THE DREADED OBSERVATIONS

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THE DREADED OBSERVATIONS

• MAYBE NOT SO TERRIBLE, AFTER ALL

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Non-tenured

• Year 1 6 required observations
• Year 2 4 required observations
• Year 3 5 required observations
• Sorryyoure stuck with the dreaded observations.

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The Good News

• Evaluator Dr. Barbara Miller
• Former High Point principal
• Current supervisor of student teachers at William
  Paterson and Ramapo
• Compassionate but demanding
• High expectations but realistic

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Tenured Teachers

• Two required observations
• Permission to pilot an alternative assessment
  plan
• Plan is voluntary
• You may opt for two traditional observations.
  Evaluator to be revealed laterdum, da, dum

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Alternative Assessment Plan

• Five categories/types of assessments
• Personal plan approved by administrator/supervisor
  by October 15
• Meet in January to present progress report on
  your plan observation 1
• Meet in April to present findings on your plan.
  Formal, written reflection of your plan
  observation 2

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Rationale

• The Alternative Assessment Program allows
  teachers to select one of several processes that
  accomplish the following goals
• Provide constructive feedback
• Provide direction for meaningful staff
  development
• Unify teachers and administrators
• Maintain high standards of teaching and learning
• Promote collaboration, experimentation, and
  reflection.

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Peer Coaching

• Teachers work in teams of two or more to suggest
  ways of improving teaching, learning, and
  classroom management.
• For example Teachers of the new 12th grade
  program work together to implement and assess
  Writers Workshop as the organizing principle of
  the class. Ora teacher of CyberEnglish teaches
  another how to implement the program, assessing
  her own efforts as she does so.

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Professional Portfolios

• Teachers create/collect documents that show
  professional growth and reflect upon ways to
  improve student learning.
• For example Teachers maintain a professional
  journal or educational blog that shows regular
  reflection of teaching practices.
• Jodis example http//docs.google.com/Doc?iddg38
  4q3w_89dvkt9g

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Action Research

• Teachers research techniques that enhance student
  learning, implement those strategies in the
  classroom, and report on their effectiveness.
• For example Teachers implement various methods
  for improving vocabulary development and SAT
  scores they assess and share their methods with
  department. Orteachers research the pros and
  cons of implementing the 61 method of evaluating
  writing. Orteacher assesses effect on student
  engagement and learning when reading fiction vs.
  non-fiction.

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District Mentoring

• Experienced individuals work with other staff
  members to share pedagogical expertise
  (assistance, support, recommendations).
• For example Teachers work with special
  education teachers of English in developing
  writing tasks and assessment activities for
  improving HSPA scores. Orteachers teach PPT or
  Photo Story to others in dept. and assess results

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Collegial Partnerships

• Two or more partners select a research project to
  benefit the school community.
• For example Teachers create and implement
  cross-curricular activities/units (such as World
  Lit/World History teachers). They assess the
  level of understanding of students in partnered
  sections versus students in isolated sections.

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So

• You decidedo you want meaningful professional
  development that helps you to grow over the
  course of the year...
• OR
• Do you want

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RAY BARNO?!?!
The choice is yours.