Recent conference sessions focused on teacher evaluation resources have yielded many common concerns among music educators over changing supervision practices and ratings. While states may differ in their prescribed rating systems and rubric headings, most have adopted a “domains” approach that assesses teacher responsibilities in multiple areas, such as planning for instruction, classroom environment, instructional practice, and reflection and professionalism. It was clear that music teachers have many questions about these impending changes, and that assistance from our national organization would be helpful in entering this new process.
Over 200 educators attended NAfME’s Preconference on Teacher Evaluation in Nashville, and another 150+ participated in a teacher evaluation session at the December Midwest Clinic. At both venues NAfME’s Workbook for Building and Evaluating Effective Education in Music was shared. The two formats – one for general music and one for school ensembles – include suggestions for their use by music and non-music administrators, extensive and practical rubrics for observing and supervising music teachers, templates for goal-setting and recording other responsibilities, and appendices that compare other dominant teacher evaluation systems (i.e., Danielson, Marzano, McCREL) and NAfME Opportunity-to-Learn Standards. Teachers in these session reviewed applicable rubrics and put them to use in rating teaching videos of an elementary general music classroom and high school ensembles. Responses to the Workbook’s resources were overwhelmingly positive, and many attendees were excited to share the work with their district administrators.
The NAfME Workbook for Building and Evaluating Effective Education is available through the NAfME store, in the general music and ensemble formats. It is a model for high quality and responsible supervision of music teachers that attends to the development of individual student growth in musicianship, as well as individual teacher growth in pedagogy and professional practice.
Submitted by Dr. Johanna J. Siebert, Director of Fine Arts for the Webster Central School District in Webster, NY.
