Best Practices for Teacher Evaluations

Having thick skin & a soft heart is a hard world is a virtue that we all need to develop. 💪 Sometimes #feedback or unexpected situations can feel pointed—like you’re under scrutiny. It’s easy to overthink and assume the worst: “Am I not good enough?” “Did I mess up?” But more often than not, it’s not personal. Feedback is a tool, not a weapon. People may be offering their perspective to help, not to hurt. 💡 Tips for providing feedback🎯 ✅Seek to understand first. Before giving feedback, take the time to ask questions and understand the situation. What challenges might the other person be facing? What factors might have influenced their actions? A genuine effort to understand builds trust and ensures your feedback is well-informed. ✅Be specific. Vague feedback can leave someone feeling confused or defensive. Instead of saying, “You need to communicate better,” try, “During yesterday’s team meeting, I noticed you didn’t share your updates, and it left the team unclear about your progress.” Specific examples provide clarity and actionable insights. ✅Focus on the behaviour, not the person. Always address actions or outcomes, not someone’s character. For example, replace “You’re unreliable” with “I’ve noticed missed deadlines on two recent projects, and I’d like to discuss how we can improve this moving forward.” ✅Offer solutions. Feedback should come with suggestions or next steps. Ask, “What can we do together to address this?” or offer ideas like, “Next time, let’s outline key milestones to stay on track.” ✅Keep it timely. Feedback is most effective when it’s shared as close as possible to the event or behaviour. Don’t let too much time pass, as the details and impact may lose relevance. ✅End with encouragement. Reinforce their value and strengths. Positive reinforcement motivates and ensures the person feels supported, not defeated. For example, “I know you’re capable of great things, and I’m here to see you succeed. As the receiver of the feedback, the 🔑 is to step back, look at the bigger picture, and reframe your thoughts. Maybe the feedback is an opportunity to grow. Or maybe, like the little guy in this drawing, the issue isn’t as serious as it seems. So next time you’re feeling “under attack,” pause. Reflect. Seek clarity. You might realise you’re just under a tack. 😉

The 4 Most Effective Feedback Models Yesterday I did a virtual keynote with a Middle Eastern governmental organisation on effective feedback. Feedback is essential to trust and connection. Done well it can strengthen connections further. Here is some of what I shared that you may find useful. 1. SBI + EBI Model (Situation–Behavior–Impact–Even Better If) • Situation: Describe when and where the behavior occurred.  “In yesterday’s client call…” • Behavior: Describe exactly what the person did.  “…you took the lead on explaining our new proposal.” • Impact: Explain the result or effect.  “The client seemed more confident about our expertise.” • Even Better If: Offer a constructive suggestion for improvement.  “It would be even better if you paused to invite questions earlier, to boost engagement.” 2. BOOST + EBI Model (Balanced–Observed–Objective–Specific–Timely–Even Better If) • Balanced: Acknowledge both positives and areas for growth. • Observed: Refer to things you personally witnessed. • Objective: Remove personal bias. • Specific: Provide concrete examples. • Timely: Deliver feedback soon after the event. • Even Better If: Conclude with one actionable recommendation.  “Your presentation was well-paced. It would be even better if you used fewer slides to keep attention high.” 3. COIN + EBI Model (Context–Observation–Impact–Next Steps–Even Better If) • Context: Set the scene for when/where. • Observation: Describe specific behavior. • Impact: Share the effect on results, people, or outcomes. • Next Steps: Co-create solutions together. • Even Better If: Add a stretch goal or aspirational suggestion.  “Your report was clear and data-driven. It would be even better if you added a short executive summary for quick reference.” 4. Radical Candor + EBI (Care Personally–Challenge Directly–Even Better If) • Care Personally: Show genuine respect and support. • Challenge Directly: Be honest and clear about what needs improvement. • Even Better If: Offer a suggestion that supports growth and mutual trust.  “I know you’re deeply committed to excellence. It would be even better if you delegated more so the team can learn from you.” I hope this helps, do share it with anyone having to dole out feedback this time of year. Just one more speaking engagement to go to round out the year! Simone Heng #author #loneliness #humanconnection #keynotespeaker

The most dangerous kind of feedback isn’t the harsh kind. It’s the kind that sounds fine but changes nothing. Leaders waste hours repeating the same points, wondering why nothing sticks. It’s not laziness on your team’s part. It’s that your words aren’t sparking movement. Here’s what separates feedback that shifts behaviour from feedback that disappears into thin air: 1. Trust before talk:  No trust, no change. People listen with half an ear when they feel judged. 2. Precision over politeness:  “Work on your communication” is vague. Try: “When updates are last-minute, the team scrambles. Sharing earlier would prevent the chaos.” 3. Show strengths before gaps:  When you acknowledge what’s working, people are more willing to improve what isn’t.  For example: “Your presentation was clear and engaging. Adding data at the start would make it even more convincing.” 4. Behaviours, not labels:  Telling someone they’re careless won’t change anything. Showing them the specific action that caused the mistake might. And here are extra ways to make feedback actually land: ➡️Pick the right timing. Feedback in the middle of stress or conflict rarely gets heard. Wait until people are calm enough to absorb it. ➡️ Frame it as a possibility. Instead of only pointing to what went wrong, highlight the potential you see. People lean in when they feel you believe in them. ➡️ Make it a dialogue. Ask “How do you see it?” or “What could help you here?” Feedback works best when it becomes a shared problem-solving moment. ➡️ Anchor to purpose. Connect the feedback to the bigger picture: “When reports are clear, the client trusts us more.” Purpose creates motivation. ➡️ Balance the emotional tone. A steady, calm delivery helps the person stay open. If you sound irritated or rushed, the message gets lost. ➡️ Close with next steps. Clarity comes from knowing exactly what to try next and when you’ll review it together. Feedback is either a lever for growth or a loop you get stuck in. The choice is in how you deliver it. When you give feedback, do you focus more on safety, clarity, or motivation? #feedback #difficultconversations #work

Lots of managers are giving performance reviews right now. Most are wasting everyone's time. Why? Because they're giving feedback like: "Be more proactive" "Show more leadership" "Improve your communication" "Take more initiative" That kind of feedback sounds helpful, but it usually just leaves people frustrated. ❌ It tells people they're falling short without showing them how to improve. ❌ It creates anxiety without providing direction. ❌ It wastes the single best opportunity to drive real change. There's a better way. Every piece of feedback needs three elements: 1. Specific situation 2. Observable behavior 3. Clear impact The feedback formula: "When [situation], do [behavior] to achieve [impact]." Vague vs Specific: ❌ "Be more proactive" ✅ "When you spot potential issues, raise them immediately in our daily standup so we can address them before they impact deadlines." ❌ "Improve your communication" ✅ "When you have project updates, share them in our team channel within 2 hours so everyone stays aligned without extra meetings." ❌ "Show more leadership" ✅ "When in meetings, actively ask for input from quiet team members so we get diverse perspectives." Strong feedback always answers: ↳ What exactly needs to change? ↳ What does success look like? ↳ How will it impact others? Your team can't read your mind. Don't let another review cycle pass with feedback that sounds good but changes nothing. ♻️ Repost to help other leaders give better feedback 🔔 Follow LK Pryzant for more practical leadership insights 📌 Subscribe to my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gcQ59XXS

No feedback = making others mediocre. Yet, people fear giving it. And people dread receiving it. Nobody was taught how to give feedback. Feedback isn’t a confrontation. It’s a leadership skill. If you want a high-trust, high-performance culture,  You have to master it. Here’s a simple framework you can use today. 1️⃣ The 3Ps: Praise → Problem → Potential ↳ Start with praise to anchor the conversation in recognition. ↳ Then name the problem, clearly, objectively. ↳ End with showing a path forward. 💡 “Your presentation was well-researched.” 💡 “But it ran 15 minutes over and we lost Q&A time.” 💡 “Let’s aim for tighter timing next round.” 2️⃣ Use the SBI Model: Situation → Behavior → Impact ↳ Be specific and avoid generalizations.  ↳ Describe what you saw to anchor the feedback in context. 💬 “During yesterday’s briefing, I noticed you checked your phone often.” 💬 “It seemed to disengage some of the team.” 3️⃣ Use Harvard’s HEAR Method to defuse defensiveness: ↳ H: Hedge your claims: “From what I noticed…” ↳ E: Emphasize agreement: “We both want this project to succeed.” ↳ A: Acknowledge their side: “I hadn’t thought of that.” ↳ R: Reframe positively: “One idea could be…” Feedback isn’t a monologue. It’s a dialogue. 4️⃣ Stick to the 5:1 Ratio. ↳ For every 1 piece of critique… ↳ Offer 5 genuine observations of what’s working. ↳ It keeps the feedback motivating, not demoralizing. 5️⃣ Follow these tactical tips: ↳ Be timely ↳ Be specific ↳ Balance critique with praise ↳ Ask questions ↳ Use “I” statements, not blame People don’t grow from vague suggestions. They grow from clarity. From specificity. From care. Next time you give feedback? Don’t hold back. But don’t lash out either. Be the kind of leader who gives feedback people can actually use. What’s the best feedback you ever received and what did it change? ♻️ Repost to help others give feedback that transforms people ➕ Follow Youssef El Allame for more insights

Good feedback builds trust. Bad feedback shatters it. Learn how to give feedback that works: 1. Be specific Vague words change nothing. Details drive action. ↳ Do: "The report had 3 errors on page 4" ↳ Don't: "Your work needs to be better" 2. Talk about actions, not personality Talk about what happened, not who they are. ↳ Do: "You've missed three deadlines" ↳ Don't: "You're so disorganised" 3. Show the impact Make the impact crystal clear: ↳ Do: "That delay pushed back the whole project" ↳ Don't: "You need to be more careful" 4. Give clear next steps Feedback without next steps is just criticism. ↳ Do: Suggest one clear improvement ↳ Don't: Leave them guessing what to do 5. Pick the right moment Pick moments when feedback can actually help. ↳ Do: Find a quiet time when you're both calm ↳ Don't: Give feedback in front of others 6. Check in after ↳ Do: "How's that new system working?" ↳ Don't: Drop feedback and disappear 7. Keep praise separate Don't mix praise with criticism. It just confuses. ↳ Do: Give praise when it's earned ↳ Don't: Mix criticism with compliments 8. Focus on one thing ↳ Do: Start with the biggest issue ↳ Don't: List every problem at once 9. Come prepared ↳ Do: Bring specific examples ↳ Don't: Wing it with vague comments 10. Keep it simple Not every slip up needs a sit-down. ↳ Do: Quick chats for small fixes ↳ Don't: Schedule meetings for every issue What's your best tip for giving feedback? Let me know in the comments below👇 ♻️ Repost to help others. And follow Owain Lewis for more.

One of the biggest time wasters in schools this time of year? The evaluation process.   Don't get me wrong. Clear performance evaluation is critical in any industry, especially one as vital as K-12 education.   So many schools get this so wrong. For example, many districts use the Danielson rubric to evaluation teaching. On the NY state website, there is a link to a 42-page Danielson rubric. Forty. Two. Pages. On page 42, the rubric included the instruction to evaluate whether "students create materials for Back-to-School Night that outline the approach for learning science."   Seriously?   The problem is that these 42-page rubrics and full-period observations and hours writing up the reports don't do anything to improve teacher practice. They make good leaders do unnecessary work, and they allow ineffective leaders to hide behind a seriously flawed process.   What's the alternative?   I coach school leaders to support teachers using a simple, 4-page rubric that answers the following questions: 1) Classroom Environment: Do the expectations and relationships create the conditions for powerful learning? 2) Rigor: Are students engaged in content aligned to grade-level standards? Is the teacher intellectually prepared to focus on the meat of the lesson?  3) Feedback: Do students know what high-quality work looks like? Does the teacher affirm and challenge students to produce top-quality work?    4) Thinking: Are students doing the heavy lifting? Are teachers holding all students accountable to do the heavy lifting?    Teachers are observed frequently with a weekly coaching meeting that supports them based on this simple rubric.   Then, at evaluation time, instead of dog-and-pony shows with Byzantine rubrics and leaders holed up in their offices writing long reports and hosting tiresome evaluation reviews, leaders simply replace a regular coaching meeting with a mid-year and end-of-year evaluation that is simple and effective:   Are you on track to meeting your goals? Why/why not? Based on our four key teaching questions, where are you consistently meeting the mark? Where is your top area for growth? What would a plan of support for that area look like?   The evaluation takes the leader less than 30 minutes to write up and less than 30 minutes to do with the teacher and has 100X the impact of long evaluation processes.    

One of my biggest learnings from leading summer professional development for teachers? If you want a culture of feedback, you have to intentionally do so. The first step is to have short and sweet surveys (daily for summer PD, weekly thereafter). Most leaders do this. But to ensure the survey truly builds a culture of feedback and continuous improvement, I've learned three things: ✅ Ask focused questions. Simply, we get the data that we ask for. Ask both about the content and the general format of PD. For content, a few questions can be: What is one practice you are excited to try?; What is one thing you remain unclear on? What is one thing you know you will need further support on? For format, a simple Keep-Start-Stop can be super helpful. ✅ Review the data with your leadership team- This will allow you to process the feedback, add any additional color based on observations, and design a game plan. This can include differentiating groups, shifting a summer PD schedule or changing up future case studies and role plays to better address where the team is at. During the year, it will help you focus your observations. ✅ Respond to the feedback-It's not enough to make changes to the day based on the feedback. If you are giving people surveys, you must discuss the trends you saw and address these so that folks know they are being heard. Articulate how you are shifting things or if you can't, address where concerns or confusions will be addressed. When folks hear how their feedback is being heard they are more likely to be honest in the future. For concerns or feedback that only 1 or 2 folks have? Follow up individually. The time invested early on will pay dividends later. I know these tips don't only apply to school leaders, though Summer PD is definitely top of my mind. What are your tips and 1% solutions in building a culture of feedback and continuous improvement?

Performance reviews shouldn’t feel like a surprise attack. They should build trust. Clarify expectations. Support growth. But too often? They leave people confused or deflated. It doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s what happens when emotionally intelligent leaders get it right 👇 It’s a two-way conversation, not a monologue ↳ One-sided reviews undermine trust and overlook valuable insights. ❌ Avoid saying: “Here’s how you did this year...” ✔️ Consider saying: “Before I share my feedback, I’d love to hear your thoughts on how this year went—the wins and the challenges.” It starts with strengths, highlighting achievements ↳ Emphasizing strengths fosters safety and enhances openness to feedback. ❌ Avoid saying: “First, let’s address the areas needing improvement. ” ✔️ Consider saying: “Let’s begin with what’s working. You’ve had a strong impact in [XYZ area].” It names emotions without making it personal ↳ Emotions are important, but feedback concentrates on behaviors, not character. ❌ Avoid saying: “You were quite challenging to collaborate with on this project.” ✔️Consider saying: “There were a few moments that caused frustration for the team—can we discuss how we might approach that differently together?” It balances necessary candor with care ↳ Candor fosters personal growth, while care encourages openness to embrace that growth. ❌ Avoid saying: “This is probably not a strength of yours.” ✔️ Consider saying: “This area fell short of expectations, and I know you can achieve more. Let’s discuss what would assist us moving forward.” It includes future-forward coaching ↳ Reviews should focus on growth rather than merely reviewing the past. ❌ Avoid saying: “There’s not much more to say. I think you know where I stand on your performance. Let’s see how the next quarter goes.” ✔️Consider saying: “Let’s discuss what’s next—what goals you’re excited about and how I can support your development.” It reflects active listening for deeper understanding ↳ People share more when they feel understood ❌ Avoid saying: “I already know how you’re going to respond—we don’t need to rehash that.” ✔️Consider saying: “Can you share more about your experience with the [XYZ] project? I want to ensure I’m not overlooking anything.” It ends with alignment and encouragement ↳ The conclusion of a review should create clarity and momentum, not confusion or hesitation. ❌ Avoid saying: “I suppose you should just keep working on it.” ✔️Consider saying: “I feel like we are on the same page, and I’m committed to supporting you at every turn." ✨ That’s the kind of review that builds trust, ownership, and momentum. What’s a phrase you’ve heard—or used—that made a performance review feel like a real conversation? Drop it in the comments 👇 *** ♻️ Re-post or share so others can lead more effectively 🔔 Turn on notifications for my latest posts 🤓 Follow me at Scott J. Allen, Ph.D. for daily content on leadership 📌 Design by Bela Jevtovic

Give feedback like you mean it. Don’t wrap it in a 💩 sandwich. We all need people to give us feedback it’s how we learn. The way it is given is crucial to how it is received. Wrapping “negative” feedback in praise ↳ ‘aka The Feedback Sandwich’ ↳ ‘aka The 💩 Sandwich” always starts from a good intentions. Here’s how it usually goes: 🥪 Nice comment (praise) 💩 Real feedback (criticism) 🥪 Another nice comment (encouragement) The goal? To make tough feedback more “palatable.” It sounds nice in theory.  Less defensive, more digestible. Your team, however, starts to dread hearing  “You’re doing great… BUT…” They stop trusting the praise.  They brace for the “but.” The Feedback Sandwich model fails because: ❌ It confuses the message (what exactly should I fix?) ❌ It dilutes real recognition ❌ It makes people suspicious of positive feedback ❌ It sidesteps discomfort instead of building trust So what should you do instead?  Give feedback like you mean it. Not wrapped. Not disguised. Just clear and human. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝟯 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽: ✅ 𝗖𝗢𝗜𝗡 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 Use when giving constructive feedback with clear next steps: → 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁: What happened, where, when → 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: What you noticed → 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Why it matters → 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀: What should improve ✅ 𝗦𝗕𝗜 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 Use when you want to name a behavior and its effect: → 𝗦𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: When and where it happened → 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿: What the person did → 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: What result it had ✅𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱 Great for reviewing performance or reflecting after a task: → 𝗦𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: What was happening → 𝗧𝗮𝘀𝗸: What they were responsible for → 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: What they did → 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁: What changed or improved Clarity builds trust. Not praise dressed as protection. 🍞 What’s your preferred model to give feedback? —————————— ♻️ Repost if you’re building a no-fluff feedback culture. 🔔 Follow Justin Hills for practical leadership insights.