Reflecting upon the teacher’s performance
As a principal, you will be responsible for observing and evaluating special education teachers. This process will include pre-conferences, observations, and feedback. To maximize effectiveness, this process must be collaborative, clear, and complete.
Allocate at least 1 hour in the field to support this field experience.
In collaboration with your principal mentor, attend a pre-conference and formal observation of a special education teacher. With your principal mentor, collaboratively reflect upon the teacher’s performance including agreed upon ideas for enhancing instructional delivery and student learning outcomes. Discuss how feedback would be delivered in a post-observation conference. In addition, examine the formal evaluation tool, policies regarding how the tool is administered, how ratings are assigned, how and with whom results are shared, and what happens with the results? Are any of these different for a special education teacher compared to the general educator?
In order to ensure that this process is successful, I attended an observation with my principal mentor at a local school. Prior to beginning the observation we conducted a pre-conference which gave us an opportunity to discuss what would be observed in the classroom such as instructional strategies being used by the teacher, student engagement levels, pacing of activities etc., as well as any potential areas for improvement that could be discussed post-observation during our debriefing session afterwards.
When observing a special education teacher there are some considerations that must taken into account compared general educators; specifically when assigning ratings their performance after completing report findings. For example since students may require more individualized instruction certain criteria need adjusted order accurately reflect how they are doing based particular goals set out them not just overall “average” student within class setting which can lead skewed results cases where one child might excelling while another falls behind due learning disabilities environmental factors etc.
During post-observation conference (which also included student's parents) we discussed ways help improve teaching delivery/student learning outcomes based on what was observed field day before – focusing both strengths weaknesses identified throughout observations using formal evaluation tool . Once all points were covered were then able confidentially share results other administrators involved case who will ultimately decide best course action moving forward from here whether means additional resources retraining existing staff so ultimately everyone involved can ensure success those under their charge going into future!