concepts are abstract and complex, and
at least three different types of problem typical lessons are far more honest and
teachers must approach such concepts
solving—just to score average.
reflective of everyday practices—and
in multiple ways and in multiple lessons
To be perfectly honest, a score of a 2 they require no additional time from
for most students to reach mastery.
It would be excellent if the majority
of students mastered adding and sub-
tracting fractions with unlike denomi-
nators in 45 minutes to an hour. But
on one indicator is not going to ruin a
whole evaluation. If, as in the case of
my 2 in mastery, a teacher has a good
lesson and exhibits good practices
throughout, one or two low areas will
teachers.
Let me be clear on the big picture of
time. Evaluators come in and observe
for three out of four evaluation lessons,
and no additional time is required of
in my high-poverty, culturally and
not affect an overall score. That one low teachers during the observation itself.
linguistically diverse, special edu-
score lets me know what the weak areas Two evaluations have a pre-observation
cation inclusion class, it is unlikely
of the lesson were, but it doesn’t mean
conference, which requires an addi-
and unrealistic. Besides, it’s not clear
my lessons always score a 2 in that area. tional 30 minutes each. Plus, there are
what most even means. Is it 75 percent?
85 percent? 51 percent? (That is a
majority, after all.)
If I begin to see a pattern of low scores
in an area over multiple observations, I
need to consider how to improve. Isn’t
post-observation conferences of approx-
imately 30 minutes each for three or
four of the evaluations. The total time so
When I taught my students how
that the whole point?
far is about three hours.
The longest portion left is creating
the lesson for the planning evaluation.
Ongoing reflection enables me to tweak
This lesson took me a couple of hours.
(I would estimate that an average lesson
and modify my lessons as I teach, thus
plan requires anywhere from 15 to 90
minutes to complete.) Add another two
improving the lesson as it unfolds.
hours for the recommended plan for an
announced evaluation.
The grand total? Seven hours. Seven
hours out of one year. Is this really too
to measure volume using a graduated
The Teacher’s Burden
much?
cylinder, it took several days of inves-
Many educators have spoken about the
tigating, modeling, discussing, over-
additional time that the new system
The Purpose of Evaluation
coming misconceptions, and dunking
requires. The chief complaint is that
These evaluations are meant to improve
objects into graduated cylinders before
writing lessons for the evaluation
instruction. As with any evaluation
most students could accurately measure (required for the planning evaluation
system, those responsible for creating
the rise of water to calculate the volume and recommended for one other)
the system must continue to revise it to
of an object. So when one of my lessons takes too much time. Writing in-depth
strive for integrity, validity, and reli-
was observed, I attained only a 2 in
lessons does take time, and most
ability. (In fact, Tennessee has already
mastery.
teachers do not write such detailed
made several changes for 2012–13.) Yet
Another problem is the number of
plans for every lesson. I equated my
although the system has flaws, it has
indicators in the instructional rubric.
own evaluation lesson with the dreaded indeed improved my teaching, and for
There are 12 indicators to measure in
sub plans, in which one must write out that, I am grateful. With additional
one lesson, as opposed to four in the
every detail so someone else can follow refinements, it could improve my
planning and environment rubrics. The it. It took me a couple of hours. It was
teaching even more.EL
indicators in the rubric are all good, and tedious, but not overwhelming, espe-
all lessons should have many of them,
cially for only one or two lessons a year.
even a majority. Yet some elements may
Although I personally abhor the
not fit within a particular lesson. An
thought of designing lessons just for an
introductory lesson may include less
evaluation, I fear that many teachers
problem solving but more accessing of
will fall into creating the old “dog and
prior knowledge. On the other hand,
pony show” for observations. I have
1Jerald, C. D., & Van Hook, K. (2011).
More than measurement: The TAP sys-
tem’s lessons learned for designing better
teacher evaluation systems. Chicago: Joyce
Foundation.
2National Institute for Excellence in
Teaching. (2011). Instruction rubric. Santa
Monica, CA: Author.
a lesson at the close of a unit may have
heard of teachers creating lessons that
a great deal of problem solving and
are designed to fit the rubric and pulling
critical thinking but less accessing of
them out when an evaluator walks in. Is
prior knowledge. Yet the rubric requires this a real picture of standard teaching
a teacher to include both and to have
practice? Unplanned evaluations of
Michelle Pieczura (pieczuramic@fssd
.org) teaches 4th grade at Franklin Elementary School in Franklin, Tennessee.
