Very soon, I will be given the opportunity to observe and teach in a nearby local school, with an incredible, experienced, mentor teacher. From her wisdom and experiences thus far, along with the research and observations I have already completed, I hope to gain a greater level of understanding, and a great deal of practical knowledge for current and future instruction. I am eager and excited, but also nervous, to apply what I know, to the practices I do not yet. I am also nervous about the ongoing assessment and review I will participate in, regarding my progress and standings.
The fact is, all teachers undergo routine evaluation of their practices and skills throughout the school year, and this student teaching clinical experience, is just the first step in that ongoing career-specific process. Teacher evaluation is occurring all of the time and is no longer simply based on observations by superiors. In current practice, evaluation of teachers can often include: principle and mentor observations, standardized test score results of students, value-added measures, and student/parent feedback. While I feel that this multi-faceted approach is far more comprehensive than the alternative of a singular evaluation tool, I still don't necessarily feel that these methodologies will ever give a wholistic view of each teachers' level of efficacy and impact on their students and student achievement year to year, unless they are modified appropriately for that purpose.
The reason I feel this way, is because research studies suggest that not a single one of those methods for evaluation, are unbiased, consistent over time, or without serious flaws. According to 2011 online article by Washington Post author Valerie Strauss, titled Getting Teacher Evaluation Right, "there is a widespread consensus among practitioners, researchers, and policy makers that current teacher evaluation systems in most school districts do little to help teachers improve or to support personnel decision making. For this reason, new approaches to teacher evaluation are being developed and tested." (Strauss, 2011)
It is my hope that as time goes on, there will be less emphasis on data driven policy and standardized or high stakes testing, and more emphasis on wholistic approaches to student learning, assessment, and long term progress. It is my hope for my own assessment, that I will receive the sort of feedback from my peers, mentors, superiors, parents, and students, that is fair, encouraging, constructive, helpful, reflective of my full range and demonstration of abilities, and timely, so that I may continue to learn, grow, and improve, alongside my students.
Source
Getting Teacher Evaluation Right. (2011) The Washington Post. By Valerie Strauss. Retrieved October 28, 2014, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/getting-teacher-evaluation-right/2011/09/15/gIQAPzs9UK_blog.html
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