Feedback isn't something we schedule.

What if the strongest indicator of a school’s improvement culture isn’t its data wall, strategic plan or professional learning calendar?

What if it’s how normal feedback has become?

One of the strongest schools I’ve visited wasn’t doing anything particularly flashy. The approach to planning was so routine that in their PLTs teachers had time to look at student work together. Beyond that they dropped into each other’s classrooms. They asked questions about practice, shared what was working and reflected on what wasn’t.

It made me think about why some improvement efforts gain traction while others struggle.

We often treat feedback as an event - a formal coaching conversation, a classroom observation or a performance discussion - something that is separate from the day-to-day work of teaching.

Yet teachers are professionals who are constantly refining their craft, learning with and from one another. The challenge is that the time and space for those conversations can be hard to protect.

The schools that seem to improve most consistently don’t leave feedback to chance. It’s built into routines. It’s expected, safe and for everyone.

I’ve come to believe that one of the most important leadership questions isn’t: “How good is the feedback in our school?”

It’s: “How often do people get opportunities to learn with and from one another?”

What’s one routine, habit or structure that helps feedback happen naturally in your setting?