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(Unit 6) Topic 6: A Director's Guide to Evaluations

1 Clock Hour of Early Childhood Education

Observations

​Topic 6 Page 5

First and foremost, honor the teacher’s time.
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Understand that they often schedule their day around the observation and it is important to be punctual. If you cannot make the observation time it is important to notify the teacher and reschedule as soon as possible. There is a lot of preparation involved in observations and the teachers will need time to start over.
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Next, you should schedule your observation time for a period of 15 or 20 minutes, depending upon your center. A quick walk through will give you information about the class but isn’t appropriate for an observation. ​Make this a priority and don't be in a hurry to "get in and get out."  

During an observation you should be the director first and an observer second. This means that if you are seeing an unsafe or difficult situation that you would normally be called in to help with you should break off the observation and step in. Don’t just assume that the teacher will ask you for help as this is an awkward and stressful time for them. If you feel compelled to step in for extreme cases then you should do so. On the other hand, do not step in for a situation that the teacher is trying to handle if you are confident that they have the necessary skills.    

Data Collection
​It is of paramount importance to collect observational data during your observation. This gives you concrete information to discuss with the observed teacher and provides evidence of what is going on in the classroom. You should write down things that you see or hear or use a checklist to document what is going on in the classroom. Along with the events unfolding in front of you it is important to consider the classroom environment, curriculum at use, assessment practices, and teacher interactions. Some directors will use an audio recording device to have a transcript of the evaluation as well. If you would like to record the observation it is important to make sure that the teacher is comfortable with this occurrence. Speak with them about the use of an audio recording device during the inquiry meeting.     

​Data collection does not end when the observation ends. After you gather your information you should connect the data to the focus or content areas that are determined by your evaluation model. Make notes, whether formal or informal, and use them to guide your next steps with the teacher being evaluated. Writing down the large and small occurrences are equally important as are positives and negatives. Be as objective as possible with your data collection during an observation as well as your use of the data.   

(Unit 6) Topic 6: A Director's Guide to Evaluations​ * Navigation Menu