Effective Evaluations...How does that work?!

Over the summer, I've had a lot of time to reflect on many things from last school year and try to think about how we can be better this year....for our kids.  One of the things I've come back to a few times is trying to figure out how I can continue to implement RISE in such a way that you all see and feel the benefits of it.  One of my fears with evaluation as we currently know it is that it will break down some of what we do with PLCs.  Let's face it, when one puts a number or a score on something like teaching, it can make things difficult.

As I reflected more, I came to realize that it's not that we're putting a score or a number on teaching that makes things difficult, it's the score itself.  You see, I came to realize that nothing sucks us into a fixed mindset quicker than a score.  When a score is assigned to anything we do, we instantly fall into the trap of wondering if it's good enough.  How did I do compared to my colleagues?  Did I do better than yesterday?  Things can get out of control pretty fast and soon we lose the whole point of the score in the first place.

I was reminded of an experience I had my freshman year of college.  It was my first fall and I was running cross country that year, not because of my sly build and gazelle-like flight-footedness, but because I need to try to stay in shape for track.  The first week was terrible  Even though I trained hard over the summer, I couldn't cut it that first week.  I was running with guys who were way out of my league.  I was struggling to just survive practices, let alone find any value in being on the team.   You see, the "scores" I was getting weren't good...compared to those around me.  I wasn't measuring up to them and I began to wonder what the heck I was even doing on team.

I remembered having this "ah ha" moment, one practice, ...as I was alone, ...on a trail, ....because I was so far behind (I had a lot of time to think back there) and I realized that my purpose on that team wasn't to score a bunch of points and win races.  God had me on that team for another reason.  I didn't know what it was at that time, but I knew there was a reason.  I began to focus on my own "scores" and not worry about those around me.  I stopped looking outside, and begin to look inside.  Guess what happened?  My times started dropping!  Instead of being frustrated that I wasn't near the front of the pack, I started seeing the value in the journey.  I saw how all the hard work, made me better; I focused on my improvement.

Now, I'm not saying this is a perfect analogy with what we're doing with RISE.  What I am saying is that the end of the year was tough with those RISE end of year meetings.  We had to put numbers to what you do everyday, for the first time ever for most of us.  That was tough and uncomfortable.  My fear as a leader was that because not everyone's scores were the same, small cracks of division would begin to break down the firm foundations of PLCs we have here at Jefferson.  I hope and pray that hasn't happened.  What I do know is this, unless we're proactive in standing against that tendency to let the "scores" break us down, we can get into trouble. 

So, how do we fight it?  Well, we have to find our purpose.  What is our purpose for teacher evaluation?  Why do we do it?  Let me be clear about what my purpose is for evaluating you this year....it's twofold:  To help you become a better teacher and to help our students achieve at the highest level possible.  That's it.  I want to support you.  My purpose isn't get anyone in trouble, it isn't to fire anyone, it isn't to make your life harder than it has to be.  It is simply to help you get better so that you can be the best for your kids.  Please know that.  The "scores" that you get are simply to give you specific feedback about how you can get better.  It's not a perfect system by any means, but with the right mindset, we can find value in it.  The evaluation committee has also made some critical changes to RISE over the summer that I believe will help us with having the right mindset.   If we focus on using those "scores" to reflect and improve, rather than wonder about and compare to others, we'll see great value in the feedback.   

It wasn't' until I found my purpose for being on that team that my "scores" in this case, times, began to help me, and it won't be until you understand that the purpose of evaluation is to help you that you begin to see the value in this.  It's tough, I know.  None of us love all the parts of RISE, but if we can begin to think of it in a positive way, it'll do great things for us.  

The good news is, I get to learn with you.  I am evaluated just like you are, just with a slightly different rubric.  I get "dropped in" on and I turn in artifacts, so I'm going to have to put up or shut up with this, and I plan on putting up this year....and getting better.  How about you? 

What is Effective?

This past spring, I was invited to be a part of the Indiana Principal Leadership Institute (IPLI).  There used to be a group called the Indiana Principal Leadership Academy.  A few years ago the DOE got rid of this group, but recently, a group of state education leaders and legislators brought it back, with some key changes, and titled it the IPLI.  Anyway, I am in a cohort of 57 principals from around the state who are taking part in this two year institute. 

            Last week, we got started with our first two days down at Indiana State University.  I’ll be very honest with you, when I first headed down to the institute; I wasn’t in the best frame of mind. I was unsure of what this institute would be, I was concerned about how much work it would add to my plate, and I just wasn’t ready to admit that my summer was winding down.  Two days later, I came away feeling energized, encouraged, excited, and pumped up about IPLI!  It was an incredible two days. 

            On day two of the conference, we were able to listen to a lady named Annette Breaux speak.  Annette is an educational leader who speaks all over the country.  She is an expert in many areas, but she was speaking specifically to us about how good teachers, highly effective teachers, impact their students.  She specifically focused on the positive attitude that teachers must have.  Annette is a great follow on twitter (@AnnetteBreaux).   I wanted to share a few quotes/takeaways from her presentation:

§  If students are unclear about what to do, it’s because directions were probably not given clearly enough.  We need to TELL students what to do, SHOW students what to do, ask students to tell us what they need to do, and then have them show us what to do, before we turn them loose on an activity.

§  Bottom line, you don’t see many worksheets or lectures in effective teachers’ classrooms.

§  Students respond to happy sounding teaching.

§  Why does a teacher have a desk in his/her room?  Because a teacher’s classroom is also their office.  However, that desk should only be used when doing office work, NOT when a teacher is instructing students.  Remember, a physical barrier creates a mental barrier, so if a teacher is teaching from his/her desk, chances are kids aren’t learning because there is a physical barrier between he/she and the students.   Typically, effective teachers are only at their desks when kids aren’t in the room.

§  Effective teachers highly utilize student directed, hands on activities. 

§  Effective teachers are enthusiastic, tell stories, laugh, teach in short (10 minutes) segments all alighted to one objective. 

§  When you scream at your students, you publically admit that you can’t control your emotions.

§  It’s not okay to bring your personal lives into your professional lives.  We wouldn’t want our airline pilot, or surgeon’s performance to suffer because of a tough personal situation, and the same is true for our students.  When it’s tough, JUST SMILE! 

§  Always assume the best from your students.

I know you all know and practice many of the things she said, but they were good reminders for me.  The bottom line is we need to be happy and positive for our students regardless of how we feel about things.  We need to make learning fun for our students. 

Anyway, she gave some great ideas for illustrating these principles that I’ll use throughout the year.  In the meantime, if you have thoughts are reactions to the takeaways; I’d love to discuss them with you.  The great news is we have a staff that exemplifies good teaching and is always looking to get better.   I look forward to growing with you this year.  Enjoy your week!

Dave