We're having lots of end of the year meetings that make me want to stick a pencil through my eye and have to be taken to the hospital.
I guess sitting at these meetings making it look like I actually give a shit about the nonsense they're talking about is good practice for the weekly PD crap that's coming at us via the new UFT contract.
How about you - are you having a decent end of the year week or enjoying pencil in the eye moments?
My meeting was great. I learned that my administrator does not have to rate me objectively on the End of Year Artifact Rating Form. He can basically just make shit up and take me from highly effective to effective or developing because I occasionally engage in some independent thinking.
ReplyDeleteMy meeting was very informative. I learned that since my administrator and I both like the Yankees and we discussed the starting pitching, etc, the "Advance" plug in number data was really not that important. Didn't really have artifacts so he made up some shit. Got a 58 out of 60 somehow. Don't know what it means but I signed off on it since 58 is very close to 60. Talked about the Yankees a bit more and the upcoming NFL season. We both like the Giants too. That's great news for me. Regents week is awesome too. Proctor for an hour or two then go home. If you're teaching elementary or middle school, you are out if your mind! I haven't taught a lesson in about a month.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have a decent administrator. I can't even remember what that's like. Many of us now have administrators who are going out of their way to make sure that we are not highly effective.
DeleteIt has come to my attention, through sequester at a scoring site, that, amazingly, the use of Danielson has meant drastically different things at different schools. At my current school, not a single teacher has been rated highly effective in questioning and discussion nor use of assessment in instruction. Interestingly, some teachers do not even know what is asked in that domain but still rate highly effective.
ReplyDeleteAs not to disparage my collegues, but to illustrate further, most of them have rated highly effective overall but are in near tears when regents scores come in. 30% pass rate. 54% pass rate. And our school had a 80% pass rate but not a single highly effective teacher. Now, I argue against high stakes exams all the time, however, is there no correlation between instruction and outcome?
"some teachers from the other schools"
DeleteI am so lucky to be at a school where the administration is beyond decent. Admittedly, we have had a lot of proctoring assignments (I had one every day from last Tuesday 'til this Monday) and I guess some departments are grading (though mine is not; it seems our tests were sent out and are being graded elsewhere, I assume by per session volunteers), but before or after the proctoring/grading assignments, no one looks for you or cares where you are. As long as you move your card to the IN side of the board in the morning at the proper time, and you go to your proctoring/grading assignments, nothing else is on the schedule. Nothing.
ReplyDeleteOur Summative Conferences were all done by last week. Overall I was rated Effective on the observations section but I disagreed with some of the Developing scores I received and also disagreed with some things I was rated Highly Effective in. It's all bogus, but glad it's finally over.
ReplyDeleteAs for the last week, in Elementary Schools we have students all day, right up to the end. Yesterday and today there were four performances of our Talent Show. Performers were absolutely adorable but listening to an entire auditorium full of second graders sing along to a song from Frozen was the cutest thing ever! I got goosebumps.
Last afternoon with extended day kids. :( They put on a skit for a kindergarten class then we had ice pops to celebrate.
Stayed late for PTA meeting which was supposed to include an election for new officers. Not well attended and none of the parents there want to run so we have to wait and try again in September.
So, to sum it up... disappointed in the adults but the kids always make it worthwhile.
Mary