The Dreaded Teacher Evaluation Report

A teacher sits at his desk, reflecting, "Someone's been in and reviewed me in action in the classroom, and students and parents have been surveyed. And now it's time for me to sit down and hear where I've messed up and what I've done wrong."

Down the hallway, the school administrator sits at her desk and sighs, "There's good news and bad news for this teacher. The good news means there's potential, but the bad news is, if he doesn't shore up these weaknesses, he won't get tenure, and he'll be out. I hate delivering this kind of review."

If either of these scenarios describes your approach to evaluations and performance reviews, whether you're the teacher or the administrator,  the Conversations Worth Having (CWH) practices just might turn your angst into eager anticipation.

I Look Forward to Reviews (Yes, Really!)

Conversations about performance are opportunities to:

• Elevate a teacher's strengths and skills to truly positively impact student success.
• Foster continuous learning and development of their potential for excellence.

When performance reviews are framed as collaborative discussions focused on identifying a teacher's strengths and aspirations, combined with exploring opportunities for growth and improvement, evaluations become a gift—like finding an unexpected coffee gift card in your desk drawer.

One of the simplest ways to achieve this is to turn teacher evaluations into conversations worth having about excellence in the classroom. To do this, ask generative questions and use positive framing.

Empowering the Teacher to Own the Review

Assuming this is not the teacher's first review, begin with the previous plan and what has been accomplished. For example:

• "At the end of last year, we created a plan for excellence that included X, Y, and Z. Can you share a few examples of how you have grown in these areas and what you are most proud of?"
• After hearing the teacher speak, you might add:
  "You know, your reviewer commented that they saw a big improvement around X and Y, and some of your students shared highlights for them around Z."

When discussing areas that still need improvement or new areas of focus, you might begin by asking the teacher:

• "How would you say you're doing with your plan for improving on X, Y, and Z? What are you most proud of? What areas do you think still need improvement?"
  
  

A Few Generative Questions to Get You Started

• "How have you been doing since our last review? Have any of your objectives shifted or changed based on new learnings, experiences, or changes in the environment? Please tell me about it."
• "Describe a teaching experience that exemplified excellence in the classroom for you. What did you value about yourself? What did you value about the students? How did this experience contribute to their success?"
• "You've identified a couple of areas where you believe you can improve. What exactly do you want to improve, and how will you go about doing that? What professional development do you need? How can I best support you?"
  
  

Make a Recipe Swap!

Let’s be real—performance reviews can feel like waiting for a mystery casserole at a potluck. Is it going to be delightful or a surprise you didn’t sign up for? But with the CWH practices, reviews become more like a shared recipe swap: "Here’s what’s working great, here’s what could use a pinch more salt, and here’s how we can make it even better next time."

Remember, evaluations are not about pointing out the burnt edges but celebrating the golden crust while figuring out how to prevent the oven from overheating.

Ready to Transform Your Reviews?

For a deep dive into applying the CWH practices in teacher reviews, check out the CWH QuickStart Guide for Evaluations and Performance Reviews. The Guide gives you everything you need to be prepared to have a conversation worth having with every person you are reviewing—including those who are not performing as expected.

You'll find templates, lots of generative questions, and examples to support you in conducting teacher reviews that everyone looks forward to. Yes, even the teacher who thought they'd rather attend another surprise potluck.

Shared by Cheri Torres, PhD.  I am passionate about learning and evolving my awareness and understanding.  I think all reviews and evaluations could be the best gift we give to one another if we just make them about growing and getting better at what we care about most!

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