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Teacher Evaluations
What are the advantages of doing teacher evaluations?
- They help determine the overall effectiveness of the Sunday School program.
- They provide feedback to teachers concerning positive areas of their ministries and areas of their ministries that need improvement.
- They help guide your training efforts.
- They demonstrate that leadership cares about the quality of the Sunday School and serve as an encouragement for teachers.
- When teachers are challenged to improve their teaching skills it raises the overall quality of people in their classes and in the church.
- They clearly communicate the expectations of leadership and give the teacher a goal to work toward.
- They help to overcome the tendency of teachers to become complacent.
- They provide a systematic procedure for recognizing staff members who are faithfully serving their church through the Sunday School.
What areas should we consider when developing an evaluation tool?
- Spiritual growth
- Faithfulness to the task
- Promptness
- Participation in training sessions
- Attendance at staff meetings
- Church attendance
- Self-study programs
- Involvement in personal evangelism
- Visitation and follow-up
- Lesson preparation and presentation
- Outside class activities (socials, projects,)
- Class growth
- Pastoral care for students
- Effective use of room, equipment, and other resources.
What are the steps in developing and maintaining an evaluation program?
- Appoint a committee to develop the evaluation program. This committee will determine priorities, goals, and mission for the Sunday School. If you have an executive committee, you might consider using them.
- Develop an evaluation tool that reflects the priorities for teachers your church has established. (A sample monthly evaluation tool is posted here as a PDF file.)
- Share the proposed evaluation program with your teaching staff. Encourage them to offer their comments and suggestions. Bring feedback to the committee for final revisions of the program.
- Put the program into operation.
- Clearly outline expectations and process to the entire staff.
- Set an evaluation calendar. Notify each teacher of the date he or she will be observed in the classroom.
- Schedule a follow-up conference with each teacher within one week of the classroom observation.
- Highlight the positive aspects of both the written evaluation and the classroom observation. Use the conference time to encourage and to motivate.
- Point out areas of concern. Provide concrete suggestions concerning methods to correct any deficiencies. Set a goal with the teacher for corrections of problems. Schedule a follow-up observation/conference if necessary.
- Provide recognition for those who excel. Consider presenting a Teacher of the Year award at your annual appreciation banquet.
- Submit names of all who achieve to the national Sunday School Department on the Billie Davis Teacher Excellence in Education application. (The form will be posted on this web site.)
- Review the evaluation program regularly.
- Plan training events to address generalized concerns raised through the evaluation process.
Reprinted from Sunday School Administrator’s Manual, compiled by Clancy P. Hayes, Gospel Publishing House, ©2003. Order from 1-800-641-4310. English version #714-520; Spanish #714-521.
Used by permission.
