Evaluating Your Student Teacher

Evaluation, whether formal or informal, is similar to coaching (see Mentoring section to read more about coaching) in that you observe a lesson or portion of a lesson. However in evaluation, rather than having a conversation about what happened versus what they expected to happen, you are making a judgement about the student teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom. This can be paired with mentoring when you offer suggestions for feedback, but the purpose of the observation is to assess the student teacher’s progress. In a formal setting, there is usually a form to be filled out whereas in an informal setting you may just share your notes with your student teacher in writing or as part of a discussion.

Informal Observation

Informal observations should happen frequently.  These are opportunities for you to give your student teacher markers for where they are doing well and where they may need to improve.  Oftentimes you will see something the student teacher is not aware they are doing, or failing to do. It is important to relay these things soon after you see them (but not while the student teacher is in front of students) so that the moment is still fresh in both your minds. One way to accomplish this is to set a time each day to discuss your informal observations (maybe during a prep or at the end of the day). This way you develop a relationship and expectation about informal observations. It is also important to remember that you have to clearly delineate between things that are suggestions and things that the student teacher must do differently. It is one thing for a student teacher not to take a suggestion and very different for them to ignore a directive. Lastly, be careful about offering too many suggestions/directives during a single informal observation and make sure to offer some moments that went well.  When conducting an informal observation, the “sandwich (a correction sandwiched between two authentic praises)” method can be very effective in helping a student teacher to improve.

Formal Observation

The purpose of a formal observation is the same as that for an informal observation. Formal observations however, are 1.) required by the college (and potentially the state education department, 2.) required to be written and signed by the observer and the observed, and 3.) become a part of the student teacher’s student teaching file. Each institution will have a required number of observations, so it is important to communicate with the university supervisor to make sure you complete the appropriate number.  The institution will also likely have their own form (either paper or electronic) that the observation must be completed on. If the institution uses an observation framework (e.g., Danielson) that you are unfamiliar with, take time to become familiar, or schedule a time with the university supervisor to walk through the expectations.

It is important with formal observations to schedule them in advance.  Because this is a part of your student teacher’s permanent file, you want them to be prepared for the observation and select a lesson that will best represent their capabilities. Much like your own formal observation, you should have a pre-observation conference where they share the lesson plan and materials and walk-through their process for the lesson.  After you have written up the formal observation, you should have a post observation conference to let them read what you wrote, ask any questions, and sign the form acknowledging that they read it. It is important to note that while they may ask you to justify your observation and may even challenge your observation, signing simply acknowledges that they read it, not that they agreed with it. You are not required to change your observation if the student teacher disagrees.

After the observation, be certain that you understand the institution's expectations.  Are forms submitted immediately after they are signed or do you hold on to them and submit them at the end of the student teaching placement?

The "Negative" Evaluation

The purpose of student teaching is to offer student teachers an opportunity to improve their craft as teachers. Generally speaking, you do not expect a student teacher to come in as a finished project. They will most likely have things they need to work on to improve as a teacher. As such, you will likely be offering suggestions and corrections often.  This is normal. Sometimes however, even after many suggestions, directives, and corrections, the student teacher will show no improvement. Now what do you do?!

Hopefully, this will not happen often in your career, but it is important to be prepared for the occasions where it does happen. First, and most important, try to remember that the most important thing you are doing is helping someone to grow in their chosen field. Try to guide them gently and maintain a safe environment for both you and your student teacher. When you given a student a directive for something they need to improve and they do not improve it, you can try asking them what they tried to do to improve the situation. If that doesn’t work, remind them again and offer ways to improve.  If it continues to show no improvement, it is time to put it in writing. You may want to create an informal (or formal) teacher improvement plan.  It identifies the weaknesses and what the student teacher will do to improve and identifies next steps if improvement doesn’t happen. Do not be afraid to reach out to the university supervisor during this process.  They will often know the student much better than you and be able to offer some suggestions for reaching the student. If there continues to be no improvement, request a conference between you, the student teacher, and the university supervisor.

It is important to be sensitive to the psychological needs of the student teacher, but it is more important to make sure that any student teacher you “pass” in student teaching will make a good student teacher.  Some student teachers will need to be “counseled out” of the teaching field.  And it is better to catch it now, that after they have been put in charge of a classroom of their own.