Regardless of our role in the hierarchy of any organization, whether it is the board chair, the Head of School, a teacher or an administrative assistant, there are always others who need our efficient and timely accomplishment of tasks to enable them to do their jobs more easily. Whether it’s a teacher waiting for an administrator’s permission to undertake an …
Mentoring and evaluation don’t mix
A mentor cannot be a supervisor. It’s just that simple. One of the most important features of mentoring is that it is non-evaluative. The mentoring relationship only works when the mentee feels able to be completely frank with the mentor, and can share difficulties, doubts and dilemmas, as well as triumphs and successes. Such frankness is not possible with someone …
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3 Myths of Teacher Evaluations
The teacher evaluation process is fraught with misconceptions. Dispelling the myths about teacher evaluation can lead to evaluations that are better understood and that contribute more to a positive school culture and improved school success. Let’s take on three of those myths. Myth #1: Teacher evaluation results in improvement of instruction. Many teacher evaluation policies give as a reason for …
The medium of the message in parent communication
When I was a school administrator, the most frequent complaints I received were around communications. “Why wasn’t I told earlier?” asked a dad unhappy with his child’s report card. Then, less frequently, a mom would complain that a teacher communicates too much. “I don’t want to hear about every bump in the road”, she might say after the umpteenth family …
Face your fears of faculty evaluations
Many administrators feel very uncomfortable, if not fearful, about conducting teacher evaluations. Recognizing the importance and sensitivity of evaluating teachers, they approach the task with trepidation. They correctly perceive that a poorly conducted evaluation may do more harm than good. When I conduct evaluation workshops for administrators, I ask participants to share what bothers them about performing evaluations. Here are …
Making the case for mentoring
You probably know that a mentor, a seasoned fellow professional, can help you be more successful, whether you are a new or an experienced leader. You are probably also aware that a mentor will provide you with valuable, confidential, feedback, make suggestions, and, through discussion, help you arrive at your own insights that will lead to your greater success. While …
6 Paths to PD Success
How many workshops have your teachers been required to attend that they thought were an absolutely frustrating waste of time? When they are so busy, setting up a new year, or preparing units and lessons, or coaching athletics teams, their time is precious, and they have no tolerance for it being wasted by pointless “Professional Development”. I would guess that …
How to avoid demotivating teachers
Don’t demotivate your teachers! Much has been said about how to motive teachers. However, it is more important to avoid demotivating them. Here are seven ways that are sure to demotivate teachers: “Inclusive” classrooms without adequate support for students with significant special needs Unsupportive administration when dealing with difficult parents Excessive administrative demands – paperwork, over-complicated reporting systems, too many …
Procrastination: The Thief of More than Time!
“Procrastination is the Thief of Time”, goes the well-known saying. When one procrastinates, puts off doing what should be done, one ends up spending more time than if one had done it right away. However, often one loses much more than time through procrastination. Here are some of the costs of delay: •Inefficiency: that mounting pile of papers that slows …
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Want to improve teacher evaluations? Take your time.
A sound teacher evaluation program is vital for the quality and reputation schools, administrations and boards. Conducting quality teacher evaluations, however, takes much time. One usual justification for teacher evaluation is the improvement of instruction. Yet unless the evaluation process is sound, evaluations lead to little if any change. Teachers will only take evaluations seriously if they respect the process, …