by Norman W Wilson, PhD
Nowadays, we are hearing a great deal about the sorry state of affairs in our public education system. There is a hue and cry for a weeding out of the bad apples in the teaching ranks. The question arises as to what it is that is the issue of consideration. There is a difference between being incompetent and poor performance.
It seems to me that incompetency would show up within the first three years of the teaching experience. Poor performance may develop later in a teacher’s career. Both of these terms need explicit clarification. Who is responsible for determining the competency or lack thereof, or the performance of a teacher or administrator, or of a board of education? Legal issues abound.
Even though I have written several articles about the type of supervision in the school environment, I have not addressed the specifics of evaluation. To begin with, teacher evaluation needs to be more than a mere check list of do’s and don’ts. Such things as the following do have their place in the overall evaluation of a teacher, but they are not what is significant: Can students easily hear the teacher? Does the teacher speak clearly. Does the teacher stand or remain seated while giving instruction.? Are the bulletin boards attractive? Do bulletin boards reflect the lesson?
As a former chair of an English department with fourteen teachers, I visited each teacher every semester. These are some of the things I looked for: Does the teacher have good eye contact with the students? Does the teacher use her or his voice to stimulate student interest? Does the teacher call upon students by name? Does the teacher’s use of student names reflect an attitude toward the student(s)? Does the teacher use encouraging language and tone? Do the teacher’s questions reflect the answer he or she wants? Does the teacher show a general feeling of warmth for the students? Does the teacher demonstrate lesson preparedness? There are several other criteria that come into the evaluation. One is sufficient to illustrate the point: Does the teacher greet his or her students when they enter the classroom?
After the official observation, I met with the teacher, discussed my observation, and provided opportunity for teacher feedback. This is crucial in maintaining effective staff rapport and development. Teachers should receive copies of the written evaluation. They should provide space for the teacher to make a formal response. Open communication raises the bar of excellence.
Teacher evaluation: All your points are well taken, however, evaluations from students and parents seem left unaddressed.
Thank you for your time and comments. I do not believe students have a role in evaluating a teacher at the public school level. Parents are questionable because of the emotionality that may be involved. At the college level, students do evaluate their professors. Your comment certainly deserves continued thought and I will do that. Again thank you.
Very good article, Norm. I agree wholeheartedly with you on this about our school systems. I thought it was like this when our daughter was in school in Everett, very poor system. I sure enjoy your articles. Keep them coming, Norm!
Thank you Donna. I appreciate your time and comment.
Thanks and kudos, Norm…
Another excellent article with much food for thought on ways that administrators and teachers can improve on the sorry state in which our public education system finds itself. Solid teaching skills and communication far outweigh just throwing more money into a woefully inadequate system. Next to parents, our primary and elementary level teachers are the most important adults in helping to form a young child’s mind and, in cases of a lack of adequate parenting, sometimes the only positive influence. When a student can graduate from high school with virtually none of the basic reading, spelling and math skills, is it any wonder that the “dumbing down” of our youth is becoming a reality? Help to weed out the incompetent and support the teachers who excel in their profession. Become involved. Visit the classroom and, if you are pleased with what you see, let it be known. Teaching is tough and an “atta boy/girl” never hurt.
Liz,
Thank you for your comments. They are appreciated. I agree with you about being involved and involved in a positive, supportive way.