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Observation-Evaluation Tips—Competency 4

I know that each year it seems the goalposts are constantly moving on us teachers.  It would be great if at the beginning of each year, clear instructions were given, and that goalpost remained there all year.  Unfortunately, that's not the case.


Competency 4 is all about data.  However, as our administrators get better at utilizing the Evaluation Tool, and get better at looking at schoolwide data...they move the goalposts for all of us. 


As you collect data, it's important to not simply file it away, but to USE it.  For your annual evaluation, you have to be able to demonstrate and articulate how you used your daily data, weekly data, monthly data and standardized test scores to drive and inform your instruction as you reflect, and move students towards mastery. 


Some simple ways of doing this are reviewing assignments for day one, going back and putting notes in your lesson plans or a log, and then noting what changes you make the next day that reflect that.  In some cases, you may group students differently, or modify a handout, or reteach a concept;  perhaps you will contact an interventionist, or a resource teacher for assistance, or even call home. 


These are all the basics that we can do to demonstrate that we looked at our data and USED it.  Absent that, you jeopardize your rating in Competency 4, which has increased weight for midyear and annual evaluations.


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