Transitioning into the 2020-21 school year poses many challenges, not the least of which will be how to handle teacher evaluations. Many schools and districts still haven’t finalized plans for reopening schools—options currently in discussion range from an immediate return to classroom learning in the fall to virtual or blended learning through winter 2020.
With a student achievement gap looming and varying degrees of stress and psychological trauma experienced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers’ skills will be put to the test. Observations and evaluations will be critical to ensuring teachers have the support and resources they need to meet these new challenges, but only if your process can be configured to serve teachers in either a face-to-face or virtual setting.
Whatever the future holds, students need adaptive, effective teachers to guide them to success and get learning back on track. That’s why helping teachers build their skills is more important now than ever before.
Whether teachers and staff are all working together in the same building this summer and fall, or through virtual work environments, you need the tools and processes in place to conduct observations, provide feedback, and collaborate on growth plans. Evaluations give administrators the opportunity to connect with teachers, assess their effectiveness and hear their concerns, and support their success with one-on-one coaching and collaborative growth plans.
Teacher evaluations and closing the learning gap in 2020
The sudden switch to virtual and blended learning in the previous school year profoundly impacted student learning. Schools lost as much as 12 to 15 weeks of classroom instruction, and that’s left many guessing how much ground K-12 students will need to make up as they begin the new school year.
The Northwest Evaluation Association’s (NWEA) Collaborative for Student Growth reports that students will likely return to school (whether virtually or in classrooms) having completed half their math goals and less than three quarters of their reading goals the previous year. To achieve their learning standards for the coming year, teachers need to help them close the gap quickly and effectively.
Preparing teachers to meet this challenge and following up on their effectiveness throughout the coming year is critical. It’s fair to say none of them have ever faced such a widespread learning gap before. Evaluations give administrators a chance to act as both supporter and coach, helping them honestly assess their classroom effectiveness on closing the learning gap and find ways to improve.
Classroom behavior management challenges after COVID-19 school closures
In addition to the learning gap, students will also return to school having experienced varying levels of stress and crisis since schools closed. Teachers must employ behavioral management and support skills to meet students where they are when school begins.
Social isolation at home and school closures have kept students away from their friends for months. There’s no doubt that they’re anxious to see their friends, teachers, and coaches face to face again, but there’s still no guarantee that will happen at the start of the school year. What is certain is that anxiety and stress caused by social isolation will contribute to behavioral challenges for teachers.
Students face a rush of stimulation when schools reopen. They’ll be catching up on the learning they missed last year while reconnecting with important people in their lives. Staying focused will be difficult. For teachers, this will challenge their classroom management abilities like never before. Focusing on this skillset in teacher evaluations will contribute directly to improving educator effectiveness.
Figuring out virtual teacher observation and evaluation
Perhaps the most pressing question on everybody’s mind has been around successfully shifting K-12 learning from the classroom to a virtual environment. Sorting out the technological needs is one thing, but effectively teaching via video conferencing and online coursework requires a skillset that wasn’t considered essential until it suddenly became so.
For administrators, online teaching also means conducting virtual teacher observations since there isn’t a physical classroom to visit. Although this reality derailed scheduled teacher evaluations at the end of last school year, schools and districts know they must devise a solution to resume evaluations no matter how classes resume. Classroom observations simply cannot wait for a full return to classroom learning. When teachers get back to teaching, administrators need to get back to supporting and collaborating.
Fred Scott, former K-12 principal and professional development specialist and now Senior Education Business Consultant for PowerSchool, says teaching in a virtual setting requires its own set of skills. Even though many of today’s teachers have experienced online learning, they don’t necessarily possess the skills and experience to effectively teach in a virtual classroom.
Scott says, “Teaching an online class is a whole different thing. Schools need to look for this kind of experience in new hires, but they also need to help current teachers build their skills.” He says online observations will be critical to enable administrators to offer constructive feedback and work with teachers to help them grow. Additionally, offering peer-to-peer support enables teachers experienced with online teaching to offer mentorship, helping others develop their skills.
Flexible teacher evaluation tools for administrators will be key
The most certain thing about the coming school year is that new challenges await us all. Teachers must develop new skills to connect with and support their students, and administrators must create a teacher evaluations process that works with evolving school operations and policies.
All the uncertainty in the air makes flexibility a must. Administrators and teachers need flexible tools to keep teacher evaluations valuable and easy to complete.
The right teacher evaluation tool supports:
- Virtual and in-person observations and feedback to ensure teachers get the support they need whether schools open their doors this fall or if virtual learning continues for the foreseeable future
- Customizable feedback to support critical focus areas like teaching online or in a blended learning environment, managing classroom behavior online, and supporting students’ emotional needs
- A 360° view of educator effectiveness by incorporating self-assessments, peer-to-peer reviews, and development goals and plans to give teachers a well-rounded perspective and mentorship opportunities
Supporting teachers, no matter what
Whatever form teacher evaluations take going forward, supporting their continued growth and effectiveness will always remain the goal. Getting there calls for tools and processes to continuously adapt and evolve. A flexible teacher evaluations tool can help you keep up with the changes.
Strong teachers will get students through the challenges they face in the coming year. Overcoming the learning gap will be the priority, and a flexible evaluations system can help administrators support and coach teachers through the changes ahead to help them constantly improve their teaching effectiveness.
Looking for a more flexible teacher evaluations tool?
See how PowerSchool Perform puts the focus on teacher growth by fostering open collaboration in a virtual or in‑person setting.