I’ve been writing all day. Planning lessons (putting the finishing touches on a unit about the memoir in which we study Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings) and preparing materials for my PAS-T notebook. The former I don’t mind; the latter is a hastle.
PAS-T is an acronym for “Pain in the…” — no, rather it’s “Performance Assessment System for Teachers”. It is, in short, a pile of paperwork that I am to provide three different evaluators as they come through my classroom two times each throughout the year for formal observations. My PAS-T notebook is to include things like,
- Summary of plan for integrating instruction
- Class profile
- Annotated list/samples/photos of instructional activities/materials/displays
- Lesson/intervention plan
- Summary of staff consultations
- Syllabus
- Lesson plan(s)
- Differentiation
- Annotated photos of class activities
- Sample handouts/transparencies/Thinking Maps
- Student samples of technology integration
- Record-keeping/monitory system
- Labeled and dated grades
- Teacher-made tests/assessments
- Example grading rubric
- Grading procedures
- Student work with feedback
- Progress reports/letters for parents/students
- Survey and summary
- Class rules with description of development procedures/reinforcement system
- Classroom diagram with comments/alternative room arrangement
- Class schedule
- Explanation of behavior management philosophy/procedures
- A printed copy of the teacher’s home page
- Log of rapport building efforts (notes, calls, conferences)
- Copy of newsletter
- Agenda from orientation/fieldtrip
- Documentation of Technology Proficiency or letter of intent
- Resume
- Certificates, agendas, support materials from presentations given
- Certificates, agendas, support materials from presentations attended
- Documentation of membership/participation in professional organizations
- Performance goal setting forms
- Chart of student progress throughout year
- Analysis of grades for marking period
- Log of collegial collaboration
- Documentation of meeting established annual goals
It is difficult to think of this as more than busy work. I mean, how useful can a classroom diagram with comments be to an evaluator who’s sitting in my classroom?
I’m all for accoutability, but this is starting to feel like an extra burden.
Still, I will perservere, and I will get only “Exemplory” ratings because anything else would drive me mad. If I’m to jump through hoops, I want to jump through them while juggling chainsaws and lecturing on Kant — I want to blow people’s minds.
Fortunately, I didn’t spend the whole weekend at a desk; we spent some of it at a table, so to speak: Table Rock State Park, which means more hiking and more waterfalls.
Such a burden.
That list made me exhausted just looking at it. I had to put together something similar, but with fewer “busy work” activities when I was doing my UK teacher qualifications. It was a nightmare, but I only had to do it for that 1 year.
You won’t have to do the same again next year, will you?
“busy work” — it’s amazing how even some of the evaluators describe it with those very words. It always amazes me how the district wants teachers to do the very things the we’re not supposed to have students do…
As I understand it, this is the only year I have evaluators from outside my school. I’m still not sure whether or not I’ll have to keep this thing up.
What’s really frustrating about it is that you only focus on one class (which tends to make your planning favor that class a little) and you can’t use materials from previous years. Wonderful — I might have done something really original with another class this year, but I can’t include it if it’s not something for the one class I’ve chosen as my evaluation class.
I hate the hoops, and this seems really excessive. I’m sure those high scores will come rolling your way, though! We have to put together a portfolio to turn in to the principal each year, with various levels of annoying documentation…depending on your “tier”. I send massive sympathies your way!
Honestly, not all of those are required. However, I’m going to fill my little portfolio with as many of those things as possible to show that when I jump through a hoop, I don’t play around!