Competency 4: CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION, SUPERVISION

Related Task 4.3

Knowledge of a variety of instructional methods and skills

Specific Task 4.3.6

Conduct at least one clinical supervision cycle including pre-observation,

classroom observation(s) and post-observation session with a teacher.

Narrative Description of Specific Task

With permission of the administrator and teacher, I will conduct an

evaluation of a teacher. While present in the classroom, I will observe different
dimensions of the teaching process using the district’s evaluation process,
Thoughtful Classroom Teacher Effectiveness Framework. Summarize and critique
witnessed indicators and follow up with possibly any missed opportunities.
Provide evidence that supports my findings. Praise the teacher’s behavior that
enhance learning. Pose any questions that might foster reflection on the teacher’s
decisions and their impact. Propose, collaboratively if possible, on how to improve
the teacher’s practice.

Narrative of Competency:

Teacher evaluations are the most time-consuming tasks for a building

administrator. I took on this task to get an idea of what transpires from the other
side of the evaluation process. I’ve been a teacher for quite a while and have
endured the anxiety on this end. I really had no inclination as to what to expect
from doing this. I sat down with my administrator, David Zuehlke, and discussed
what was going to take place. Luckily, there was a teacher that he planned to
evaluate in the next few days, our art teacher. He gave me a blank paper copy of
the electronic tool that he uses to observe and take notes. There were no tips or
specific areas that he would be looking for in the evaluation discussed. I felt that I
was kind of left to fend for myself.

The to-be evaluated teacher was called into Mr. Zuehlke’s office for the pre-
observation meeting a couple of days prior to the actual observation. I was in
attendance to observe, take notes, and maybe even have input into the process. I
have been in the art teacher’s shoes many times myself and know how nervous you
can get. I could tell that the teacher was very nervous as one of his answers to a
question about what he wants to get out of this observation was ‘to keep his job”. I
found this to be kind of disturbing because he was actually commenting seriously.
As our administrator kind of smiled, I reassured the teacher to take a deep breath
and that everything would be just fine. I knew this teacher and he had his stuff
together having been an art teacher in the elementary schools, as well as in the
middle school, and now the high school. The teacher described to us what his
lesson was about and what he would be shooting for as a result. There were some
specific questions that Dave asked of the art teacher. He was basically reading the
questions from a piece of paper like a script. These must be questions that he asks
of all of the teachers. As Dave asked the questions the art teacher gave his answers.
Questions such as “How will you engage the students in learning?” and “What will
be examples of higher level thinking?” “What do you want feedback on - any
specific items?” “What do you think your strengths are?” “Do you have any
questions for me?” “Will I still have a job?” was the teachers reply.

Dave stated that he would be sitting among the students blending in with his
laptop keying away on what he is observing. I would be off to the side or in back at
an unoccupied workstation. There were no further comments or questions from
either Mr. Zuehlke or the teacher, so I took the opportunity to ask a few questions.
I asked the teacher why he is so nervous about this and just like myself in the past
it was due to the job on the line scenario. This was my inclination, but wanted him
to say it out loud for Mr. Zuehlke to hear. I reassured him that Mr. Zuehlke was a
fair and honest man and that would not be the case. I also asked Mr. Zuehlke if
those were questions that he asked everybody and his reply was yes. “It’s easier for
me to just have them written and I read them.” I thought this was kind of
impersonal for something that was very personal.

The Thoughtful Classroom Teacher Effectiveness Framework is what our

district uses for its evaluation tool. It is entirely electronic and is used by the
administrator on a portable laptop. The framework is made up of four Cornerstones
of Effective Teaching, five Episodes of Effective Instruction, and one dimension of
Effective Professional Practice. There are some specific things in the cornerstones
that Dave will be looking for such as the lesson objectives and vocabulary are
posted, the social contracts are observable, and that your classroom rules are in
sight. The five episodes will be observed as the lesson is being taught. The final
one dimension is more of what the teacher does outside of the classroom.

On Tuesday March 6, 2018, I accompanied Mr. Zuehlke into the art

teacher’s third hour classroom, which worked out perfectly because third hour is
my conference period – no sub needed. The observation lasted the entire period,
9:28-10:20. The principal set up “shop” in the middle of students as planned and
sat across the room at a vacant work station. Dave had his laptop with the
evaluation tool on it and was keying. I had my print out of the tool and a note pad.
I began to check things off that I had witnessed and began to jot issues down on the
evaluation tool. This became overwhelming as I was not very familiar with this
tool. I began to write down notes on the notepad. As the students started to work
independently in the room, I found myself getting up and wandering around the
room witnessing what the students were doing and listening to the teachers
instructions. I began to ask students questions about their work. I was amazed at
the number of students doing different projects and different phases of their
projects. All in a controlled chaos is the best way for me to describe it. As I was
walking around the room, I noticed a number of different issues that were hung up
on the wall including the things mentioned in the pre-observation meeting. This
teacher is very organized and things may look messy because it is an art room, but
it is clean and neat. Towards the end of the period, students started putting things
away and cleaning up after themselves. As the period ended, the teacher launched
the class with the saying they say everyday – “go and make the world a better
place”.

I had to leave abruptly because I have a fourth hour to teach myself. So I

hurried up to my classroom on the other end of the building and unlocked my door
and began greeting students and monitoring the hallway. Mr. Zuehlke was not far
behind me as I grabbed his attention to come over to me on his way back to his
office. He asked me what I thought and I responded that I liked going into other
classrooms and witnessing the great things that are going on. I also told him that I
thought the teacher was doing an amazing job with the number of students that he
has. I think that he has somewhere around 40 students in that beginning art class
third hour. Dave agreed and said that the teacher does a good job with giving
feedback and/or criticism to students and their projects also.

The post-observation meeting went very smoothly as this teacher does a

great job in teaching art. It’s his passion and you can tell. Dave complimented him
on the things that I noticed as well as the things he noticed. A job well done as
Dave ended the 5 minute meeting. The teacher was then reminded that he still
needed to go into the evaluation tool and put in his reflection of the observation
and lesson. There was no further discussion between Mr. Zuehlke and myself.

Reflection:

As a first time evaluator, I found it very difficult to know what I was looking
for on the evaluation tool itself. I was initially overwhelmed trying to keep up
because I had never used this tool before in this manner. During the observation, I
found myself trying to find areas that the teacher should consider for future
growth. I found a few things and made my suggestions in the post-observation
meeting. I realized that teachers are willing to take advice when it is presented in a
way that shows you want them to succeed; this is the importance of a professional
relationship. Although I do have a personal relationship with this teacher, I found
that I could keep it strictly on a professional level during this process. Our district
model is lacking in the area of useful feedback for positive growth of its teachers.
This has to be done in the notes or a separate document. Lastly, I found the process
of evaluation to be very time consuming. To be efficient doing
observations/evaluations, I would have to become quite familiar with the tool
through experience and/or training before I attempted another.
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