By Design, Not by Default: Parent Connection as Instructional Leadership
June 15, 2026
The Learning Leader is the Leading Learner
June 15, 2026
Rabbi Dr. Maury Grebenau
Research1 and experience confirm that instructional leadership is vital for school success. While performing observations of classroom teaching and conducting targeted feedback conversations with teachers designed to foster self-reflection are indispensable tools for improving student outcomes, implementing these systems can be difficult in schools where hands-on supervision isn’t the norm. By detailing the roadblocks of cultural change and suggesting practical strategies, this article aims to help leaders navigate the shift toward more impactful, learning-centered supervision.
Shifting Culture
At both schools where I served as principal, administrators were not an expected presence in the classroom when I arrived. In one school, the prevailing culture was built upon a previous head of school’s philosophy of “I hire good people and leave them alone,” and a classroom observation was viewed as a lack of trust in the teacher’s ability. Shifting the culture while trying to establish myself as an instructional leader and building relationships was delicate work at times, but in both cases, within three years, I had a clear system of observations and feedback for every teacher, culminating in written evaluations that were focused, informed, and valuable for the teachers and for me.
In my work coaching principals, designing a strategic culture shift in supervision has been a critical challenge to address, especially for more veteran principals who are trying to shift their own practice toward more hands-on supervision. Leaders should consider three important questions as they embark on shifting culture:
- What is the current culture around supervision and evaluation at your school?
- What have been the teachers’ previous experiences (or lack of) with supervision and feedback?
- Are there aspects/habits of your own practice that need to be adjusted?
Considering where the gaps are between the systems you’d like to have in place and the current reality is critical for planning the right approach. Schein2 defines culture as “a pattern of shared basic assumptions learned by a group” and offers an iceberg model that encourages us to consider what values and norms might be lurking below the surface. Like an iceberg, most culture is not immediately visible, and ignoring it can severely damage an initiative if it runs aground, scraping against norms and assumptions that were not obvious. The first step is to recognize the potential challenges and have clear strategies to meet them.
Teachers also bring their own preconceptions and experiences when it comes to supervision. Have they had a positive experience with a supportive principal who visited their classroom, drawing them into valuable conversations by presenting data collected in the classroom, or do they think of very different experiences when they hear that the principal will be making unannounced visits to classrooms?
Finally, recognizing when more focus on supervision is a change from your own previous behavior is important. Will teachers roll their eyes when you announce that you’ll be making an effort to visit their classrooms and mutter, “We’veheard that before”? If you previously visited only the classrooms of teachers who were struggling, will they assume they are being singled out for poor teaching when you arrive?
Meeting the Challenge
While changing culture is not easy, it is a necessary skill for leaders to be successful. By building trust with teachers, communicating clearly about what they can expect, and harnessing the principles of adult learning, introducing hands-on supervision can be a relatively smooth process.
Build Trust
Good supervisors build trust with their employees, and principals are no different. Understandably, teachers can feel vulnerable when administrators enter their classrooms. The goal of constructive feedback conversations is for teachers to be deeply self-reflective about their practice, and if the teacher does not trust his or her principal, this is all but impossible. Only when teachers trust that their principal has their best interests at heart and has the ability to support their thinking are real conversations that change practice possible. When trust is not present, the supervision process will consist of surface-level, performative conversations, as teachers go through the motions so they can be crossed off a to-do list.
When I focused on building trust with the teachers early, it greased the wheels of supervision. I listened carefully to their previous experiences and their hopes and concerns about what my first year as their leader would look like. I kept lines of communication open and tried to be honest and forthcoming about what they could expect from me in general and about specific areas of importance. I asked for feedback and acknowledged when I could have done better, modeling the type of openness and vulnerability I wanted from them.
When I noticed hesitancy or resistance to supervision, it was a sign that I needed to build more trust. Naming the resistance and asking about it with openness and curiosity can help a principal understand what teachers are concerned about and build trust. “I noticed that you looked concerned when I entered your classroom today. My intent is really to learn about the teaching and learning so I can better support you. Would you be open to telling more about what makes you nervous about my visits?”
Communicate Clearly
While part of building trust is demonstrating that you will tell teachers what to expect in advance, it does not mean that you promise not to change anything. Promising no change may earn initial sighs of relief, but no one wants to be on a boat headed nowhere. Teachers want a principal who expresses a clear vision and demonstrates how he or she is pushing the school toward that goal. We all want to do our best, and adults, like our students, thrive when they are given challenges along with support. It is important to frame supervision as a vehicle for growth and superior teaching and learning in the school. Teachers should know what to expect from their principal and also the purpose and goals of the classroom visits and feedback conversations.
In my initial days with teachers before school began, I reviewed the basics of supervision and let them know I’d be visiting classrooms. I clarified that I would be a second pair of eyes capturing things they would not be able to notice due to their appropriate focus on their students. Although my visits were generally unannounced, I made sure teachers knew to expect my visit in general and how to interpret those visits long before I walked into their rooms.
I made sure to explain the broader context and address questions I knew teachers would have. Teachers would want to know what information I was collecting when they saw me scribbling in the back of their classroom and what I would do with it. It was important to clarify that I was capturing data on students, teachers, and instructional tasks as well as scripting student and teacher interactions, and that I’d be sharing this with them later so we could discuss how different strategies were actually working in their classroom.
Understand Adult Learners
There are ways adult learners differ from students, and understanding these differences is important when planning supervision. Drago-Severson and others3 have written about the importance of applying adult learning principles to support adult professional development. The supervision cycle is an important form of adult learning in which teachers have the opportunity to learn new skills and techniques and receive clear feedback on their progress. Adults want their learning to be self-directed and goal-oriented, and they struggle to apply new skills to practice.
They want to be self-directed in their learning, with the ability to shape their goals and how they will get there. Giving adults this opportunity positively correlates with academic success, motivation, and retention4. It is important to present feedback and create a plan for growth with the teacher as co-creator or even pilot, in order to get their buy-in. Conversations that draw out where a teacher would like to improve, and planning together for how you, as principal, can support that growth, are far more effective than mandates and directives.
Adults are also goal-oriented. Teachers want to be self-reflective5, and giving them this opportunity is critical. Entering into supervision with agreement on the goal of improving their teaching, and even on which specific area is in focus, is very helpful. The more the teachers are involved in choosing the area of focus and guided in deciding how they will learn, the better. This is an opportunity to ask the teachers what they would like you to focus on during your visit to their class.
Understand that adults often resist making changes when it requires a new skill they have not yet mastered. Since there will be an implementation dip where they will be novices in the new practice, this creates resistance. The principal needs to recognize this and create a safe space to co-create the pathway forward.
Start Strong
Starting on the right foot is essential for a culture shift. Teachers will be tentative and unsure, assuming that the initial feel of a process is a good predictor of how it will always feel. Although this is not accurate, it is a reality of how our brains are wired and must be addressed. By beginning the process with low stakes, the right teachers, and a focus on what’s already working, principals can introduce supervision in a way that feels less jarring to teachers.
One suggestion is to start with low stakes. When supervision is introduced, it should not feel as though anything is riding on these conversations beyond the goals of superior student learning and professional growth. When I shared with teachers what to expect, I clarified that these visits and feedback were not (yet) tied to an evaluation process or compensation. While this changed in my second year (with plenty of advance notice to the teachers), it was important not to rush into a process that feels overly evaluative.
It’s also wise to start with the right audience. Begin with teachers who are eager to improve their teaching and receive feedback. Newer teachers can be more receptive to this process, but you know your staff best. Make sure the first teachers to experience observations and feedback conversations appreciate the time spent and are energized by being supported in improving their teaching. The goal is to build momentum by choosing teachers who will be excited by this process and share that with others. This will start the supervision flywheel moving and help those who are feeling tentative to become more comfortable with the process.
Finally, stay positive. It is easier for people to put positive feedback into action than negative feedback6. Begin your first couple of rounds of observations by looking for strategies that teachers are employing in the classroom that are examples of great teaching, and capture evidence of their effectiveness. This allows for a positive conversation that is grounded in data and reinforces good teaching, which will set the stage for later, more nuanced conversations that can still be data-informed.
This strategy is especially important for more senior or resistant teachers. In my first year as principal, I had a very senior Hebrew teacher who asked me not to visit her classroom. I explained that I needed to visit all the classrooms. When I did visit, I focused on a few strategies she employed to get students working more independently. When I shared the data I had captured to show that they were effective, she was pleased that I had noticed what she was doing and became much more receptive to my future visits.
Attitude is a critical ingredient of starting strong. If you strike a positive, upbeat chord in your visits and discussions, teachers will be more likely to experience them that way. In general, a principal will be most successful by using a stance that is a balance between humility and confidence. Teachers will respond best to a supervisor who they feel has something to share with them that will help them do well, but who also demonstrates a clear respect and interest in their thinking. In this way, good supervision as a principal is much like good teaching. A teacher must show deep respect for his or her students while demonstrating the ability to help them grow. This, too, is the essence of supervision.
Many of the same teachers who resisted the process in my first year were far more receptive by year three. We had gone from my presence in the classroom being an anomaly to it being the norm. With my more reflective teachers, each visit and conversation was a pleasure—a chance to truly discuss teaching and learning in the school. There were many other tasks I was involved in each week, but when I had a meaningful feedback conversation with a teacher following a classroom observation, I felt most strongly that I was doing my part to be an instructional leader in my school.
Rabbi Dr. Maury Grebenau is director of JNTP’s Administrator Support Program, leading a team of talented facilitators/coaches in providing cohort-based professional development and individual coaching to Jewish day school leaders. Maury has been teaching and leading in Jewish day schools for over 20 years, including a decade as principal in Texas and California. Maury has spoken and written widely on educational leadership and current school-related issues,including teen health and the use of school technology. His articles have been published in Kappan, Principal Leadership, and Hayidion, among others. Maury earned his EdD from Northeastern University, writing his dissertation on the experiences of new principals in Jewish day schools, and has rabbinic ordination from both Yeshiva University and Rav Zalman Nechemya Goldberg, zt”l.