Throughout the trajectory of my career, nearly two decades spanning classroom teacher, literacy specialist, instructional coach, building leader, and now district leader, I’ve experienced just about every form of professional development. I’ve devoured books, tuned into countless podcasts, attended energizing conferences, and participated in more professional learning experiences than I can count. But if I’ve learned anything, it’s this: some of the best professional learning doesn’t always require a plane ticket, a keynote, or a formal training (although I wholeheartedly believe in attending and/or presenting at an energizing conference to network, share, and learn from others outside your organization). Oftentimes, it’s already happening just down the hall. 

As I say in my book The Leader Inside, “The heartbeat of education lives inside the walls of schools. Within those walls you can find stories of kids, teachers, and leaders in the mess of learning.” And in that mess, that beautifully complex, authentic, and sometimes imperfect space is where real growth lives. I’ve seen it, felt it, and led in it. Some of the most powerful professional learning experiences came from teachers watching teachers teach…the same way I feel about leaders watching leaders lead.

Years ago, when I stepped out of my own classroom and into an instructional coaching role, I witnessed the transformative power of intervisitations, especially when leaders built systems that encouraged teachers to open their doors, invite others in, and learn together. It wasn’t about evaluation. It wasn’t about perfection. It was about curiosity, collaboration, and a shared commitment to getting better for students and for each other. It was collective efficacy, just down the hall.

First introduced by Albert Bandura, the idea of collective efficacy, a group’s shared belief in their power to make a difference has been shown by Jenni Donohoo and John Hattie to be one of the most powerful influences on student learning, with an effect size of 1.57 (Collective Efficacy: How Educators’ Beliefs Impact Student Learning, Donohoo, 2016; Hattie, 2018).

When I transitioned into formal leadership, my perspective took on a new lens. Classroom walkthroughs and observations not only help collect data on what’s working for students, but it can also become a space to gather stories, instructional strategies, and spark new thinking. I saw inspiration spread. I saw teachers walk out of each other’s classrooms with a new sense of possibility. I saw a spirit of growth and celebration. 

And although it never feels like enough, I’ve made time and space for intervisitations as a leader, and I’ve rolled up my sleeves to model them so teachers could feel supported in doing the same. This week, it was wonderful to visit another building that had created teacher-led walkthroughs. The teachers described the experience as “refreshing.” They were borrowing and building on each other’s ideas and putting them into practice right away. Sometimes, the smallest shifts make the biggest difference. One team noticed that each grade level was using a different color-coding system to teach how to identify and distinguish between the claim, evidence, and reasoning. After an intervisitation, they decided to streamline the approach, creating consistency across classrooms so students could engage with more clarity and confidence. That simple instructional move grew from one open door.

Here’s the thing: if we believe that students benefit when teachers learn together, then why wouldn’t we continue to build structures that encourage it?

In her Education Week article, “I Worked With New Teachers, and Everyone Wanted This PD,” Renee Gugel writes, “Implementing a system for teachers to observe their colleagues’ classrooms is one of the best ways to help teachers grow, and it’s not only for new teachers. Veteran teachers can benefit, too. As they see their peers using different approaches, they can learn new strategies to spice up their lessons.”

I couldn’t agree more. Intervisitations are more than PD, they’re a mindset. A culture. A practice that fosters agency, trust, and continuous growth.

Some of the greatest leaders I’ve ever known empowered teachers to take the lead in their own learning. They cultivated ecosystems where ideas could cross-pollinate naturally, where curiosity was contagious, and where collaboration wasn’t an initiative, but a way of being. These are the spaces where teachers don’t just grow, they thrive. If it weren’t for those leaders, I don’t know that I’d be writing this post right now!

So how do we make this happen? Here’s a simple plan to begin cultivating a culture of intervisitations:

• Start Small and Voluntary – Begin with a few willing teachers who are open to learning from and with one another. Keep the tone invitational, not evaluative.
  
• Create Time and Space – Use common planning time, coverage by support staff, or flexible PD hours to make classroom visits manageable and stress-free.
  
• Frame with Purpose – Clarify the intention: this is about learning, not judgment, not evaluative. Consider providing a simple focus question like, “What instructional move did you notice that supported student learning?”
  
• Build in Reflection – Provide time for quick, meaningful debriefing and reflection. It could be a hallway chat, a shared Google Doc, or a five-minute huddle after school.
  
• Celebrate and Share – Make space in faculty, grade level meetings or school newsletters to spotlight great ideas and powerful moments. Let the learning live on.

To support your teams in discussing and implementing this professional learning practice, here’s an infographic created with the digital tool Napkin AI you can share:

Moving Forward

Geoff Woods, in The AI Driven Leader, reminds us that, “Our humanity lies in our ability to think strategically, be creative, and communicate and collaborate to solve complex problems.” Intervisitations honor that humanity. They allow teachers to engage with one another’s creativity, reflect strategically, and co-construct ideas that ultimately serve the learners in front of them. As Woods also shares, “Understanding the past will help you lead successfully into the future.” When we make time to understand each other’s practice, what’s worked, what’s evolving, what’s worth sharing, we build a foundation for sustainable, authentic progress and growth.

Throughout my own journey, I’ve been privileged to learn alongside passionate educators who take risks, reflect openly, and welcome others into their space. And I’ve seen firsthand how one classroom visit can shift thinking, spark joy, and re-energize a quiet spirit.

At the end of the day, the best PD might be just down the hall. Because when we open our doors, we open ourselves, to growth, to connection, and to the kind of professional learning that doesn’t end when the session’s over. It continues in our conversations, in our classrooms, and in the moments we turn to one another and say, “Come see what I’m trying.”

That’s where the magic is.

And that’s the kind of learning that stays with you—long after the walk just down the hall.