THE J. W. PEPPER BLOG | DELIVERING MUSIC SINCE 1876

THE J. W. PEPPER BLOG | DELIVERING MUSIC SINCE 1876

THE J. W. PEPPER BLOG | DELIVERING MUSIC SINCE 1876

Teacher Evaluation: Keep Calm and Improve Your Craft

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In 2012 Pennsylvania piloted a new teacher evaluation program called the Teacher Effectiveness System.  By 2014, every district in the Commonwealth was using this system to evaluate teachers.

It brought with it an increase in recordkeeping, evidence gathering, and reflecting on the part of teachers.  The evaluation itself was soon weighted with other outside factors such as student test scores (referred to as value-added measures or VAM).

A classroom visit from a building principal can make some teachers nervous, and the addition of scores added to the teacher evaluation can create stress for many.  While teacher evaluation continues to be a daily topic in schools, perhaps we can put our minds at ease by focusing on that which we have control over, instead of outside factors that are out of our control.

In Todd Smith’s book Little Things Matter: Improve Your Life One Thing at a Time, Life Lesson #48 states –Don’t Worry About What You Can’t Control.  I’m not suggesting you completely forget about things like student test scores, but rather focus on what you can control; and as Smith puts it, “step up your game.”

Whether your district is using Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Teaching, Robert Marzano’s Teacher Evaluation Model, or another teacher evaluation system, these tools typically present specific areas of focus for the educator.  Translating a teacher evaluation rubric into music-specific action is something music educators can explore as they improve their craft.

As you reflect on your teaching, which areas are your strengths?  Identify these areas.  Celebrate your strengths, build on them, and share them with others inside and outside of your department.

Next, identify areas in which you could improve.  Even if we have a successful program, it’s important to continue learning to stay current.  This helps us communicate with colleagues and create new pathways for learning.  So often we get stuck in the rut of routine;  however, if we explore available resources we can learn new ways of teaching a concept that saves time and may even create deeper understanding for our students.

I’ve often seen newer teachers struggle with managing classroom transitions, checking for student understanding, and using appropriate pacing.  These areas are part of what is observed during classroom observations (Danielson’s Framework for Teaching).  How do we address these areas of need?  We ask essential questions of our students, but as educators, what essential questions should we ask ourselves?

 

Planning Smooth Transitions

What are your classroom routines?  How do you establish them?

Do your routines maximize instructional time?

 

Checking for Understanding

How do you check for student understanding?  Is it frequent enough?

Are you really checking, or simply stopping rehearsal and telling students how to fix something?

 

Using Appropriate Pacing

Is your pacing content- and age-appropriate?

Are students acting out or bored because of your pacing?

 

Sample outline of class:

  • Opener/Hook
  • Warm-up
  • Review earlier concept
  • Connect to new concept
  • Model practice
  • Divide into groups/individuals
  • Monitor accountability
  • Closure
  • Assessment/Exit ticket

 

Final Thoughts

Identify areas of your teaching that need attention and seek solutions and supports to help you grow.  These links are just a sampling of resources you can begin to explore.  What you do in your classroom is something you can control and improve upon as you develop and hone your craft of teaching, which will benefit students in the end.

 

Resources

Danielson, C. (2007). Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Click here for more information on Danielson’s Framework for Teaching.

Marzano, R. (2015). Marzano Teacher Evaluation Model. Retrieved from

http://www.marzanoevaluation.com/evaluation/causal_teacher_evaluation_model/

Pennsylvania Department of Education. (2013). Educator Effectiveness Project. Retrieved from http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/

educator_effectiveness_project/20903

Popham, W. J. (2013a). Evaluating America’s Teachers: Mission Possible? Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Smith, T. (2010). Little Things That Matter. Lake Dallas, TX: Success Books.

 

Guest Blogger Jenny Neff is an instrumental music teacher at Bala Cynwyd Middle School in the Lower Merion School District in Pennsylvania, where she is in her 24th year of teaching.  She is currently completing her doctorate (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership at Immaculata University.  Her dissertation topic is in the area of teacher evaluation.  She received a Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music Education from Michigan State University.  She serves as the Eastern Division Representative for the Council for Band, for the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and is a mentor in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association’s Mentor Program.  She is an active presenter and guest conductor.

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Jenny Neff
Jenny Neff
Guest blogger Jenny Neff is an instrumental music teacher at Bala Cynwyd Middle School in the Lower Merion School District in Pennsylvania, where she has taught for over 20 years. She is currently completing her doctorate (Ed.D.) in educational leadership at Immaculata University. Her dissertation topic is in the area of teacher evaluation. She received Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music Education degrees from Michigan State University. She serves as the Eastern Division Representative for the Council for Band Education for the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and is a mentor in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association's Mentor Program. She is an active presenter and guest conductor.

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