Appraisals: giving feedback & setting objectives

“Appraisal” is the regular evaluation and discussion in individual meetings of how well individual employees are performing. 

The main point of the appraisal procedure is that it is, among other things, an opportunity for teachers to sit down with their manager to review their relationship and role, especially in terms of how they have contributed and are contributing to the aims and work of the institution, and how the institution has supported them in their work as well as their professional and career development. Identifying and agreeing development needs with teachers... Also, it is essential for managers to quickly identify any serious problems with performance or with conduct.

Another advantage of appraisal meetings is that they enable managers to get to know and understand teachers better at an individual level. 

Source: Rossner LEM_ Language Course Management, eh.7, p.90

Objectives should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based. 

As regards feedback, there are two types: positive feedback (we tell someone what they are doing well) and improvement feedback (we examine how they can improve in the future). With all feedback, it’s important that we are specific and provide examples or evidence of the behaviour. We can also describe the impact that behaviour has on others. 

S-I-T-S: With positive feedback, it can be especially powerful to provide third-party endorsement (ie telling them that the behaviour has been noticed by other people, not just you. To finish t, it’s worth explaining to them the precise skills they have demonstrated. We want people to continue doing what they do well.  

S-I-P-S:With improvement feedback, we need to be careful that they don’t interpret the feedback as a judgement of them as a person, and help them see how their  behaviour has affected others, putting the situation into perspective. We need to stress that we’re talking about one specific behaviour and remind them of areas where they perform well. With improvement feedback, the best is to look for solutions. It’s a good idea to ask them how they think they can improve things and to discuss what kind of support they need.

Both for objectives and feedback, the more you ask questions and get them to create their own objectives and plan their improvement, the more motivated they will be. A good appraisal is a collaboration, not a lecture.