How Are Teacher Evaluated

In order to ensure the Ontario teaching system prevails at an admirable standard, teachers must be evaluated on their performance in a classroom. The Ontario government came up with a system called the Teacher Performance Appraisal (TPA), this provides teachers with meaningful assessment that encourages professional learning and growth. The TPA system has two different components: one for "new teacher" and a one for "experienced" teachers, there is also different templates that the principal can choose from to evaluate the teachers. 

Every teacher in Ontario has to set some goals at the beginning of the year, this is written on their Annual Learning Plan (ALP). The purpose of this plan is to allow teachers to reflect on what they would like to improve on and create a plan for this to happen. This plan becomes the basis of their evaluation. The teachers that are getting evaluated have a pre-observation meeting with either the principal or vice-principal. The discussion is about expectations from both sides. After the observation there is another meeting to discuss if the expectations were met and if not ways the teacher can improve. Constructive criticism is important in any part of an evaluation. The appraisal is very similar like the one that Ms Villa did in our mentorship classes. Although, the evaluation for teachers is a fail or pass. If the teacher was to fail the consequence is not getting fired but rather go on a remediation plan to improve the areas on which the principal saw they had trouble with. 

Teachers like Ms de Souza, the teachers in the resource room, guidance counselors and staff in the white house get evaluated very differently from the " in-class teachers" because they don't necessarily have a class, but rather students that have different needs, they are also involved in various school activities to help students with their work and social skills. Therefore, teachers in the resource room get evaluated on how they meet the needs of the school, the students and other teachers.  

I think it's great that teachers get evaluated but in my experience I don't think the TPA method is completely effective, I have seen it year after year how the teacher changes the way they teach their lessons and how they involve students in the process.  Teachers tend to treat us differently in the hour and fifteen minutes that they have the observation. I think the TPA shouldn't completely change but I believe it should also take into consideration the student's opinion about the teacher, because at the end of the day, we are the ones most affected by their performance. The TPA evaluates teachers every 5 years, which in my opinion it is far too long.  Teachers have different courses every year and they also teach different levels, this might change the teacher's method and the overall performance. The TPA should happen every two years minimum in order to make teachers accountable for their ALP.