Making a new story with the best kind of Teacher Evaluation

The best kind of teacher evaluation is looking at a teacher holistically from all angles. In other words taking a 360 degree look. A teacher should not be evaluated by the administrator from just a one-sided perspective. First the administrator should get to know the teacher as a person and then the evaluation should be something not to penalize the teacher but to promote the teacher or prompt the teacher toward growth. This leads to the value of the teacher's own self-reflection of his/her teaching practice. The administrator should consider how the teacher views his/her own performance and what questions the teacher raises to promote individual growth. The other part of the 360 degree evaluation should also involve how the students, parents and other colleagues see the teacher's effectiveness. The teacher evaluation should be a living, evolving process which is a shared discovery of the teacher's performance by the teacher and the administrator. The ultimate goal should always be the end product which is improved student performance because every good teacher knows that as he/she grows the student grows.

Quote for the minute: “Changing who you are now to who you think you ought to be is the decision to write a new story about your life.” Taken from the book, Leading Change in Your World by Smith and Lindsay.