New Teacher Evaluations

As part of a project through Cleveland State University, a group of teachers, administrators, and guidance counselors spent some time discussing the Entry Year Teacher Program for the State of Ohio.  New teachers are considered Resident Educators and are required to attend a series of meetings and go through a series of activities before they can move on to their next year of teaching.  

In our group, we discussed some of the benefits of this new program but also focused on some of the areas in which this program could be improved.  In part, we developed some great recommendations:

• Entry year teacher programs should focus more on and emphasize collaboration through Teacher Based Teams and other professional learning communities.  DuFour's work is essential! 
• Entry year teacher programs need not focus on the basics and fundamentals of teaching that are learned in college education programs and instead focus on state and school district initiatives.
• Entry year teachers should be evaluated by a Mentor teacher and an Administrator throughout the year to support the teacher and to identify growth.
•  Entry year teacher programs should not be filled with busy work that takes away from the already hectic first year of any new teacher.

As principals and teachers enter into a new era of accountability with new evaluation procedures already in writing, it is important to keep things simple.  While much of what we see on paper looks excellent, in practice it might be unbearable.  With new teachers in mind, giving the highest levels of support will go a long way in paving the way for a successful career.

For more information on the Entry Year Teacher Programs in the State of Ohio, go to www.state.oh.us.  Feel free to comment on this post and let me know your own ideas on teacher evaluations.