For nine years I've always had really good evaluations...but each year like clockwork - I start freaking out coming evaluation time. I wonder....."Is this going to be the year that I fall apart?", "Will my kids act like they've never been in school before", etc. Now - mind you - it's never happened, but it's my personal fear. I act like a crazy person until it's over and then I go back to normal.
For my evaluation lesson I was doing math problem solving with my kinders using the book "Little Quack"
If you haven't heard of this book - you are missing a super sweet book that your little ones will ADORE and it is perfect for both counting AND composing/decomposing the number 5. It also lends itself to lots of good higher-level questions you can ask...
This story is about a Mama duck and her 5 ducklings: Widdle, Waddle, Piddle, Puddle, and Little Quack. Mama duck decides it's time for the ducklings to go for a swim for the first time. But the 5 little ducklings are scared of the water and want to stay in their nest. One by one each little duckling gets brave enough to join in the water... The illustrations are perfect - showing both how many ducklings are in the nest and how many are in the pond as each duckling jumps in.
I have the kids helps me act out the story as I told it. I used a large brown circle of bulletin board paper for the next (big enough to fit 5 kids) and a large blue circle of paper for the pond. We followed along with the book as each child (duck) moved into the pond. The kids had a blast (gosh I wished I had pics:0) Perhaps I should have asked my principal to take pictures (hahaha! :0)
Of course the hilarious part of the story is that my promethean board died 5 minutes into the lesson - so I totally had to wing it "old school"! :0)
So - what is your most memorable evaluation lesson???
Sounds like it was a great lesson! And yes, despite years of excellent evaluations, I still sigh a huge breath of relief when I see the back of my principal as he/she exits through the classroom door.
ReplyDeleteAbout 10 years ago I was being evaluated by a principal who wanted to see technology in use during the observation. That was her ONE MUST HAVE. I was happy to oblige. So I planned a spelling lesson with a short direct instruction lesson followed by spelling centers. And to meet the tech requirements, I had my 2 Apple IIe computers (remember those dinosaurs?!?) ready to go.
The morning of my evaluation I arrive early to make sure everything was in place. I turned on my computers, and smoke began to waft up from behind them. Great day for them to decide to go to technology heaven!
So I know the feeling that comes from having something unexpected happen during the evaluation.
Gotta love technology! My first evaluation (ever) as a first year teacher I had a kiddo in my class who had some...special traits. I know I should remember the exact details but surprisingly I don't. Just that the lesson was going really well until near the end when some prop I needed was completely MIA. I had to try to think fast but it was obvious something wasn't right. Luckily for me my principal had already had plenty of sit downs with this kiddo so when I looked for and found the prop in his desk a little while later my principal found the whole thing to be funny and not surprising. He gave me a good review and kuddos for my endless patience!
ReplyDelete❤ -Stephanie
Falling Into First
❤ -Stephanie
Falling Into First
I haven't had to be evaluated in 5 years....but that's about to change next year with the OTES. I'm in Ohio.
ReplyDeleteI'm having a fall linky party/sale on Sept 22. Come link up and join the sale!
http://mrswheelerfirst.blogspot.com/2012/09/its-almost-fall-i-am-welcoming-fall-in.html
Mrs. Wheeler’s First Grade
Mrs. Wheeler TpT