Latest / New Teacher Talk / Ep 110: Formal Evaluation as an Early Career Teacher

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Ep 110: Formal Evaluation as an Early Career Teacher · New Teacher Talk

• 0:01
  Welcome to New Teacher Talk.
• 0:04
  My name is Amy Howerton,
• 0:05
  and I'm an English teacher and English department
• 0:07
  chairperson at Oswego High School in Oswego, Illinois.
• 0:11
  Today, I'd like to share ideas about teacher evaluation.
• 0:14
  After today's podcast,
• 0:15
  you should walk away with ideas to help you navigate that
• 0:18
  process and gain in your confidence as a new teacher.
• 0:22
  For those new to the teaching profession as of this fall,
• 0:25
  welcome.
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  We need you and your passion in this profession,
• 0:28
  and I'm glad you're here.
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  I understand how overwhelming it may feel, though,
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  as you progress from those first few months as a teacher
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  and are now in the thick of things.
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  One of those things is likely the formal evaluation
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  process.
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  Regardless of what kind of evaluation process you are
• 0:44
  experiencing,
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  I believe there are four tips that will help you have the
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  confidence you want through this process.
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  These tips are reflected in my Chapter 8 submission
• 0:54
  published in the New Teacher's Guide to Overcoming Common
• 0:58
  Challenges.
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  For more tips beyond mine,
• 1:01
  the guide has great ideas to support you too.
• 1:04
  By now,
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  you have likely experienced some phase of the formal
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  evaluation process in your professional work.
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  Perhaps it was a quick pop-in, unannounced,
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  with feedback from your evaluator.
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  It may have been a longer, more formal,
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  full-period evaluation with pre-observation meetings and
• 1:19
  questions and post-observation reflections.
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  Whatever your experiences have been,
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  I believe that there are four tips that can really help you
• 1:28
  breathe deeply, calm your nerves,
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  and use the evaluation process to your advantage.
• 1:34
  These tips come from my over 20 years as a teacher,
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  a teacher-evaluator,
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  and a partner in my school district's evaluation process.
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  First, ask for help.
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  Teacher evaluation is daunting.
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  There are so many forms and procedures, data, timelines,
• 1:52
  criteria.
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  I do not recommend that you enter into that process alone.
• 1:57
  Partner with a teacher buddy, a trusted mentor,
• 2:00
  or even your evaluator,
• 2:01
  all of whom can help you navigate that process.
• 2:05
  These personal conversations can provide you a space to ask
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  questions, seek clarification,
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  build your confidence in that evaluation process required
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  by your school.
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  Second,
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  prepare for the process by giving yourself space and time
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  to continue gaining in that confidence.
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  As you prepare evaluation documents and data,
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  continue the conversations with your teacher buddy or a
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  trusted mentor,
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  as they can invaluable in growing that confidence.
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  Asking questions,
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  seeking clarification in this second step,
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  particularly for the criteria with teachers are evaluated,
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  is strongly recommended.
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  You will be more confident if you understand the language
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  used in the criteria and it helps you talk the talk during
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  evaluation conversations.
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  By setting aside time to prepare for the steps in your
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  criteria, you are less likely to be caught unprepared.
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  However, If you do,
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  recognize that this process is new and you are still
• 3:03
  learning.
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  It's okay.
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  Next,
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  I recommend listening during evaluation conversations.
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  I mean really listening.
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  While you will need to speak with your evaluator during pre
• 3:14
  and post evaluation meetings,
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  be equally as prepared to listen.
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  I strongly recommend bringing something to take notes
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  during those meetings to help you actively listen and
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  record ideas or suggestions from your evaluator.
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  Having a notepad or a laptop to take notes helps your
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  evaluator know that you are actively listening and taking
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  the heart, the advice provided.
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  This small yet meaningful act demonstrates your desire to
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  grow and continue your professional learning.
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  Finally,
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  recognize that the evaluation process is an ongoing one.
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  You play a role in continuing that conversation with your
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  evaluator and mentor by reaching out and engaging them in
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  conversation with you.
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  You may even take the initiative to invite your evaluator
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  in to see a lesson that you know will showcase a skill
• 4:01
  you've been developing,
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  an activity that you've implemented for student success,
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  or if you just wanna show off one of those great ideas that
• 4:09
  you've implemented, which your evaluator recommended.
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  By taking this active role in the evaluation conversation,
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  you are empowered to realize the evaluation results and
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  professional growth that you want.
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  Whatever your grade level, content, or classroom setting,
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  I believe having conversations with mentors and evaluators
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  will help you to feel confident as you grow through your
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  school's evaluation process.
• 4:33
  Thank you for listening.
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  I hope you become a regular follower of this New Teacher
• 4:37
  Talk podcast.
• 4:39
  And remember, as a new teacher, we are here to help you.
• 4:43
  Thank you.