M6U4A3 Teacher’s Evaluation

M6U4A3 Teacher’s Evaluation

The Importance of Teacher Evaluations

In the classroom, the teachers use formative and summative assessments to evaluate a student’s learning progress. In a school, the teachers are required to be examined in their teaching performance or effectiveness. Through teacher evaluation, not only do we boost the students’ learning development, but also the teacher’s teaching growth and development.  

“The core purpose of teacher assessment and evaluation should be to improve the

knowledge, skills, dispositions, and classroom practices of professional educators.”

                                                           ( NEA ,P2)

Two Teacher Evaluation Systems Being Used by School Districts

The New Teacher Project in Teacher Evaluation 2.0 claims that the current teacher evaluation system has 5 problems: infrequent, unfocused, undifferentiated, unhelpful, and inconsequential (TNTP. Org, P1). Keep those problems in mind, the way to provide an effective teacher evaluation is to follow the guiding principles below to design a well evaluation system (TNTP. Org, P2).

(a.) All children can master academically rigorous material, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

(b) A teacher’s primary professional responsibility is to ensure that students learn.

(c) Teachers contribute to student learning in ways that can largely be observed and measured.

(d) Evaluation results should form the foundation of teacher development.

(e) Evaluations should play a major role in important employment decisions.

(f) No evaluation system can be perfect—in teaching or in any other profession.

In order to provide an effectiveness teacher evaluation system, there are six standards that we need to consider (TNTP. Org, P3):

(a) Annual process

(b) Clear, rigorous expectations

(c) Multiple measures

(d) Multiple ratings

(e) Regular feedback

(f) Significance

Similar to Teacher Evaluation 2.0, NEA also illustrates 6 key principles for developing and reforming teacher evaluation :

(a) Safe and open collaboration is necessary.

(b) Measures of teacher performance are most helpful and meaningful when they are

   based on multiple ratings and clear teaching standards.  

(c) Evaluation systems must be integrated.

(d) Validated evaluation measures are essential.

(e) Teachers’ input in determining performance and learning outcomes should be part of the evaluation process.

(f) Assessment and evaluation systems need to be jointly created or designed, with

   local teacher association involvement ( NEA ,P3).

Both of them aim to provide clear descriptions and explanations on how and what a perfect and well-defined teacher evaluation should look like.

The Feedback from Teaching Channel Video

The formal observation that is presented on Teaching Channel Video (TeachingChannel, n.d.) integrated the few principles that I mentioned above. It divided the observation into three sections and each section the observer focused on a different objective with the teacher:

1.      Pre – observation

(a.) Discuss the lesson with the peers or mentor face to face.

(b.) Share information about classroom dynamics such as inquiry question, learning objectives, observation criteria.

2.      Observation

(a.) Examine teaching resources are well prepared.

(b.) Prepare a backup plan if necessary

3.      Post – observation

(a.) Explain the unexpected teaching decisions in class

(b.) Be self-reflective and open to constructive criticism

This observation included regular feedback, clear expectation, annual process, significance, teacher-determined and was a safe and open collaboration.

The Elements On Which I Think I Should Be Judged as A Teacher & The feedback I Would Like from My Mentors During My Full Time Clinical

After understanding the principles of what teacher evaluation systems look like, it helps me to get a brief idea about what elements that I need to prepare for my upcoming clinical. As InTASC (Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium) address that the effective teaching and learning should follow these ten core standards (NEA, P7):

(a) Learner development

(b) Learning differences

(c) Learning environments

(d) Content knowledge

(e) Application of content

(f) Assessment

(g) Planning for instruction

(h) Instructional strategies

(i) Professional learning and ethical practice

(j) Leadership and collaboration

Those are the elements that I think not only a professional teacher should be judged, but also the feedback that I would like from my mentors during my full time clinical. 

References:

TeachingChannel. (n,d.). New Teacher Survival Guide: The Formal Observation. Retrieved from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/preparing-for-formal-observations

Teacher Evaluation: A Resource guide for National Education Association Leaders and staff. NEA. Retrieved fromhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzYfzjQoASL_eGdtNFdsbXRIRDQ/view

TNTP.org. (n.d.). Teacher Evaluation 2.0. Retrieved from The New Teachers Project: file:///C:/Users/Amy/Downloads/M4U4A3_Teacher-Evaluation_2.0-20150707115740.pdf