End of the Year Evaluation

Every year at this time, I receive an email from my appraiser about my yearly evaluation.  In my almost 23 year as a librarian, I have been appraised in many ways.  My appraisers have used the teacher appraisal, the paraprofessional appraisal, and then various appraisals that have been created just for librarians - which are the one I prefer.  In addition, I have also gone years without an appraisal at all, or I have appraised myself.  I've set goals, provided documentation, timelines, and paper evidence. I've seen & done it all!  However, I probably like my current appraisal best.  It is the one that is actually aligned with our library standards. 

My campus appraiser is very no-nonsense, and I really like that.  Her philosophy is that "proficient" is the norm.  If she scores me below "proficient," she will produce written documentation for me to see.  If I want to score above "proficient," then I have to provide the documentation for her to see.  That started during the 2021-22 school year.  At that point, I only had a few weeks to put all of my documentation together.  I had a lot, but it was all over the place - Google Drive, folders on my desktop, Canvas, and maybe some stuff in Canva too.  So in three weeks, I put together as much as I could remember, and organized it using one library standard per slide, which is how the appraisal is organized.  It looked like this . . . Appraisal Documentation for the 2021 - 2022 School Year

Over the years, I have started gathering my documentation earlier, and I've been able to get more information into my final product. Around year 2 of gathering this documentation, I created a Google Site instead of using Google Slides - just a personal preference.  I am still working on this year, but here is what I have so far . . . Appraisal Documentation for the 2025-2026 School Year.

Why go through all of this if I am okay with the proficient status?  After all, my performance is not tied to a bonus, or a promotion, or anything like that. To be honest, I like to see a few "distinguished" marks on my appraisal.  I don't need all "distinguished," because I truly believe that is not possible.  I always look at my data at the end of the year, and I can tell where I dropped the ball.  One year I concentrate on books circulated, and then I realize I have neglected my makerspace projects.  Another year, I concentrate on technology, and teaching classes, and my book circulations take a hit.  So in answer to the question I first proposed at the beginning of this paragraph, I gather all of this documentation so I can analyze my year and decide what goals I need to set for next year. I believe I am always learning.  Right now, I am seeking that balance to have a well-rounded library program.