Very Dissapointed
Hi friends! I just want to post today to vent...let me explain to you what happened today.
I had my end of year eval from the principal on wed. I thought it went well and considering they let me go, I still tried my best to show all of my accomplishments this year. He commented on a few things (oh this was me having to show off a portfolio) and said it was good at the end. Then today, I come into work to this envelope in my mailbox. His eval sucked! :( It was based off of the 9 professional standards and you could get anywhere from needs improvement to distinguished. Well, he gave me two in needs improvement and the rest only proficient! What! Basically, this entire eval made me seem like a terrible, mediocre teacher. Now this will not go with me and basically stay within the company and since I will no longer be employed, I'm not concerned about that. What I am concerned about is how low he seems to think of me. I try so hard and share my resources and worksheets with other teachers in my team. There are people who barely squeak by and they got higher scores than me. And the kicker is my principal has never formally observed me all year, yet he based so many assumptions. I do have a mentor teacher though that came in to observe 4 times and all of her reviews were raving! :) She too gave me an end of year eval and it basically said I am an accomplished, highly qualified teacher. Yes! I feel like that shows my true colors. My principal has graded me like he doesn't know me. So unfortunately I'm treating this like a "court case" and going in on tuesday with evidence that negates the scores he gave me on the standards. I am so upset and it ruined my friday. :( I know I'm not a bad teacher, far from it and I won't let the negativity of my principal affect me.
So sorry that happened! Hopefully you will be able to explain everything on Tuesday and will improve your scores! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteJennifer @ Herding Kats In Kindergarten
Ugh that is so frustrating! Kick back, it's the weekend and don't think about him!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
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Oh gosh, well I would just say that do take your evidence with you. However, I wouldn't go in showing my guns until he begins telling you why he gave you what he did. I would ask him to please go over each of the standards and show/tell examples of what you did or didn't do. I would put it in his court and then ask the questions he should be able to answer. If he doesn't answer them, that is when I would take out my evidence to show. Gee, I almost wish you could take your mentor teacher in there with you, but then that would put her in a hard place to still be working there. Good Luck and keep us posted! If you need to chat, just email me at kellybrown28021gmail .com
ReplyDeleteI don't know if your state is moving toward the Common Core Standards, but if they are, then the "proficient" level is actually considered to be quite an accomplishment. Distinguished is VERY hard to reach in most cases, and the needs improvement level is checked because if you didn't need improvement in something then you would be a 100% perfect teacher-- not possible, and not even desirable, as we are in a profession that demands constant growth and development.
ReplyDeleteAre there descriptors for each of the 9 professional standards? Can you tell WHY he gave you the scores he did? Maybe he is pigeon-holed into looking for very specific items on the rubric; this can cause a major difference in what seems like a phenomenal lesson to what is marked on the evaluation. It's all about buzz words and focus areas!
Don't beat yourself up over it! I got a genuinely *terrible* first eval from my P when I moved to my current school in my 2nd year of teaching. Was I extremely happy with my final eval? Nah, not really. Like you, I was evaluated to be "proficient" in most areas, one step above that in a couple of areas, and "needs improvement" in 3 areas. I had to keep reminding myself over and over that "proficient" is an outstanding benchmark on the evaluation tool our district utilizes. But it truly gave me areas to focus on for next year and the rest I took with a grain of salt. It's hard for an evaluator to get a true understanding of you as a teacher based on one hour in your room. They know this, other Ps will know this as you interview. Try to put a positive spin on those needs improvement areas and tell them how you plan to do just that-- improve! :)
When you go in to talk to him, approach him from a questioning standpoint. Ask for advice, ask what he would have like to see differently, ask what he would have done in those areas. Going in with guns blazing will instantly cause shutdown and it will become a hostile back-and-forth instead of a constructive opportunity. Remember-- he still has to field those reference and recommendation calls from potential future employers! He can use this dialogue as one of your strengths ("She seeks to improve her teaching strategies and is not afraid to collaborate and ask for advice and assistance in areas in which she struggles").
Good luck! Keep us posted on how it goes!!
~Bethany at wholebrainparadise.blogspot.com
I hate to hear things like this! I always tell my kiddos and my own girls that when someone says unkind things about them, as long as they know it isn't true, let it go. I know, easier said than done... I am so worried about my eval this year as I have always received highly proficient, but this year it is based 50% on the 3rd grade FCAT reading scores (I teach first), so I pretty much will not be highly proficient. I teach in a low income area, high scores would be a blessing, but a lot of high scores, well let's just pray.
ReplyDeleteKeep smiling, good luck on Tuesday, and know that you are an awesome teacher!
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