I missed these comments by Robert in response to Chris’ request for models for teacher evaluations. I am just putting them here for ease of reference. I think that we need to look at these very closely for the general good of the order:
My first two criteria would be something like:
“The teacher speaks the target language in a manner that is comprehensible to students for at least 90% of the class period”.
“The teacher engages students in negotiating / constructing meaning.”
[Choose the one that is used in your setting. We use Constructing Meaning as the buzz word.]
This his a highly quantifiable criterion that is totally under the control of the teacher. A stopwatch could show whether or not 90% is reached. Comprehension checks will show if the language is comprehensible.
A third criterion could be:
“The teacher addresses rigor by 1. engaging students in the class conversation for sustained periods of time 2. pursuing topics in depth 3. holding students accountable for their portion of the interpersonal communication piece 4. asking mediative questions that allow students to demonstrate higher-level thinking skills.”
A fourth criterion:
“The teacher addresses relevance by pursuing topics of interest and personal application to students.”
Those are initial thoughts, subject to revision through further discussion.
I re-did Susie Gross’s checklist. Here’s my new version. Feel free to comment. Checklist for observing a Comprehensible Input Classroom:
- The teacher speaks in the target language at least 90% of the time in a manner that is comprehensible to students yes no
- The teacher engages students in constructing meaning yes no
- The teacher checks for comprehension yes no The teacher raises the level of student’s attention yes no
- The teacher demonstrates enthusiasm yes no The teacher addresses rigor by yes no
- engaging students in the class conversation for sustained periods of time
- pursuing topics in depth
- holding students accountable for their portion of the interpersonal communication piece
- asking mediative questions that allow students to demonstrate higher-level thinking skills.
- The teacher addresses relevance by pursuing topics of interest and personal application to students yes no
- The teacher offers opportunity for sophisticated language use yes no The teacher models pro-active classroom management yes no
- Students are actively engaged in the lesson yes no
- The teacher promotes grammatical accuracy yes no
- The teacher demonstrates appropriate correction techniques yes no
- The teacher tailors the tasks to individual student abilities yes no