Different types of teacher evaluation tools can be developed for a particular type of evaluation, either of a teacher or of students in a class. Those tools meant to evaluate the performance of a teacher often include direct observation and discussion with teachers, as well as metrics for performance by students of that teacher. The evaluation tools often used by a teacher with regard to his or her class often rely on direct observation and assessment of students. These tools commonly include the use of tests and homework assignments to evaluate the performance of students and gauge their development over a semester or year.
Teacher evaluation tools can refer to those methods used by professional educators to evaluate teachers and those used by teachers to assess their students. Most tools used to evaluate the performance of teachers in a classroom involve first-hand observation by other professionals and analysis of student performance. Teachers are often evaluated by an experienced educator or other professional at a school to determine how well they manage to reach their students and teach lessons.
This kind of first-hand observation is typically used with more formalized evaluation tools such as rubrics for lessons and analysis of student performance. The standards required of teachers by a school or district are often used to evaluate how well teachers are meeting the requirements placed upon them. If a teacher demonstrates an unwillingness to teach a particular required subject, for example, then he or she may be considered unfit to teach or require coaching and improvements in performance for continued employment.
There are also a number of teacher evaluation tools that can be used by teachers in a classroom to determine how well students are learning new materials. One of the most common tools used is homework, which is typically assigned at the end of a class or lesson and must be completed by students prior to the next class. This is independent work designed to allow students to demonstrate mastery of new materials to their teacher. In order for these types of evaluation tools to be effective, however, the assignment must reinforce and be relevant to the lessons learned on a particular day.
Tests and similar types of assessment are often used as teacher evaluations tools. Many teachers give students a pre-test before a particular unit or lesson, to determine what students already know about a subject. A second test that is administered after the unit can then be compared to this, which frequently demonstrates growth and development by students. Educators of certain subjects, such as language, can also use other tools, such as portfolios or writing journals. Such tools demonstrate linguistic or artistic development over a semester and provide the student with evidence of his or her personal improvements.