Teacher Evaluation

Discuss how teacher evaluation is "a golden opportunity" to improve teacher and student performance?

Teacher evaluation is a "golden opportunity" to improve teacher and student performance because it provides a forum to discuss best practices in teaching and learning. Continuous learning and growth should be the purposes of evaluative procedures, not just for remediation purposes, but for extending practices. Evaluation allows for the meta-cognition of teaching to help formulate the "why we do" behind the "what we do.". Through this exploration is the opportunity to address deficiencies and to celebrate achievements, and establish a process for growth.

As Anthony Alvarado said, teacher learning is the key to improving student achievement. Students learn from teachers, so the more teachers know then the more students can achieve from their interactions with their teacher.

According to Danielson and McGreal, traditional evaluation models are flawed. What then are the “best practices” for supervision and evaluation to improve student learning?

Traditional evaluation models are flawed because of the evaluative judgments inherent in the process. The judgments can be inaccurate, inconsistent and not based on evidence, and may differ depending upon who is evaluating. These traditional forms of evaluation also do not differentiate for varying levels of experience and expertise. Danielson and McGreal recommend a differentiated approach to evaluations: new teachers are evaluated using criteria specific to their needs for growth; experienced teachers using criteria to professional growth initiatives; and teachers in need of improvement using criteria that establishes core knowledge and skills required for effective teaching.