Evaluation Time?! No Sweat! Just Strut Your Stuff!

Evaluations can be scary! Heck – they can be down-right frightening and intimidating. Yet one thing I’ve learned is that we have to show our administrators what we are doing well in the classroom. Yes, I realize they know how awesome we already are, but an evaluation should be a time to really show off! Spend a few minutes to prove that you work your tail off and that your school is lucky to have you! First I’m going to share something I had to create to “prove myself” to my administration, and then we’re going to share our teacher evaluation tips to help you rock your next eval! 

If you’re anything like me, your evaluation rolls around and you freak (even if it’s only temporarily)! I don’t believe in putting on a “horse-and-pony-show” just because I’m being evaluated, but I do what to show that I know what’s up. Then this year, my administrator threw a curve ball at me. During the pre-evaluation meeting he wanted me to “prove” that I contribute to our staff and that I continue to grow as a professional. Hmmm… What did that mean exactly? I do each of these things, but how could I “prove” this??

 

Yep – this is where I panicked a bit. I mean – come on – what did he want?!? I probably should have asked what he was looking for, but I didn’t want to come across as someone who was clueless. So then I ended up spending maybe 20 minutes throwing this together…

You can click on the photo above to see the pdf file that I truly printed out.

 

As you’ll notice, I tried to keep it to the point. I kept it to just one page, and I included a few photos to really “show” what I’ve been doing that I’m proud of in the classroom. So this sheet of paper, my standards checklist, family communication log, and then the official evaluation documentation were what I included for my pre-evaluation conference.

 

Things went off without a hitch! My administrator said he realized that I served on various committees and that I’m a professional, but even he was impressed by all of the things I’ve done to help my school and to grow in the profession. So I guess all of my panic was for nothing!

Now for the teacher evaluation tips I promised.

1. Teach like normal.

It can be tempting to put on a dog and pony show, but don’t do it! I’ve heard of administrators actually walking out of the classroom before because it was obvious that a teacher was doing something outside of the norm. If your administrator is in your classroom regularly (which many are) then they already know what you do. Just teach like normal. The typical administrator isn’t out to “get” you.

2. Get a good night’s sleep.

The night before an evaluation can leave you tossing and turning, but it shouldn’t! You are a good teacher and you will be fine! You’re going to be more off your game if you stay up prepping crazy activities or tossing and turning all night. A good night’s sleep will help you feel better.

3. Don’t try something too new.

Evaluation day is NOT the day to try some elaborate new game or activity. Let’s say you’ve been using the Magic Square Puzzles I create as early finisher activities in your classroom for a few weeks now. It’s fine to get them out on the day of your evaluation and use them like normal. However, I would NOT recommend using these for the first time on evaluation day.

4. Don’t teach a replicate lesson.

Your kiddos will bust you on this one! Don’t think you can just teach the same lesson you did yesterday. At least one student is going to say, “We did this yesterday!” and the jig will be up. Have confidence in your abilities! You teach a new lesson each day with success.

5. Expect hiccups.

Something is going to go wrong with your lesson! It happens every day. No matter how well you plan, know that something won’t go quite right. Of all the teacher evaluation tips we’re sharing today, this one is the most real. You’re going to have a student fart mid-lesson (yep – it’s happened!), you’re going to have a fire drill (again, for real!), or the kids will get all stoned face because they don’t “get it”. These things happen. Your principal understands this. Administrators are human too. They know everyone can’t be 100% on their game 100% of the time.

We hope these five teacher evaluation tips help you rock your next evaluation! Are you looking for even more documentation printables to prove your effectiveness as a teacher? Check out this great resource now! 

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