Teacher evaluations are one of the few times principals get to step fully into the role of instructional leader—but too often they become rushed, compliance-driven, or even discouraging for staff. In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, Barb Flowers unpacks how to make evaluations a meaningful, growth-oriented process instead of just another checkbox.

You’ll learn:

• Why anchoring your feedback to the rubric builds clarity and fairness
• How to connect evaluations directly to school-wide goals so they don’t feel like “one more thing”
• Practical ways to highlight strengths with evidence-based feedback
• How to be honest about growth areas without discouraging teachers

Barb also shares her simple structure for balancing clarity, encouragement, and accountability—so evaluations truly help teachers grow while staying manageable for principals.

If you’ve ever struggled to find that balance between supportive feedback and honest evaluation, this episode will give you a framework you can use right away.

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Learn more about today's sponsors, Renaissance, Playworks and IXL:

Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation. 

We’re also thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.