Turkey & Teacher Evaluations

By. Meredith Biesinger

November is a month where many of us look forward to sitting around the table with family and friends and enjoying a large turkey dinner. However, before you can pass the potatoes, many teachers are busy preparing for their evaluation and their administrator’s first guest of the month.

Teachers are formally evaluated one to three times a year, and this varies by district. Typically, school administrators schedule an observation in November (before the holidays) and another in spring (before testing season). 

Teacher evaluations can undoubtedly be nerve-racking, but they don’t have to be!

Before you start planning a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, here are a few tips to make your upcoming teacher evaluation less stressful.

1. Prepare. Preparation seems like a no-brainer, but take some extra time to write or type out your lesson plan and review it from all angles. Your principal will likely ask for a copy of this anyway, so give yourself enough time to ensure you are teaching to each standard and hitting every point needed in the curriculum. Doing this at least a week or so in advance will also give you ample time to edit it if needed.

2. Pick out your outfit in advance. I know this might not seem that important, but dressing in something you feel comfortable and confident in will help you exude more confidence in yourself and what you are teaching. 

3. Talk to your students and let them know that their principal will be visiting the classroom today. While you naturally want to ensure good behavior, you also want them to feel comfortable participating like they usually would.

4. Communicate with your administrator. If you have a student or students of concern for a particular reason, notate that in your lesson plan, or talk to your principal about it. Yes, they are there to observe your teaching, but they are also there to help you!

5. Take a deep breath, be yourself, and treat yourself! Don’t forget to breathe, and realize that this one evaluation is just a tiny snapshot of your day as a teacher in your classroom. Treat yourself to your favorite drink or snack that day; you will have surely earned it!