The big day is here. In less than six and a half hours, I will undergo my first formal evaluation as a teacher at South Middle School.
I asked for Mr. Mitchell, the principal, to observe my first hour class for two reasons. One, by doing it first thing in the morning I won't have it hanging over my head all day. Two, this is my regular communication arts block. I have the advanced class during fifth and sixth hours. I want to be observed working with a regular class. On the pre-observation worksheet, I asked that Mr. Mitchell observe my classroom management techniques. I was sorely tempted to take the easy way out on my lesson plan and go with my strong point, discussion, but evaluations should be learning experiences and I'm not going to learn anything by sticking with something that I already am totally comfortable doing.
As usual, the class is scheduled to begin with a writing prompt. Today, the students will write a half-page detailing what they plan to do for their extra-credit project. After that, we will review for our test over Edgar Allan Poe's short story, "The Tell-Tale Heart." Then we will take the test. It's a simple lesson plan, but it's a plan that will enable Mr. Mitchell to observe me doing things he has not seen me doing before during my evaluations at Diamond (where he was my principal for the first two years I was there). In the past, I invariably planned a discussion for my formal evaluations.
I always made sure to have him observe a class I had been having a few problems with so I could get some tips on how to deal with that class. This year, I don't have that option. I really do not have any classes that have been problems. Hopefully, I will still be saying that after the evaluation.