Teacher Evaluation in the General Music Classroom: The


Views of Three Administrators Kelli Graham


In the past few years, teacher evaluation has changed dramatically in the state of Michigan. The process has become more formalized and standardized, and teachers and administrators alike have adapted to these changes. However, in order to keep these evaluations meaningful for those involved, some level of individualization needs to occur. How do administrators tackle this charge? Below are the viewpoints of three elementary building administrators from one school district. While their lenses only encom- pass one Michigan community, their approaches and insight can be valuable to elementary music teachers.


The principals were asked the following ques- tions: (a) Describe your personal music experi- ence; (b) Describe your process for teacher evalu- ation; (c) How is this process same or different for music teachers?; (d) What can elementary music teachers provide to help support you in teacher evaluation? (e) Do you have anything else you would like to add regarding your thoughts about teacher evaluation in music?


Principal A


Describe your personal music experience. I have very little musical experience. I took piano lessons for approximately 3 years when I was young.


Describe your process for teacher evaluation. I take a collaborative approach in regards to teacher evaluations. I find that having a posi- tive relationship and partnership between teacher and administrator only enhance the process and understanding of what is expected and under- stood from each perspective. I want teachers to know that I want them to succeed and if there is something that I see that can help them grow, then open ongoing dialog is important. That goes with positives as well.


How is this process the same or different for music teachers?


I only see music instruction on such a very small 19


scale as compared to the general education class- room. This in turn impacts my learning curve with music evaluation. It becomes more chal- lenging. I do not have a good knowledge base of music standards and how to teach those standards effectively to students. This makes it challenging to evaluate.


What can elementary music teachers provide to help support you in teacher evaluation? A collaborative approach to help teach admin- istrators what they need to know about music education and how they are teaching standards to their students. Have open communication and collaboration during the teacher evaluation process supports this.


Do you have anything else you would like to add regarding your thoughts about teacher evalua- tion in music? Teacher evaluation puts me in classrooms. I enjoy seeing the varying approaches and innova- tive ideas at a building level. I often find myself wishing that everyone in the building can see what I see when I watch through the evaluation process. I enjoy seeing the hard work of indi- vidual teachers and building level collaboration work as it impacts students’ learning. A chal- lenge for me about teacher evaluation is lack of experience. I am learning from my teachers so when I have to go in and evaluation, it is dif- ficult at times to be focused on what specifically I am looking for. The more I utilize our teacher evaluation tool, the more confident I feel when evaluating. Collaboration with other administra- tors has been key to helping me be consistent and successful.


Principal B


Describe your personal music experience. I have limited musical experience. I did a music classes in elementary school, and do support music learning for my own children, especially because I didn’t have much opportunity myself.


Describe your process for teacher evaluation.


General Music


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48