by C. Martinez

Created on: December 08, 2009

Teachers want to teach well. They teach because they enjoy it. Teaching is not a lucrative career. It is not easy. Teachers care about their student’s success. They realize when they fall short. They can tell when kids aren’t learning. They hate seeing their classes disengaged. They can feel helpless. New technology, new techniques, and new philosophies are stampeding into their classrooms. It is hard to manage the daily chores of teaching. It is more difficult to sift through the new information that is submerging teachers. Still, teachers want to get better. They want to improve. They want to impact their students. 

How can administrators create and design an evaluation process that encourages teacher development and improvement?

Don’t try to renovate the whole house at once. You still have to live in it. Go room by room. Do the important things first. Address structural needs first. Renovating a house is a lot like renovating an educational staff. It takes time, and skill. Home renovations are stressful and costly. Be prepared for everyone to be uncomfortable and be prepared to spend money. Don’t sell your future short for a little saving today. 

Define the areas that need improvement.

Outlining district wide goals is important. Staff should be encouraged to make these goals their own.  Work on different goals at different times and different ways. Don’t overwhelm your staff. Have a set time to focus on technology, curriculum development, classroom management, differentiated instruction and learning strategies. Remember; when building momentum the first steps are the hardest.

Design training that explains why teachers should and how they can improve in this area. A teacher who understands why improvement in a certain area is important will have an easier time implementing the changes.

Tell teachers they can improve.

Yesterday’s worksheets won’t work with today’s students. Teachers may grow complacent. Don’t let them settle for good. Inspire them to be great. Teaching can be routine. It’s easy to reassign old worksheets to new classes.  

Open their eyes. Show them students who are being engaged and educated. Let them see the possibilities. Give them the research and help them see themselves as capable of improving. Demand improvement, and inspire them. Tie the employee evaluation processes into an improvement plans.

Teach them how to improve.

Teachers see most evaluation processes

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