Teacher Self-Evaluation

Abstract

Several methods by which teachers are able to make a useful assessment of their own instruction and prescribe improvements for their own teaching are described. The literature on these evaluation methods is also reviewed. These methods include: reflective evaluation, an important part of the new approach to teacher self-evaluation; action research projects and teacher journals, techniques used to enhance teacher reflections on teaching; teaching portfolios, valuable for self-evaluation because they give the teacher a structure for documenting and reflecting on practice and can capture the complexities of professional practice in ways no other approach can; the "2 + 2 for Teachers" system (D. Allen, R. Nichols, and A. LeBlanc (1997)), a teacher performance appraisal program that involves teachers and administrators in a series of regular peer observations; Career Development Reinforcing Excellence (CADRE), a career development program that promotes accountability for and reflective inquiry about teaching and learning while challenging long-held assumptions about and practices in supervision, evaluation, and professional development; peer coaching, another aspect of staff development that leads to teacher self- evaluation; storytelling, another way for teachers to think about and to behave toward children different from themselves; and sharing stories that can result in collaborative critique leading to improved teaching. All of these approaches provide opportunities for teachers to engage in self-reflection and collegial interactions. (Contains 56 references.) (SLD)