In Making Teacher Evaluation Work, Rachael Gabriel and Sarah Woulfin walk you through the entire teacher evaluation process—from policy to practice—offering context and strategies with the goal of improving the process for everyone involved. The authors examine the roles of teachers, teacher leaders, coaches, and principals in supporting high-quality literacy instruction in the context of accountability and evaluation policy.
Teacher evaluations can cause unwanted tensions on both sides. In the following video, authors Rachael and Sarah discuss what an empowered teacher and evaluator relationship looks like, as well as how to maintain one.
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Rachael Gabriel is an Assistant Professor of Literacy Education at the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education. Rachael began her career in education as a middle school teacher in Washington, DC. Since then she has worked as a literacy specialist, new teacher advisor and intervention provider. She earned a PhD in Literacy Studies from the University of Tennessee. Rachael’s teaching and research focus on: teacher preparation, development and evaluation, as well as literacy instruction, interventions, and related policies.
Dr. Sarah Woulfin is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Connecticut's Neag School of Education. As a former urban public school teacher and Reading First reading coach, she was dedicated to strengthening students’ literacy skills to promote educational equity. Her research uses organizational theory to investigate the relationship between policy, leadership, and classroom practice. She earned a Ph.D. in Education from the University of California-Berkeley.