Teacher observations are an important piece of being a principal. A principal is considered the Instructional Leader of the campus. Therefore, being in the classroom just seems to be a given. However, classroom observations take a lot of time. Walk-throughs are easy. However, formal observations take some organizational skills.
Here are some tips and resources I have developed to help me get it all done.
Last week I attended a 3 day training to be certified in the new Texas evaluation tool. Currently, Texas uses PDAS- Professional Development and Appraisal System. However, in the next school year all public schools in Texas will use T-TESS. T-TESS stands for Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System. The training is required by all administrators. Here is a look at all the "stuff" from the training.
Well, if you know me, you know I have to find a better way to organize all of that "STUFF." So I thought and thought how I will manage the very long rubric. After creating a flipbook for my accommodations, I thought this was the perfect plan for T-TESS.
So that is how the T-TESS Flipbook was born.
I will still be using my
Classroom Observation Notepad. It has general walk-through items on it that are still doable even for T-TESS. I will use the back of each form for my scripting. If you had the training, you know what is involved with scripting. My hand still hurts from all the writing. At times, I thought I should invest in a court-reporting-machine. Seriously!
It can also be purchased on
Etsy. 
Why I love my notepad?
1. It is a notepad and can easily be taken to classrooms.
2. It has lists, bullets, and general "look-for items."
3. It is not state specific. It can be used in public or private schools.
Here is the
Bliss Design notepad. It is colorful.
It is my best seller.
Here is a look at my more universal designed notepad. It is gender neutral so if you don't like bright colors or flowers this design is called
Journey. Yes, I name my notepad designs. Just one more way I stay organized with the ordering.
How do you schedule your walk-throughs and formal observations? Do you use a digital system or the traditional calendar system? I was keeping track of observations with a paper calendar. I have since moved into the tech world and use my Outlook Calendar to keep track of my appointments. However, I do still keep a log of my classroom visits. This reminds me how many times I visited a classroom. It also gives me a starting point for the week.
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