Asking Questions Can Improve a Teacher Evaluation

The most effective method for evaluating a teacher effectively is dual, mutual involvement and ongoing collaboration in the evaluation process. The teacher, being guided by the evaluator, is consulted and involved throughout the evaluation process. When this happens, the evaluation becomes a tool to springboard true growth and ongoing improvement. Teachers and administrators find authentic value in this type of evaluation process. The biggest drawback is that it is a time-consuming process, but ultimately it proves worth the extra time for many teachers.

Many teachers feel like there is often a disconnect in the process because they are not involved enough. A first step in actively involving teachers in the process is to have them answer questions about the teacher evaluation. Doing so before and after the evaluation gets them thinking about the process that naturally makes them more involved. This process also gives both sides some critical talking points when they meet face-to-face as some evaluation systems require the teacher and evaluator to meet before the evaluation takes place and after the completion of the evaluation.

Administrators can utilize a short questionnaire designed to get the teacher thinking about their evaluation. The questionnaire can be completed in two parts. The first part gives the evaluator some prior knowledge before they conduct the evaluation and helps the teacher in the planning process. The second part is reflective in nature for both the administrator and teacher. It serves as a catalyst for growth, improvement, and future planning. The following is an example of some questions you can ask to improve the teacher evaluation process.

Pre-Evaluation Questions

1. What steps did you take to prepare for this lesson?
2. Briefly describe the students in this class, including those with special needs.
3. What are your goals for the lesson? What do you want the student to learn?
4. How do you plan to engage students in the content? What will you do? What will the students do?
5. What instructional materials or other resources, if any, will you use?
6. How do you plan to assess student achievement of the goals?
7. How will you close or wrap up the lesson?
8. How do you communicate with the families of your students? How often do you do this? What types of things do you discuss with them?
9. Discuss your plan for handling student behavior issues should they arise during the lesson.
10. Are there any areas you would like for me to look for (i.e. calling on boys vs. girls) during the evaluation?
11. Explain two areas that you believe are strengths going into this evaluation.
12. Explain two areas that you believe are weaknesses going into this evaluation.

Post-Evaluation Questions

1. Did everything go according to plan during the lesson? If so, why do you think it went so smooth. If not, how did you adapt your lesson to handle the surprises?
2. Did you get the learning outcomes you expected from the lesson? Explain.
3. If you could change anything, what would you have done differently?
4. Could you have done anything differently to boost student engagement throughout the lesson?
5. Give me three key takeaways from conducting this lesson. Do these takeaways impact your approach moving forward?
6. What opportunities did you give your students to extend their learning beyond the classroom with this particular lesson?
7. Based on your daily interactions with your students, how do you think they perceive you?
8. How did you assess student learning as you went through the lesson? What did this tell you? Is there anything that you need to spend some additional time on based on the feedback received from these assessments?
9. What goals are you working towards for yourself and your students as you progress throughout the school year?
10. How will you utilize what you taught today to make connections with previously taught content as well as future content?
11. After I finished my evaluation and left the classroom, what immediately happened next?
12. Do you feel that this process has made you a better teacher? Explain.