3 Reasons Principals Should Celebrate Teacher Evaluations
Teacher evaluation feels less like an audit and more like a celebration of growth when principals pair evidence-based reflection, using a framework like Danielson, where adopted, with specific positive feedback and a relationship built on trust. There's no universally established ratio for balancing praise and growth areas, but naming both clearly makes the conversation land as support.
How many teachers actually look forward to sitting down with their boss to review their performance?
Evaluations at the end of the year may be dreaded by some teachers. As a principal, I have been on both sides of this conversation. Let's back up; there is something wildly wrong with the way I asked that question. What if the question were asked in this manner?
How many teachers look forward to being celebrated by their lead learner at the end of the year?
I bet the responses would be drastically different! Evaluations should be a time to celebrate a year's growth. We do that for students…why not for teachers? As educators, we celebrate a student's growth and academic achievements with wild fanfare, and why should this be different for our teachers?
As principals, we ask our teachers to find something positive to build on with even the most difficult of students. Many of us review report card comments each quarter and look for at least one positive comment about each student. Personally, I lean on a version of the sandwich format with teachers in our school…start with a positive, name the growth area clearly, and end with a positive. It's not a research-backed formula so much as a habit that keeps the conversation from feeling like a list of complaints.
As a principal, I do try to balance out positives with growth areas as well. Balance does not mean a 1:1 ratio of positive to growth statements! There's no universally established ideal ratio for these conversations, but I lean heavily toward more positives than areas for growth, especially early in a relationship. As adults and depending on the relationship with the teacher, that balance may shift higher or lower. As a principal, I know which teachers may need more positive feedback to make the growth statement more impactful.
Going back to the first question, I would like to note another noticeable difference…I am not a big fan of the term "boss." In my opinion, a boss has the perception of power and control. It seems as if it is "them versus us," and respect is commanded rather than earned.
I would rather be referred to as a "lead learner." The lead learner supports everyone- students, teachers, staff, and even the community in learning! Instead of commanding respect as a boss, I prefer to earn people's respect. To get respect, you must be able to give it!
For a lead learner, an evaluation should be both a process and a celebration of accomplishments. As I continue to improve at writing and conversing with teachers, I need to keep thinking about how I can best celebrate all teachers' accomplishments. In schools or districts that use the Charlotte Danielson Framework, teachers are asked to take part in the evaluation process. Evaluation requirements and approved frameworks vary by state and district, so check what your own district has adopted. The framework's foundation is evidence-based, asking the teacher and principal to review items or evidence. In this fashion, many components of the framework can be agreed upon. To learn more about transitioning to an exemplary level of teaching, visit the guide, Teacher Evaluation: A Transition Guide to Exemplary Performance.
Here are three reasons why principals should celebrate teachers during the evaluation process.
1 - A Year's Growth in a Year's Time
Much like a student's academic growth over the school year, teachers who possess a growth mindset strive to achieve goals similar to students. Teachers consciously work towards improving a component of their teaching. Using Charlotte Danielson's Framework, choosing one or two components from the 22 she has delineated is good start. She breaks the 22 components into four domains, using the domain names from the framework's earlier edition (the current Framework for Teaching has since updated some domain labels, so check which version your district has adopted). In the guide listed above, there are several questions in each domain and subsequent component that can be used when goal setting. Teacher goal setting should be done in unison with a principal.
- Domain One: Planning and Preparation (42 Questions)
- Domain Two: The Classroom Environment (29 Questions)
- Domain Three: Instruction (28 Questions)
- Domain Four: Professional Responsibilities (29 Questions)
Using the SMART goal process, teachers can create goals that follow this basic format:
- Specific (simple, sensible, significant).
- Measurable (meaningful, motivating).
- Achievable (agreed, attainable).
- Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).
- Time-bound (time-based, time-limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive).
Teachers then bring items, logs, notes, etc. to the meeting with the principal. If the teacher followed the SMART goal process, a principal can review, in collaboration with the teacher, the evidence and celebrate the accomplishments for the year.
An example of celebration this year was a teacher who chose to increase parent communication. Many teachers have made this a goal, but never had a concrete plan to track their progress. This teacher had a plan that included a log. She set a specific goal: to communicate personally with each parent in her classroom at least once a month. She developed a spreadsheet that logged the day and time she called each parent. She also included a code system for whom she spoke and how the conversation went. She achieved her goal according to her spreadsheet. The goal was both relevant and time-bound. We celebrated her success!
2 - "You Get What You Pay Attention To"
I know my wife may not have started this saying, but I have heard it from her so many times I am going to give her some credit of solidifying it in my brain, "You get what you pay attention to." If you pay the most attention to the negatives going in a school, you become hypersensitive to all things that are wrong with the system. The negatives seem to compound and accumulate the more we put time in discussing, identifying, and reactively trying to fix the problems. We also call this "sniffing the turd." We can admire it, talk about it, yell at it, and it is still a turd. We must do something different…go to a solution!
If you pay attention and celebrate all the positives going on in a school with staff members, students, parents, and even the community, they are all inherently happier. Happiness is addictive and can be contagious. Everyone wants more of it! People look for and celebrate positives once the culture has been established. When the positives seem lacking, everyone may remember what it felt like when it was a stronger focus. Growth-mindset people will then recreate many of those experiences and find a way to increase the positives.
For example, if a school focuses on establishing more rules and stricter punishments for students' negative behavior, it may not achieve the desired results. If a school celebrates students doing their jobs and the correct behaviors associated with those jobs, more students will want to be part of these positive celebrations. Schools may also want to emphasize meaningful recognition and intrinsic motivation rather than relying exclusively on tangible rewards. An extrinsic reward system may work in the short term, but pairing it with genuine recognition can help it hold up over time. For more information about the High Trust approach, visit www.hightrust.net.
3 - Creating a Positive Culture for Collaboration of Teaming
Principals and teachers need to develop trusting relationships based on honesty, empathy, and grace. As a boss, it may be easy to tell people what they are not doing correctly. You may not even care about the impact of the words you choose to use to express your opinions. With bosses like this, it is all about power and control. There is a lack of trust, honesty, and evidence-based discussions. There is probably no allowance for staff members to challenge the bosses' thinking.
Let us be honest: some principals have to evaluate numerous staff members every year, and presenting an accurate picture across all areas of evaluation is nearly impossible. This year I am evaluating 25 different classified and certified employees. If I acted as a boss, I would, in my opinion, rely only on the knowledge each employee brought to the table. I do not believe in that type of evaluation process.
We need to create a positive culture where collaboration is not encouraged, but expected. When this philosophy is applied to the evaluation process, staff members play a large role in their own evaluations. Through self-assessment, reflection, and evidence-based discussions, an evaluation becomes a tool not only for improvement but for celebration, too. The principal can find components that the teacher is doing well and build on them.
A trusting relationship is a two-way street…both teachers and the principal must work on communication. When trust is established, the teacher is more able to use the constructive feedback to improve. Vice versa, a principal is more able to give grace when needed and support a teacher when asked. A collaborative team starts with putting relationships first.
A lead learner establishes strong relationships in order to improve the educational environment and the school's culture. They also do not take it personally when a teacher challenges the evaluation. For example, a teacher scored lower in communication with parents. She brought out a log that detailed the emails, Remind app posts, texts, calls, and meetings with parents. She definitely increased her communication and met her goal. This evidence-based discussion, obviously built on trust, changed the score for her evaluation. This evaluation process empowered the teacher and pushed the principal to make better-informed decisions based on evidence… a win-win for both the teacher and the principal. Lastly, the principal was able to celebrate the teacher meeting her goal!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Charlotte Danielson Framework?
It's an evidence-based teacher evaluation framework used by some schools and districts, built around 22 components grouped into four domains, historically labeled Planning and Preparation, the Classroom Environment, Instruction, and Professional Responsibilities (some domain names have since been updated in newer editions). Evaluation requirements and approved frameworks vary by state and district, so it isn't the only model in use.
Should teacher evaluations include informal classroom visits, not just the formal observation?
Where permitted by state and district evaluation rules, informal classroom visits can supplement formal observations and provide additional context about a teacher's practice. Frequent, low-stakes walkthroughs may help reduce anxiety around the formal evaluation, since the teacher already has a sense of what feedback to expect and can help build the trust that makes the formal conversation easier for both sides.
What's a reasonable ratio of positive to growth feedback in an evaluation?
There's no universally established ideal ratio for teacher evaluations. Balance constructive feedback with specific recognition of what the teacher is doing well, and let the right mix shift with the individual teacher and your relationship with them. Some teachers need more positive reinforcement before a growth statement lands as useful rather than discouraging.
How do SMART goals fit into the teacher evaluation process?
A teacher who sets a Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goal gives the principal something concrete to review during the evaluation. Instead of relying on a vague impression, the principal and teacher can look at actual evidence, such as a communication log or a set of assessment scores, and celebrate what the data show.
Why call it "lead learner" instead of "boss" during evaluations?
The label changes the dynamic. A boss commands compliance. A lead learner earns trust by supporting teachers the same way teachers are asked to support students. That shift alone makes staff more willing to bring real evidence to the table and more open to hearing a growth area.
- Frame evaluation as a celebration, not an audit - when a school or district uses an evidence-based framework like Danielson, it gives principals a reason to celebrate growth rather than just score it.
- There's no set ratio for feedback - pair growth areas with specific positive recognition rather than chasing a fixed formula.
- SMART goals create the evidence - a specific, measurable goal (like a parent-communication log) gives the principal something concrete to celebrate at evaluation time.
- Trust changes the conversation - a "lead learner" who visits classrooms informally, where district policy allows, can help build the relationship that makes the formal evaluation land as support rather than judgment.
Evaluation season is also when many teachers start weighing what comes next: a reading specialist endorsement, an instructional coaching role, or a step toward school leadership. The programs listed here cover several of those paths, including options designed for people who are still teaching full-time.
As a 5th grade teacher, in 2010 Jon won the Presidential Award for Elementary Math and Science Teaching (PAEMST). As a principal, his school won the 2012 Blue Ribbon Award. In 2018, he won the National Distinguished Principal Award (NDP). In 2019 he won the National No Kid Hungry Breakfast Hero Award.
Jon is the author of three guides published on teacher.org: An Educator's Guide to Combat Bullying & Bully Prevention; Teacher Evaluation: A Transition Guide to Exemplary Performance; and You are the Wild Card: Infusing Fun Back into Curriculum. He has authored a children's picture book that was released January 2019 titled Benjamin’s Visit to Principal Reads Office…again! (available at www.archwaypublishing.com)
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