components, including the final assignment.
Course Timeline:
You can see this series’ timeline in this visual or in the bulleted description that follows.
Module 1:
- Online self-paced module in Canvas: 10/1/26–10/16/26
- Online live session on Zoom: 10/16/25, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Module 2:
- Online self-paced module in Canvas: 10/16/26–11/20/26
- In-person live Session 1 at EDC Waltham: 11/20/26, 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Module 3:
- Online self-paced module in Canvas: 11/20/25–1/29/27
- In-person live Session 2 at EDC in Waltham: 1/29/27, 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Coaching:
- Coaching with assigned BTC coach: 2/1/27-4/30/27
Open Office Hours (optional):
- Online on Zoom: 2/26/27, 10 a.m.–11 a.m.
- Online on Zoom: 3/19/27, 10 a.m.–11 a.m.
- Online on Zoom: 4/15/27, 10 a.m.–11 a.m.
Final Session:
Online live session on Zoom: 4/9/27, 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
- Design and implement an effective classroom observation process
- Conduct focused, evidence-based observations and provide actionable feedback that supports teacher growth
- Use observation findings to strengthen student learning
Upon completion of this professional development activity/course, you will be able to:
United States
