Teachers: What are red flags about other teachers?

THE TEACHER AS A PERSON

• Believes that teaching is just a job
• Arrives late to school and class on a regular basis
• Has classroom discipline problems
• Is not sensitive to a student’s culture or heritage
• Expresses bias (positive or negative) with regard to students
• Works on paperwork during class rather than working with students
• Has parents complaining about what is going on in the classroom
• Uses inappropriate language
• Demeans or ridicules students
• Exhibits defensive behavior for no apparent reason
• Is confrontational with students
• Lacks conflict resolution skills
• Does not accept responsibility for what occurs in the classroom

CLASSROM MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION

• Arranges desks and chairs in rows facing forward (without regrouping)
• Displays inconsistencies in enforcing class, school, and district rules
• Is not prepared with responses to common issues (bathroom visits, pencil sharpening, and disruptions)
• Uses strictly commercial posters to decorate walls
• Lists rules and consequences for negative behaviors (teacher formulated)
• Ranks student progress on charts for all to view
• Emphasizes facts and correct answers
• Assigns one task to be completed by all students
• Does not post or is not clear about expectations of students
• Does not display school or classroom rules
• Allows student disengagement from learning
• Is unavailable outside of class for students
• Complains inappropriately about all the administrative details that must be done before class begins
• Maintains an unsafe environment or equipment
• Students have no specific routines or responsibilities
• Keeps an unclean or disorderly classroom
• Uses many discipline referrals
• Makes up rules and consequences or punishment according to mood; unpredictable
• Does not start class immediately, takes roll and dallies

ORGANIZING AND ORIENTING FOR INSTRUCTION

• No (or very few) lesson plans are available
• Student assessment and diagnostic data are not available
• No connection between assessment data and lesson plans is evident
• No differentiated instruction is provided
• Lesson plans are not aligned with local or district curriculum guides
• State learning objectives are not incorporated into lesson plans
• Activities that are unrelated to the learning objective are selected
• No plans for or anticipation of potential problems
• Lesson plans mainly consist of text or worksheets
• Students are not engaged in learning
• Lesson plans do not address different learning styles of students
• Lesson plans do not reflect accommodations for students with special needs
• State standards are not posted in the classroom
• Information on pacing is not discernible in lesson plans
• Lesson plans are disjointed
• Lesson plans are short and do not allow for smooth transitions between activities
• Poor or inconsistent student achievement is the prevalent pattern
• Emergency lesson plans are not available
• Materials for substitutes are not available (attendance rolls, class procedures, lesson plans, fire and tornado drill evacuation route maps)

IMPLEMENTING INSTRUCTION

• Experiences student behavior problems
• Has unengaged students (e.g., bored, off-task, asleep)
• Has poor student performance in class and on assessments
• Gives vague instructions for seatwork, projects, and activities
• Unresponsive to student cues that the delivery of instruction in ineffective
• Lacks variety in instructional methods used
• Has difficulty individualizing instruction
• Uses outdated material or terminology
• Fails to implement needed changes pointed out by peers or supervisors
• Tells students to “know the material”
• Does not apply current strategies or best practices
• Uses poor examples of or improper English
• Transitions slowly between activities or lessons.

MONITORING STUDENT PROGRESS AND POTENTIAL

• Does not monitor student progress or allow for questions
• Infrequently analyzes or lacks appropriate data
• Infrequently or fails to monitor student progress
• Does not keep a communication log
• Does not record conferences with students or parents and guardians
• Uses extremes in grading – high failure rates or unrealistically high percentage of excellent grades
• Fails to re-teach after assessments to correct gaps in student learning
• Offers little or not variety of assessments
• Ignores testing accommodations for special-needs students
• Does not document or holds few parent communications (communication may include conferences, phone calls, e-mail, newsletters, Websites)
• Uses vague, technical, or inappropriate language in communication
• Does not participate in or attend IEP meetings for students with special needs

PROFESSIONALISM

• Gives negative feedback routinely at meetings
• Displays unwillingness to contribute to the mission and vision of the school
• Refuses to meet with parents and guardians or colleagues outside of contract hours
• Resents or is threatened by other adults visiting the classroom
• Does the minimum required to maintain certification or emergency certification status
• Submits reports late
• Submits grades late
• Writes inaccurate or unclear reports
• Does not update grade book or it is inaccurate