By contract, most teachers must have a performance evaluation each school year. Depending on the state rules or the district contract, some teachers are observed formally twice and evaluated once every year. Teachers need to know the rules and their rights before the school year begins.
Understand Teacher Contract
To understand the type of evaluation process in a school district, teachers need to read their contract. Most public schools have a union. Young teachers need to make an appointment to talk to a union representative before the evaluation.
The union representative and teacher should go through the contract so that the teacher is aware of all points of the contract. It is important that the teacher understands the evaluation process and what will be expected of him or her.
If a school does not have a union, the teacher should talk with a principal before the school year begins. The principal and teacher can discuss the evaluation procedure.
Evaluation Procedure
In many school districts, teachers will be given a window of five days for a formal evaluation to be completed. However, in some schools, the principal can come in any time to complete an evaluation.
Once the "window" is given, the teacher needs to prepare a written lesson plan for the week. Many school districts have lesson plans posted online, so this will not be necessary. However, some teachers like to provide more detailed lesson plans for the week of the observation.
When the principal comes in to complete the performance evaluation, he or she will sit back in the room and take many notes. Most principals do not participate in the lesson and act only as an observer.
However, some principals will ask students questions and even participate. It seems that it depends on the principal's personality. The point is that the teacher should be calm and not be too nervous for whatever transpired during the observation. The key is to be very prepared for the lesson.
Post Evaluation
After the evaluation is complete, the principal is usually required to type a report that must be signed by the teacher and the principal. This will go in the teacher's file in the district.
Usually, the teacher will have the opportunity to respond to anything in the evaluation that he or she disagrees with or anything that seems incorrect. There is usually a spot on the evaluation where the teacher can make notes. The teacher should receive a copy of that evaluation within twenty-four hours.
Issues With Evaluation
If a teacher is graded poorly on the evaluation, the principal should give the teacher help and suggestions to become a better teacher. The teacher will be observed again in a specified time to hopefully see improvements.
The teacher who does receive a poor employee evaluation should seek out help. There are usually mentors or older "seasoned" teacher who can help the teacher to improve. And, the teacher can seek out the union representative that he or she talked with before the evaluation for suggestions. The teacher should focus on the areas that the principal mentioned in the report.
If no improvements are made on the second observation, a teacher may be in jeopardy of losing his or her job if he or she is a new hire. Teachers need to take the comments to heart that are written in the evaluation and work to become better.
The performance evaluation is a tool that is meant to help teachers improve and to fire the truly poor performing teachers. Teachers who are young and inexperienced can always improve their craft. The first step is to admit that there is a problem and to seek out help.
Kellie Hayden - She is a 19 year veteran teacher with a master's degree in education and NBCT, 2000. Kellie teaches 8th grade language arts, TAG and ...
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