Ed’s (Not) Dead – “Teacher Evaluations, Back to School, & @AaronRodgers12’s Mustache”

In Episode 3 we are Back to School! Back to School also means that it’s time for principals to start the all important job of instructional leadership: providing teachers with support and feedback for improvement. But why does it happen that when some teachers struggle, they are not evaluated accurately? We examine a recent article by esteemed education writer, Jay Matthews of the Washington Post that reveals a very interesting, and possibly troubling reason, for why principals don’t fulfill this critical responsibility with fidelity. In honor of the indispensable role teachers play in education, we are going to interview a teacher who not only survived, but thrived, in his first year as a middle school social studies teacher. We put Mr. Matt Baldassano on the hot seat and learn all that we can from him about the highs and lows of being a first year teacher. Matt shares some important things about building relationships with students, planning, and how his undergraduate teacher preparation program prepared him for actual teaching.