The most effective method for evaluating a teacher effectively is dual, mutual involvement and ongoing collaboration in the evaluation process. The teacher, being guided by the evaluator, is consulted and involved throughout the evaluation process.
When this happens, the evaluation becomes a tool to springboard true growth and ongoing improvement. Teachers and administrators find authentic value in this type of evaluation process. The biggest drawback is that it is a time-consuming process, but ultimately it proves worth the extra time for many teachers.
Many teachers feel like there is often a disconnect in the process because they are not involved enough. A first step in actively involving teachers in the process is to have them answer questions about the teacher evaluation. Doing so before and after the evaluation gets them thinking about the process that naturally makes them more involved. This process also gives both sides some critical talking points when they meet face-to-face as some evaluation systems require the teacher and evaluator to meet before the evaluation takes place and after the completion of the evaluation.
Administrators can utilize a short questionnaire designed to get the teacher thinking about their evaluation. The questionnaire can be completed in two parts. The first part gives the evaluator some prior knowledge before they conduct the evaluation and helps the teacher in the planning process. The second part is reflective in nature for both the administrator and teacher. It serves as a catalyst for growth, improvement, and future planning. The following is an example of some questions you can ask to improve the teacher evaluation process.
Pre-Evaluation Questions

1. What steps did you take to prepare for this lesson?
2. Briefly describe the students in this class, including those with special needs.
3. What are your goals for the lesson? What do you want the student to learn?
4. How do you plan to engage students in the content? What will you do? What will the students do?
5. What instructional materials or other resources, if any, will you use?
6. How do you plan to assess student achievement of the goals?
7. How will you close or wrap up the lesson?
8. How do you communicate with the families of your students? How often do you do this? What types of things do you discuss with them?
9. Discuss your plan for handling student behavior issues should they arise during the lesson.
10. Are there any areas you would like for me to look for (i.e. calling on boys vs. girls) during the evaluation?
11. Explain two areas that you believe are strengths going into this evaluation.
12. Explain two areas that you believe are weaknesses going into this evaluation.
    Post-Evaluation Questions
13. Did everything go according to plan during the lesson? If so, why do you think it went so smooth. If not, how did you adapt your lesson to handle the surprises?
14. Did you get the learning outcomes you expected from the lesson? Explain.
15. If you could change anything, what would you have done differently?
16. Could you have done anything differently to boost student engagement throughout the lesson?
17. Give me three key take aways from conducting this lesson. Do these take aways impact your approach moving
    forward?
18. What opportunities did you give your students to extend their learning beyond the classroom with this particular lesson?
19. Based on your daily interactions with your students, how do you think they perceive you?
20. How did you assess student learning as you went through the lesson? What did this tell you? Is there anything that you need to spend some additional time on based on the feedback received from these assessments?
21. What goals are you working towards for yourself and your students as you progress throughout the school year?
22. How will you utilize what you taught today to make connections with previously taught content as well as future
    content?
23. After I finished my evaluation and left the classroom, what immediately happened next?
24. Do you feel that this process has made you a better teacher? Explain.
    

The Classroom Environment and Teacher: Ways to Keep Your Class Interesting
Have you ever been in the middle of teaching a class, glanced at your students, and caught them staring into space? Just when you think you’ve created the perfect lesson plan or engaging activity, you may find that your students are unfocused and out to lunch. Yet it’s essential that you find ways to keep your classes interesting so your students can absorb and retain the information that you present.
For decades, educators have been trying new teaching strategies to keep their students on their toes and get them excited about learning. Although some strategies have failed, others have been found to be quite effective.
Incorporate Mystery Into Your Lessons : Learning may be the most fun for your students when they don’t know what to expect. Try to incorporate a sense of surprise and mystery into your lessons. When you’re about to unveil a new lesson, give students a new clue each day up until the last day before the start of the lesson. This is a fun way to make your lesson mysterious, and you may find that your students are actually looking forward to finding out what they’ll be learning about next.
Don’t Repeat Classroom Material : It’s appropriate and essential to review classroom material, but try not to repeat it
verbatim because this can make it less interesting for students. The next time you need to review material, try playing a review game during which you present the information in a way that’s different from the first time you taught the students.
The 3-2-1 strategy is a fun way to review and not repeat material. For this activity, students draw a pyramid in their
notebooks and write down three things they learned, two things they thought were interesting, and one question they still have.
Give Your Students Choices One strategy that teachers have found to be effective is offering their students the ability to make their own choices when it comes to learning. Choice can be a powerful motivator because it helps to foster student interest and independence. The next time you’re planning an activity, try making a choice board. Print out a tic-tac-toe board and write down nine different tasks for students to complete. The goal is for each student to choose three tasks in a row.
Use Technology : Technology is a great way to keep your lessons interesting. Children love electronics, so try incorporating it into your overall teaching strategy. Instead of standing in front of the room and lecturing, try using a Smartboard interactive display. Expand your cooperative learning activity lessons by connecting to a classroom in another city or country via videoconferencing. Use technology in a variety of ways, and you’ll see the interest level in your classroom increase by leaps and bounds.
Don’t Take Teaching so Seriously : Being an effective teacher is an important job, but that doesn’t mean that you have to remain serious in class at all times. Try to loosen up a bit and acknowledge that your students may have different interests and learning styles than your own. It’s OK to laugh at yourself at times and to have some fun. You may find that your students are more interested when you’re a little more relaxed.
Make Your Lessons Interactive : In a traditional classroom, the teacher stands in front of the room and lectures to the
students as the students listen and take notes. Unfortunately, this is not the most effective way to hold students’ interest.
Make learning interactive by creating hands-on lessons that involve students every step of the way. Try using the Jigsaw cooperative learning activity in which each student is responsible for his or her own part of a group activity. Or try a hands on science experiment. When you involve students and make your lessons interactive, your class becomes more interesting.
Relate Material to Your Students’ Lives : Try to create a real-world connection to what your students are learning. This will give them a better understanding of why they need to learn what you’re teaching. If they’re constantly asking you why they need to learn something and you’re always answering with “because,” you will soon lose credibility. Instead, try giving them a real answer such as, “You’re learning about money because in the real world, you’ll need to know how to buy food and pay your bills.” By giving a straightforward answer, you’re helping them make a connection between what they’re learning in class and how they’ll use this information in the future.
Flip Your Lessons : The flipped classroom has been gaining in popularity since the term “flipped” entered the broader
education world in 2012. When it was first presented, the idea that students could learn new information at home and then come to school and use class time for critical thinking activities and reinforcement of concepts was unique. However, many teachers are using this strategy and achieving positive results. Students in a flipped classroom are able to work at their own pace (which is great for differentiated learning) and engage with their peers in a more interactive, meaningful way when they’re in the classroom. Try using the flipped teaching strategy for your next lesson and observe the depth of your students’ engagement.
Think Outside the Box : Lesson plans don’t have to include worksheets or lectures during which students sit and take notes time and again. Try thinking outside the box and plan a lesson that’s completely out of the ordinary. Invite a guest speaker, go on a field trip, or take learning outdoors. When you try something new and different, there’s a good chance that your students will respond positively. When planning a lesson, try collaborating with another teacher or taking your students on a virtual field trip. Learning that engages students is the most effective. Your students will find it more interesting to learn when you present the material to them in a variety of creative ways.