The Art of Appraisal
Teacher evaluation has always been a controversial topic in the educational arena. Stephen Sawchuk defines teacher evaluation as a school’s official process for assessing and ranking performance and effectiveness. He notes that evaluations should ideally yield both feedback and developmental guidance.
Barbara D. Culp
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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The Art of Appraisal
For over forty years, my efforts as an educational professional persevered through shrinking resources and increasing demands. Like you, I was asked to provide our children with a quality education despite cutbacks and constant change. One tool was a reliable and constant source of school-wide improvement: the appraisal.
Barbara D. Culp
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I wish to acknowledge the support of my longtime friend Laine Cunningham. She has walked beside me on this journey for at least ten years, teaching and grooming me for successful publication. She helped me fine-tune and express my ideas in ways that encouraged an editor to take a chance on me.
Barbara D. Culp
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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The Art of Appraisal
Hands down, teacher evaluations are one of the most useful tools available to principals. In addition to identifying an educator’s strengths, a thoughtful approach pinpoints areas where a teacher can improve. With the addition of a few detailed comments, an appraisal can correct weak habits, boost the performance of midlevel professionals, and propel excellent teachers into greatness.
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The Art of Appraisal
I
Barbara D. Culp
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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The Art of Appraisal
Teacher appraisals evolved from two very different arenas.
Barbara D. Culp
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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The Art of Appraisal
Before you write any comments on the page, you must consider the level at which the teacher has performed. A four-tier ranking system provides an efficient process that is easy and effective. The four tiers also make things crystal clear for the person being appraised.
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Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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The Art of Appraisal
II
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Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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The Art of Appraisal
Depending on your existing approach to the appraisal process, you might be tracking hundreds of duties teachers must perform. These can range from very broad dictates, like enhancing academic excellence, down to the minutia involved in attendance rosters. Adding to this are the individual teaching preferences you’ll appraise in classrooms that are run in very different ways.
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Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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Professionals in any field have acquired, and continue to acquire, skills specific to their industry. People who act as professionals display an ability that cannot be achieved by others who lack training or experience. Knowledgeable individuals are therefore more effective than anyone else at a particular job. As they gather years of tenure, they are held in higher and higher esteem.
Barbara D. Culp
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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Before a teacher steps into the classroom every day, quite a bit of planning and preparation must already have been accomplished. Annual overviews have to be prepared before the start of the academic year to ensure that educational goals are met. Each marking period has its own trajectory that is further broken down into weekly and daily units.
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Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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Classroom management provides an environment in which learning can take place. For some classes, it can feel like herding cats; in others, students form a cohesive group that works well together and is respectful from day one.
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Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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Teaching with rigor isn’t about heavy student workloads or the difficulty of assignments. Instead, it’s about challenging students to do more than memorize answers they think will be on the test. When instructors teach with rigor, they challenge young minds to think critically and in a more sophisticated way.
Barbara D. Culp
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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Teamsmanship, or the spirit of cooperation, is a core element for every teacher. By focusing on serving students, parents, and peers, teachers become high-functioning professionals who gain as much as they give. Being open to cooperating with every person at every level of their schools enhances the support teachers can provide.
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Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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The administrative duties teachers perform in the classroom, as well as those performed during their preparatory periods, help schools run smoothly. Everything from taking attendance and grading papers to managing paraprofessionals feeds into record keeping and the data gathered for the school and the district’s use.
Barbara D. Culp
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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The Art of Appraisal
Instruction is clearly the core of a teacher’s career. A teacher’s methods and approach must consistently achieve effective learning results despite the complexity of an ever-changing classroom . . . and even an ever-changing school and community environment. Since success can be negatively affected by the increasing pressures on the educational system as a whole, adapting instruction...
Barbara D. Culp
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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The Art of Appraisal
The pastoral element of a teacher’s role nurtures students’ personal aspects. Largely ignored for much of the history of education, today’s schools recognize the value of a supportive environment. In addition, strong relationships, pathways to personal fulfillment, and physical and psychological well-being are part of this focus.
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Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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For teachers, behavioral competencies are associated with their approach to their roles. Their choices and aptitudes in this area have a profound impact on students, peers, the school, and the community. A thoughtful approach must therefore encompass an understanding of how each choice might benefit these areas.
Barbara D. Culp
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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Teachers lead in a variety of ways. They guide students through the challenges of academic achievement toward a lifetime of curiosity and engaged learning. As part of this, they function as instructional specialists, curriculum experts, and resource providers. They facilitate learning, mentor young minds, and mold the personalities of the people in their care.
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Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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The Art of Appraisal
III
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Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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The Art of Appraisal
Because of the number of classrooms that must be visited in person during the appraisal process, efficiency is critical. And yet, if all that effort is going to be fruitful, the appraisal must provide detailed, effective comments. Every note and recommendation in an appraisal must be on target and speak directly to the core components under consideration.
Barbara D. Culp
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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The Art of Appraisal
In using the prewritten comments from the previous chapter, you will sometimes wish to make minor adjustments. This ensures that the comments will say exactly what you mean and communicate precisely the message you intend to convey.
Barbara D. Culp
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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The Art of Appraisal
For forty-three years, Dr. Barbara D. Culp has dedicated herself to education. After teaching at the elementary and middle school levels, she eventually became the principal of a large elementary school and was selected as Principal of the Year. Recently, she resigned as a part-time clinical supervisor for Brenau University’s School of Education to devote more time to her family and...
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Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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