What You Notice, Grows

What You Notice, Grows:
Observation as a Leadership Practice

 

The scene is familiar: mid-morning in a preschool classroom. A director pops in and takes in the buzz of activity. Children are engaged, with a productive hum as they work and play in centers and small groups. Throughout the room, they reference a variety of visual supports. One child checks the steps for handwashing above the sink, singing a song about bubbles as he washes paint from his hands. Another walks over to the visual schedule, points to the card that says “Choice Time,” then quietly counts to herself -- one, two -- until her finger lands on “Snack.” She stops, smiles, and pats the snack card with approval.

 

Nearby, a job chart is posted by the large group area, but the effect is different. Only a few of the pockets have job cards in them. A few name cards are missing. Some of the roles sound, er, inventive. No line leader in sight. On paper, it might look like a system that hasn’t been implemented yet. But step a little closer, and you might notice something else: a teacher near the art shelf quietly asking a child if they’d like to train the next “supply scout.” Another child, unprompted, gently pushes in the chairs around the art table. This job chart hasn’t failed. It’s a system that is still becoming.

 

In early childhood settings, so many of the best things are like that. They quietly take shape beneath the surface. It’s important that we notice and appreciate this invisible evolution. Leaders can't support what they do not see.

 

Leading with Observation

 

Strong early learning leaders don’t just lead with systems. They lead with presence. They make time to observe with curiosity, not just to check for compliance. It’s not about showing up for a scheduled observation. It’s about asking: What’s happening here? What choices are being made? What’s unfolding that isn’t immediately visible?

 

During my years teaching, I’m grateful that my directors grew to appreciate the untraditional titles on my job chart. Who would have guessed that “Missing Marker Cap Finder” would have been the most coveted job two years running? But beyond being cute or funny, our evolving classroom roles reflected a deep understanding of the children we shared our days with and our goal to build independence, agency, and community. Knowing that my leadership team understood and encouraged our individualized routines, I was empowered to evolve my practice as a responsive educator.

 

A culture of curiosity, genuine interest, and trust is contagious. That sense of empowerment stretched beyond classroom jobs and into our team’s approach to curriculum, family engagement, and social-emotional development.

 

When leaders move through classrooms with this lens, their presence becomes a form of support rather than pressure. When directors ask, “How did you choose to go about it this way?” it feels like curiosity, not judgement. Teachers trust it. Children feel it. The decisions that follow reflect it.

 

What Teachers Hope You’ll Notice

 

Teachers are constantly observing, adjusting, and refining their practice. They are expert observers of children. And they hope the same care and attentiveness is extended to them. Here are a few things educators often wish their leaders would notice:

 

• • Intentional waiting: Choosing to hold off on launching classroom jobs or other routines until children have settled into the rhythm of the day.
• • Quiet adaptation: Shifting a system mid-year when it stops working, even if it looked good in the fall.
• • Small gestures: A child training another child in a job. A teacher renaming a role to match a child’s interest.
• • Invisible labor: The reflection, re-teaching, and behind-the-scenes mental load of keeping a classroom ecosystem in motion.
• • Adjusting plans responsively: Meeting children’s emerging interests while keeping learning objectives in mind, showing flexibility and insight in real time.
• • Balancing consistency and flexibility: Providing steady routines while avoiding both rigid control and overwhelming chaos.
• • Communicating with care: Engaging families early and often, pairing hard conversations with positive news and insights that build trust and affirm that teachers truly know their children.

 

None of these moments are shiny or bold. But they are evidence of thoughtful, responsive practice. When leaders take time to notice and elevate them, teachers feel deeply appreciated and valued for the expertise that shapes their daily work.

 

When Observation Becomes Trust

 

When teachers feel truly seen, they feel trusted. When they feel trusted, they take more ownership, make more intentional decisions, and stay connected to the purpose behind their practice. This doesn’t require a new initiative or a huge program shift. It just requires noticing.

 

Observation affirms the professional judgment that educators bring to the table. It shifts the narrative from "Are you following the system?" to "How is your system supporting your group?"

 

What we notice, we nurture. When a leader notices the way a teacher adjusts their plan in the middle of circle time, or the warmth in a morning hand-off, they affirm a different kind of excellence.

 

Practices that Make a Difference

 

If you’re a leader, coach, or mentor teacher, one of the most powerful things you can do is lead with observation. Start by spending time in classrooms during regular routines, not just transitions or formal observations. Join a class for a meal. Sit down and play in the block area. Grab an egg shaker and get your groove on.

 

Notice both where teachers lean into pedagogy, and where they’re evolving their practice. Ask open-ended questions that invite reflection, like “What led you to approach it this way?” or “What have you noticed lately from the children?” Name the invisible work you see unfolding: the planning, pacing, and behind-the-scenes thinking that may not appear on any form but shapes everything.

 

Offer specific feedback that affirms intention and effort. Just as children grow when we name their strategies and persistence, teachers feel supported when feedback goes deeper than “Great job.” And finally, protect space to reflect. Build in time during check-ins or team meetings to talk about what’s working, what’s changing, and what you’re noticing together.

 

Your Attention Is a Leadership Tool

 

Leadership stretches beyond implementing good systems. It’s about noticing the people who are making those systems meaningful.

 

As you move throughout your day, from the playground to classrooms to the car pickup line, what you choose to notice will be amplified. It shapes what teachers value, what they believe you care about, and what they feel permission to invest in. So, show up with your whole self and with curiosity. Ask real questions. Notice where your program is reaching for its shared goals and vision. Because what you notice is what will grow.

 

 

 

Christine Murray is an Early Childhood Education Specialist with Becker’s Education Team.
As an educator, coach and leader, Christine is inspired by the curiosity, joy and wonder that children so generously model for us. She earned her M.A. in Innovative Early Childhood Education at the University of Colorado Denver and loves collaborating with and supporting others in the field. Grounded in relationships and guided by empathy, Christine is always learning, connecting and creating.