Teacher Observation Rubric
A. Preparation for Learning
The teacher:
4 - Highly Effective
3 - Effective
2 - Improvement Necessary
a.
Knowledge
Is expert in the subject area
and has a cutting-edge
grasp of child development
and how students learn.
Knows the subject matter well
and has a good grasp of child
development and how students
learn.
Has inconsistent depth of
knowledge about subject
matter and/or how students
learn.
b.
Lessons
Designs every lesson to
align to unit learning targets
and knowledge and skill
goals.
Designs most lessons to align
to unit learning targets and
knowledge and skill goals.
Inconsistently designs
lessons aligned to unit
learning targets and/or
knowledge and skill goals.
Comments
B. Classroom Management
The teacher:
4 - Highly Effective
3 - Effective
2 - Improvement Necessary
a.
Expectations
Is clear, specific, consistent,
tactful, and timely in
communicating and promoting
very high standards for
student behavior.
Clearly and tactfully
communicates and
consistently promotes high
standards for student
behavior.
Inconsistently communicates
and
promotes high standards for
student behavior.
b.
Relationships
Is fair, respectful, and caring
toward all students and builds
strong, positive relationships.
Is fair and respectful toward all
students and builds positive
relationships.
Is fair and respectful toward
most students and builds
positive relationships with
some.
c.
Respect
Establishes a highly
respectful learning
environment. Students
themselves ensure
maintenance of high levels of
Establishes a respectful
learning environment.
Is inconsistent in modelling
and/or monitoring respect.
Comments
civility among members of the
class.
d.
Situational
Awareness
Is aware of undercurrents in
the management of the
classroom and uses this
information to address current
and potential problems.
Is aware of undercurrents in
the management of the
classroom and uses this
information to address current
problems.
Is aware of some
undercurrents in the
management of the
classroom and/or sometimes
uses this information to
address current problems.
e.
Routines
Successfully inculcates class
routines up front so that
students maintain them
throughout the year.
Teaches routines and has
students maintain them all
year.
Inconsistently teaches
routines and/or does not
have students maintain them
all year.
f.
Responsibility
Plans the promotion of
students’ self-discipline, selfadvocacy, and sense of
responsibility.
Supports students’ selfdiscipline and helps them to
take responsibility for their
own actions.
Attempts to get students to
be responsible for their
actions, with uneven
success.
g.
Repertoire
Has a highly effective
discipline repertoire that
captures and holds students’
attention almost anytime.
Has a repertoire of discipline
strategies that usually
captures and maintains
students' attention.
Has a limited
repertoire of disciplines
strategies that can capture
and maintain students’
attention.
h.
Efficiency
Maximizes academic learning
time to get the most out of
every minute including
transitioning in and out of the
lesson period.
Maximizes academic learning
time including
transitions within the lesson.
Sometimes loses teaching
time
due to inefficiencies, such as
ineffectively managed
transitions.
i.
Prevention
Is alert, dynamic, and selfassured, and prevents
virtually all discipline
problems.
Prevents most discipline
problems from escalating.
Inconsistently prevents
discipline problems from
escalating.
C. Delivery of Instruction
The teacher:
4 - Highly Effective
3 - Effective
2 - Improvement Necessary
Comments
a.
Expectations
Consistently conveys specific,
rigorous expectations to all
students and takes concrete
steps to help students realize
them.
Consistently conveys specific,
rigorous expectations to all
students.
Communicates that content
is important and that
students need to be
responsible and work hard.
b.
Mindset
Structures instruction to
promote a growth mindset.
Students are encouraged to
take risks and learn from their
mistakes. Grading practices
reinforce growth in learning.
Communicates to students
that consistent, effective effort,
not fixed, innate ability, will
cause growth in learning.
Encourages students but
makes little effort to
counteract their fixed
mindset.
c. Goals
Overtly aligns instruction to
posted unit learning targets.
Communicates unit learning
targets throughout the unit.
Inconsistently references
unit learning targets.
d.
Connections
Purposefully activates
students' prior knowledge and
connects it to unit learning
targets.
Purposefully activates
students' prior knowledge
garnering interest in each unit
and lesson.
Occasionally connects
content and skill to prior
student knowledge and
experience.
e.
Clarity
Chooses language,
explanations, and examples
that are designed to build on
one another and guide
students in a sequential
manner to understand the unit
and lesson learning targets.
Uses clear language and
explanations that help
students understand the unit
and lesson learning targets.
Language and explanations
sometimes lack clarity and
make it more difficult for
students to understand the
unit and lesson learning
targets.
f.
Repertoire
Matches and varies
instruction, including
technology, to meet the
specific needs of the learners
and the learning targets being
addressed, and is able to
adjust based on classroom
conditions and results.
Matches and varies
instruction, including
technology, to meet the
specific needs of the learners
and the learning targets being
addressed.
Uses the same instruction
regardless of the specific
needs of the learners or the
learning targets being
addressed.
g.
Engagement
Students are active and
enthusiastic participants in
lessons.
Students are involved in
lessons.
Students are encouraged to
be involved in lessons.
h.
Differentiation
Differentiates instruction to
accommodate student
learning needs both in the
design of the lesson and in
response to real time student
need.
Differentiates instruction to
accommodate student
learning needs when
designing the lesson.
Uses similar instruction
when differentiating
regardless of the student
and/or the lesson.
i.
Nimbleness
Modifies lessons to take
advantage of teachable
moments that are aligned to
unit learning targets.
Modifies lessons to take
advantage of teachable
moments that are related to
unit topics.
Takes advantage of
teachable moments but
sometimes gets off track.
j.
Application
Regularly has students
summarize what they have
learned and apply it in a
different context.
Regularly has students
summarize what they have
learned and apply it in a
similar context.
Brings closure to lessons
and encourages students to
think about applications.
D. Assessment and Followup
The teacher:
a.
On-the-Spot
b.
Tenacity
c.
Reflection
d.
Feedback
4 - Highly Effective
Uses a variety of effective
methods to check for
understanding and immediately
adjusts instruction to clarify
misunderstandings.
Uses targeted instruction to
assist struggling students in
reaching proficiency and
monitors their progress.
Using data, works with
colleagues to reflect on the
effectiveness of most lessons
and all units, and continuously
works to improve them.
Provides targeted and timely
feedback on student work and
tracks student improvement
3 - Effective
2 - Improvement
Necessary
Frequently checks for
Inconsistently checks for
understanding and gives helpful understanding during
information when students seem instruction.
confused.
Follows up with students who are Offers students the
not succeeding and provides
opportunity for additional
extra help.
study and retakes.
Using data, reflects on the
effectiveness of most lessons
and all units, and continuously
works to improve them.
Using data, reflects on the
effectiveness of most units
and works to improve
them.
Provides targeted and timely
feedback on student work.
Provides general feedback
on student work.
Comments
based on that feedback.
E. Professional Responsibilities
The teacher:
a.
Openness
4 - Highly Effective
3 - Effective
Actively seeks out feedback and Listens thoughtfully to other
uses it to improve performance. viewpoints and responds
constructively to suggestions.
2 - Improvement Necessary
Inconsistently listens to other
viewpoints and/or responds
constructively to suggestions.
Final Comments:
Teacher Signature: ___________________________________
Date: ____________
Administrator Signature: ______________________________
Date: ____________
Comments