Using 'Look Fors' and 'Listen Fors' to Strengthen Instructional Practice

One of the greatest challenges in professional learning isn't learning about effective teaching, it's recognising what effective teaching actually looks and sounds like in practice. Schools have no shortage of research, evidence-informed strategies and instructional frameworks, yet one challenge remains remarkably consistent: translating these ideas into everyday classroom practice that genuinely improves student learning.

It raises an important question.

If we walked into ten classrooms today, would we see and hear the same understanding of quality teaching, or would it look different depending on whose classroom we entered? 

Building collective expertise begins with developing a shared picture of what quality looks like in action.

Too often, improvement efforts assume that because a strategy has been introduced, it is being implemented effectively. But knowing about a practice is very different from consistently enacting it in ways that make a difference for students. This is where look fors and listen fors become so valuable. Rather than describing effective teaching through theory alone, they encourage educators to examine practice together and develop a shared language for quality. The conversation becomes about "What evidence tells us that effective teaching is happening here?"

Phase 1: Building Shared Clarity Around Quality Practice

Improvement begins with a shared understanding of quality and that understanding cannot simply live in professional learning slides or strategic plans. Together, educators can co-construct Look Fors that describe observable teacher and student behaviours, alongside Listen Fors that capture the questions, dialogue and language that reveal deep thinking and meaningful learning.  To do this, teachers need opportunities to see effective practice, analyse it together and discuss why it works. It is through these conversations that a shared understanding of quality begins to emerge. To identify the essential features of effective instruction teachers  might access a combination of:

• case studies, 

• demonstration lessons, 

• classroom examples, 

• modelling, 

• worked examples, and 

• collaborative discussions 

In this way, Looks fors and Listen fors become a shared lens for noticing, discussing and strengthening practice.

Consider retrieval practice. 

Rather than simply agreeing that retrieval should be implemented in lessons, teams can define what successful implementation would actually look and sound like. (Image 1)

Example:

Image 1

Notice that these examples extend beyond what the teacher is doing. They also describe what students are doing, saying and thinking when retrieval practice is having its intended impact. Instead of asking, "Did I use retrieval practice?" teachers begin asking, "What evidence suggests retrieval is strengthening learning?"

Of course, agreeing on what quality looks like is only the beginning. 

It is common to hear schools say, "We use retrieval practice." While this tells us that a strategy has been introduced, it tells us very little about its quality or impact. A more useful conversation asks: 

How well is retrieval practice being implemented? 

What would we expect students to be doing if it were making a genuine difference?

Effective implementation develops over time. Teaching is rarely something that is simply present or absent. Instead, practice becomes increasingly sophisticated as teachers refine their instruction and students become more independent learners.

Early implementation might involve a teacher beginning each lesson with a series of recall questions. While this represents an important first step, more sophisticated implementation is evident when students independently select retrieval strategies, explain why those strategies strengthen learning and transfer them across different contexts without teacher prompting. The conversation shifts from whether a strategy is present to how deeply it is embedded and the impact it is having on student learning.

This is where developmental implementation continuums become invaluable. (Image 2) Rather than functioning as checklists, they describe how practice grows over time from emerging implementation through to increasingly sophisticated practice and measurable impact on student learning. They help teachers identify where they are now, what the next stage of development looks like and how their practice continues to evolve.

Image 2

Phase 2: Sustainable Strategies for Putting Practice into Action and Refining It

Developing shared clarity is only the first step. Teachers also need regular opportunities to test ideas, receive feedback and refine their practice over time.

This prompts another important question: How often do teachers receive feedback on the quality of their instructional practice, not as evaluation, but as professional learning?

Peer observations, and processes like learning walks, remain valuable approaches, yet many schools face practical challenges to initiate and sustain this impactful professional learning, including limited time, inconsistent observer expertise, teacher release costs and sustaining these processes over time. As a result, schools are increasingly looking for approaches that are practical enough to become part of everyday professional learning rather than another initiative.

One strategy that has proven particularly effective in our work with partner schools is the use of short video snapshots of classroom practice. Teachers:

• record a brief segment of instruction, 

• reflect against the agreed Look fors and Listen fors, and then 

• engage in a structured peer conversation using a simple protocol. 

Because these discussions are brief, focused and embedded within existing collaborative learning time, they provide regular opportunities for meaningful feedback without placing additional pressure on already busy schedules.

Perhaps the greatest strength of this process is that it changes the questions teachers ask themselves. Instead of wondering, "Did I use the strategy?" they begin asking, "What evidence suggested students were thinking deeply? What did I notice about my questioning? What would I refine next time?" These conversations build professional judgement, strengthen collective expertise and create a culture where continuous improvement becomes everyone's responsibility.

Thinking Tools for Looking Closely and Learning Together

Ultimately, it is students who benefit most from a profession committed to learning together. Look fors and Listen fors are not designed to become compliance tools or observation checklists. Used well, they become thinking tools that support professional curiosity and shared inquiry. They create a common language for observing practice, giving feedback and identifying the next stage of growth. And, when paired with developmental implementation continuums, they help teachers understand not only where they are, but where they are heading and what increasingly expert practice looks like. 

How much of your school's improvement work is about meeting expectations, and how much is about continuously improving practice together by knowing what to Look for and Listen for?