TL;DR:
- Evaluators can use teacher observations as an opportunity for growth. They can explore what is right about their teaching and where their talents lie.
- Evaluators can take the excellent skills demonstrated in the best foot forward lessons and channel the discussions to help them hit that high bar more often.
- Let’s use our imperfect system to benefit our teachers and students!
There are several things wrong in your room…
A long time ago when I was a teacher, I really didn’t take my observations too seriously. I never felt that my sense of value as a teacher was tied up in the snapshot of that one lesson on that one day. This may be rooted in an experience I had during my first year of teaching. I had 31 first graders in my class during the next to last year that Texas teachers had no duty-free lunch and no conference periods. I returned to my darkened but unlocked classroom after eating lunch with my class (at 10:35 AM no less) to find a district visitor lurking within.
As I snapped on the lights I was startled by her presence. What she said next is something I can still hear to this day. Without a greeting she said, “Mr. Silverman, there are several things wrong with your room. Let’s start here and work our way around.”
Someone less confident than a 21-year-old boy who had recently moved 1,800 miles from home might have been crushed by this event. To be perfectly honest, I found it almost amusing in its absurdity. All of the wrongs were stylistic. I wrote too big on the board. My alphabet chart was D’Nealian and not Block. But my kids were enthusiastic and learning how to read, and they were the loves of my young life.
I tell this story because I truly understand the stress and anxiety caused by someone coming into a classroom and doing an observation.
This is compounded when you and the observer do not have a professional relationship. It seems that teacher observation (like student observation) often comes from a place of deficit thinking. We believe someone is there to find something wrong. And the observers are often trained to look for both evidence and lack of evidence of whatever arbitrary pedagogical skill is on display. I get that.
Essentially the Dog and Pony Show shows me just how good they can be. And isn’t it one of our roles as leaders to show people what they are capable of being? Click To TweetLooking for the Good
One of the best jobs I ever had in education was the first year and a half I spent outside the classroom. The role was called Personnel Appraiser, and my job was to do nothing but teacher observations and appraisals. I loved that job!
This role put me in both elementary and middle schools. I got to see approximately 450 teachers. Teachers ranged from the teacher of the visually impaired infants who were 18 months old and wearing adorable onesies to 8th grade pre-AP students. I saw some things, I can tell you. Some of the best and worst teaching you could imagine.
It was my hope that teachers knew I was on their side. And I hoped to catch a glimpse of the best they had to offer. My optional pre-conferences were my attempt to let them know that it was going to be OK. I wanted them to know I had just left a classroom. And I knew what it was like to be observed and have the weight of judgment on you. And I learned myself that there were so many ways to do “it” right. It almost seemed as if I was trying to evaluate a painting or piece of music. They all have merit even if you don’t initially like them.
Bring on the Dogs and Ponies!
This brings me to the Dog and Pony Show. One year when I was teaching 5th grade, I had a colleague who was what I would call well-seasoned. She was traditional in a good way. Her kids seemed to be happy and they learned. But she was absolutely terrified of being observed and evaluated. So much so that when evaluation season rolled around she had a canned lesson in her pocket that she would break out the moment an evaluator walked into the room.
This lesson was planned beyond the dotted i’s and crossed t’s. She would tell the kids, I’m going to ask this question. And I want you all to raise your hands. And I will call on Robbie. Like to that extent.
As a Personnel Appraiser, an Assistant Principal, and Principal I’ve seen many a lesson like that one, though most likely not to that extent. But here’s the thing about that. In my post-evaluation conferences with teachers, I am able to highlight for them all the capabilities they demonstrated.
I can help them see that if they can plan and teach at that level for that observation that they can incorporate those talents in their general practice. Essentially the Dog and Pony Show shows me just how good they can be. And isn’t it one of our roles as leaders to show people what they are capable of being?
I WANT teachers to show me what they are capable of doing in their classrooms. We can use their performance as a growth opportunity. Together, we can explore what is right about their teaching. We can explore where their talents lie. And how we can parlay their Dog and Pony Show performance into better teaching on a regular basis.
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Can we do better? Sure!
Teacher evaluation is not going away soon, and right now the system is typically some brief snapshots followed by a bit longer snapshot. This can and should change as we seek to improve our whole focus on helping teachers grow. On a recent episode of Ryan Scott’s podcast The BigEd Idea, his guest, Benjamin Koenig, described an evaluation system idea that involved the evaluator spending an entire day riding alongside a teacher to see the true high and low points of a day.
This would give a much more complete picture of what the teacher does, and would provide so many entry points for discussion and reflection. This would also eliminate the need for a Dog and Pony Show.
For now, I believe one of the best things we can do is to use the information we get from our snapshots. We can take the excellent skills demonstrated in the best foot forward lessons teachers want us to see, and channel the discussions to help them hit that high bar more often. Let’s use our imperfect system to benefit our teachers and students!
About Martin Silverman
Martin Silverman is a father, grandfather, husband, and long-time educator in beautiful San Antonio, Texas. He is committed to providing the best educational experience for the students and families at Salinas Elementary school where he is principal. Martin has worked in urban, suburban, and rural districts as a teacher and administrator. His interests are in creating and nurturing school culture, providing enriching experiences for students and families, and developing future teachers and administrators.
As a former bilingual teacher and administrator, Martin is committed to providing ELL students with quality programs to develop their unique skills. He hosts a podcast called The Second Question, which highlights educators and provides them a forum to discuss ideas, and to honor the teachers that have influenced their lives.
