As part of my EDLD 5301 class, I really took a hard look at which action research study would provide the most benefit to my campus and its stakeholders. I threw around several ideas about technology use, classroom procedural changes, and teaching strategies. The more I thought about our campus, the more I realized that the focus should start with the people and trickle down to the programs.
From an administrator's perspective, the greatest way to effect the lives of the students is to ensure that the teachers are at the pinnacle of their educational abilities. If the campus goal is really centered on student success and providing the best possible educational experience, administrators must first invest in the lives of their teachers. Programs are only as effective as the teachers that use them. For this reason, I have decided to use teacher evaluation and revision as my action research study.
I know that, initially, this sounds like a boring topic, and I can already hear the yawns. In part, I agree. From an old-school evaluation perspective, I think this is a snoozer, but that is exactly why I want to pursue this topic. If evaluation and revision are really crucial to the improvement of an educator, then the perspective of the process must be changed. The days of an administrator sitting in the back row of a classroom with a pen and an evaluation form must become a thing of the past. Administrators need to extinguish the negative stigma of evaluation by taking a hands-on, collaborative approach to evaluation. It is absolutely necessary for teachers to feel like their administrators both have their best interest at heart and are on their team. It must be clearly known on campus that people come first.
I actually love the idea of your action research idea and am excited to follow it. I agree that evaluations need an "update." I personally think that if administrators want a REAL look at what the teacher does... they do not need to tell them the time and day they are coming. I do not feel that is a true reflection. I also feel strongly about administrative walk throughs, which is what I am doing my research over. I feel that to get a FAIR evaluation of a teacher, you can not go in their room once or twice a year. The teacher needs to feel confortable when an administrator comes in. This goes with what you said, "teachers need to feel like their administrators both have their best interest at heart and are on their team."
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