ST.

PIUX HIGH SCHOOL

TEACHER SELF-EVALUATION

NAME: Rachel Ware DATE April 29, 2018

POSITION: English Teacher; National Honor Society Sponsor

ANNUAL GOAL/S: (Please re-state your goals and describe the degree of success
you have had in attaining them this year and/or what you wish to still accomplish.)
GOAL/S

1. Discover with my students who we are as Veritas men and women

2. Create a community with a caring identity
3. Create a support network of faculty for faculty and students
4. Actively participate on committees for the self-study and accreditation report
5. Make academic performance a priority; increase working proficiency across the
grades and build skills that will lead to success in college

Please address each goal and discuss successes and/or continuing efforts:
1. While I did not incorporate any Dominican writings into activities in my
classroom, as I had hoped, I do feel that I served as an example of a Veritas
woman in my daily teaching.
2. I maintained open communication with SPX staff, parents, and students regarding
student success and concerns. Throughout the year, I participated in face to face
meetings with other teachers, parents, and students in addition to frequent e-mails
and periodic phone calls.
3. I accomplished my next goal by attending regular meetings and communicating
any concerns. I strived to have a positive attitude, even when faced with
challenges. While at times I felt I was spread a little thin, I do feel I completed my
duties in a timely manner and assisted others when needed. I worked regularly
with my mentees. I also collaborated often frequently with my department
members and administration when needed.
4. I collaborated with a fellow faculty member on focus four regarding student
activities of the self -study. We regularly attended committee meetings, requested
and compiled the requested information, and assembled and submitted our entire
section on time. It felt good to contribute to the self-study, and I am grateful we
have the information that we now do regarding clubs. I’ve already been able to
share it for Meet the Panthers and the website. I can see how keeping up with this
information on a regular basis would be beneficial.
5. I successfully implemented a few new strategies this year in the classroom. I
focused on the targeted skills we established for freshman and sophomores, and I
do feel strides were made in those areas. More headway needs to be made, and I
am excited Spring Board is being implemented next year across all grade levels.
Please briefly discuss your successes/challenges this year in the following areas:

I. FULFILLING PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES: (adjusting teaching as

needed, maintaining accurate up-to-date records, communication with families,
contributing to the school and its mission, professional growth, demonstrating
professionalism)

In regards to parents, I made a point to return e-mails, voicemails, and truly invest in their children. I
updated my course websites and gradebook regularly as a method of communication. If I had concerns
regarding a student’s behavior or grades, I reached out to parents. I also made an effort to acknowledge
improvement and hard work. Parents are often on campus and a smile goes a long way. Students want to be
in the know and at the high school level they very much need to be in the know. I communicated my
expectations frequently. Using the course website and online gradebook as resources, I provided resources,
reminders, and schedules to students. In addition, I aimed to return graded work with detailed feedback in a
timely manner. I attended several of my students’ sporting events, and I made conversation with students in
an attempt to invest in each of them as a whole person. Building relationships, trust, and communicating
effectively are key aspects to building a community, and while it is not always easy, I take my
responsibility to build community very seriously.

II. MAINTAINING A POSITIVE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT: (creating

respect and rapport, establishing culture for learning, managing classroom
procedures and student behavior, organizing and maintaining physical space)

One of my biggest challenges in terms of this area was juggling three different
classrooms. Organizing and maintaining physical space that isn’t yours can be difficult. I
tended to feel a bit rushed jumping from room to room; however, I do feel I made the
best of the situation. In the end, the classroom itself was four walls, but we as students, a
teacher, and the community creative the environment, and I do believe it was a positive
one with laughter, knowledge, and high expectations.

III. PLANNING AND PREPARATION: (knowledge of subject matter, pedagogy,

students, resources; selecting instructional goals, designing coherent instruction,
assessment)

I have three preps. While it is a challenge at times to update lesson plans and websites for
three preps, I did it regularly. I taught two new books this year, and I believe those units
were a success. Teaching the English Language Learners were my biggest challenge.
While we did make headway over the course of the year, I do believe their needs
regarding reading and writing differ from most of the other students in the reading and
writing course. I was not able to cover as much of the poetry that I had hoped due to the
missed weather days; however, I am still hoping to squeeze in another poetry mini unit
before finals. Many of my reading and writing students made it to their on level goal
which is a great measure of the year’s success!
IV. INSTRUCTION: (communicating clearly and accurately, using questions and
discussion techniques, engaging students in learning, providing feedback to
students, demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness to learning styles and needs)
I aimed to incorporate more opportunities for open discussion this year and group work.
My students greatly struggled with both. It doesn’t seem to matter whether they are
discussing ideas on a large scale in front of an entire class or within a group of four
students, many of them are shy to share and question. If I were utilizing these strategies
again in the classroom, I would spend a decent amount of time at the start of the year
teaching how to be an active participant in a group discussion. Writing conferences were
a big success for me with my sophomore English class. It seems I can write a great deal
of comments on a paper, but very few of the students take the time to read and digest the
comments. A writing conference allows me to have a discussion about what I am seeing
in a student’s writing and even more important, it allows the student a chance to respond,
question, and model revision.