Teacher evaluation form for classroom observation
For a principal, mentor or peer in the room: a teacher observation form that rates what they saw, then strengths, next steps and the teacher’s reply.
Teacher
Class, subject or grade
Rate what you saw
Observer
Date of the observation
Type of observation
Time in the room
For example “9:10 to 9:55”.
Students present
Enter a number from 0 to 500.
Lesson focus or objective
What you saw and heard
Quotes, actions and counts. Notes, not judgements.
17 questions · about 10 min · signature
- No sign-up to start
- Unlimited responses on Free
Print it as a PDF Word version
Change the questions in Word, then print.
What you get back
Every response lands in your results the moment it is sent. Turn on email notifications and each one arrives like this, and the same answers become a row in your spreadsheet.
From PulseFormCreator
Subject New response to Classroom observation
- Teacher
- Priya Patel
- Class, subject or grade
- Grade 8 science
- Rate what you saw
- The lesson had a clear objective and was well prepared: Effective; The room was respectful and orderly, and students were willing to contribute: Highly effective; Explanations and directions were clear: Effective; Questions drew out students’ thinking: Developing; Students were actively involved: Effective; The lesson met different students’ needs: Developing; The teacher checked for understanding: Effective; Time was used well: Effective; The teacher showed command of the subject: Highly effective
- Observer
- Daniel Moore
- Date of the observation
- 17 Sep 2026
- Type of observation
- Formal, announced
and 9 more answers
| submitted_at | Teacher | Class, subject or grade | Rate what you saw | Observer | Date of the observation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Sep 2026 09:41 | Priya Patel | Grade 8 science | The lesson had a clear objective and was well prepared: Effective | The room was respectful and orderly, and students were willing to contribute: Highly effective | Explanations and directions were clear: Effective | Questions drew out students’ thinking: Developing | Students were actively involved: Effective | The lesson met different students’ needs: Developing | The teacher checked for understanding: Effective | Time was used well: Effective | The teacher showed command of the subject: Highly effective | Daniel Moore | 17 Sep 2026 |
Export to CSV or Excel, or send responses to Google Sheets, Notion, Airtable, Slack or a webhook. All free.
What happens after someone submits
Set these up once in the Workflows tab, and no observation sits unread on one person’s phone.
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Submitted
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An observation is saved
The principal gets an email with a PDF of the observation attached, ready for the teacher’s file.
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At the end of each week
You get one digest of the week’s observations instead of an email for each.
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The school year ends
Export every observation to CSV or Excel, one row each, to review each teacher’s year.
What this form asks, and why
The last column shows how often real teacher evaluation forms ask for it.
| Question | Why it is there | Real forms |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher Required | Named on 10 of 11 forms. Not autofilled, because the observer holds the phone. | 10 of 11 forms |
| Class, subject or grade Required | A junior science class and a senior physics class are different lessons. | 9 of 11 forms |
| Rate what you saw Required | What an observer can see in one visit, on four levels like Great Falls’ and USD 284’s. “Not observed” is a fair answer. | 8 of 11 forms |
| Observer Required | Whoever watched the lesson stands behind the notes. | 8 of 11 forms |
| Date of the observation Required | Ties the notes to one lesson. | 10 of 11 forms |
| Type of observation | NYSED expects announced and unannounced visits; this records which one it was. | 4 of 11 forms |
| Time in the room | Ten minutes and a whole lesson support different conclusions. | 4 of 11 forms |
| Students present | Context for everything said about engagement. | 5 of 11 forms |
| Lesson focus or objective | The lesson is judged against its own aim. | 2 of 11 forms |
| What you saw and heard | Notes, not verdicts: UNI tells observers not to judge while they watch. | 5 of 11 forms |
| Strengths Required | Named first, as IU Indianapolis does. | 6 of 11 forms |
| Areas to develop Required | On 8 of 11 forms. One or two, so the next visit can check them. | 8 of 11 forms |
| Agreed next steps | What both agreed, with a date to check. | 2 of 11 forms |
| Date of the feedback conversation | Shows the feedback came while the lesson was fresh. | 4 of 11 forms |
| Teacher’s comments | The teacher’s right of reply. | 4 of 11 forms |
| Observer’s signature Required | Signed by the person who made the judgements. | 6 of 11 forms |
| Teacher’s signature | On 7 of 11 forms. Optional, so the record is complete even if the teacher will not sign. | 7 of 11 forms |
What we left out
- Planning and professional duties. USD 284 says these are observed over time and may not be marked at each visit. The Summative preset rates them for the year.
- A pleasant voice and self-confidence. Holy Family rates both. They invite bias; this form rates what the teacher did.
- A self-evaluation column. 2 of 11 forms have one. Ask for it before the visit, on its own form.
What 11 real teacher evaluation forms ask
How many include each field, from forms organizations use today. Part of the Form Field Index.
- Planning and preparation 11 of 11
- Date of the observation 10 of 11
- Teacher observed 10 of 11
- Class or subject observed 9 of 11
- Areas to improve 8 of 11
- Command of the subject 8 of 11
- Instruction and clarity 8 of 11
- Performance scale 8 of 11
Read September 2026 · US 11 · Sources
- New York State Education Department (Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision) · state education agency (form for licensed private career schools), US
- George Washington University (Faculty Affairs) · university (part-time faculty observation), US
- Great Falls Public Schools · school district, US
- USD 284 (Kansas unified school district) · school district, US
- Grossmont Adult Education (Grossmont Union High School District) · adult school, US
- Holy Family Academy · private school, US
- Idaho State University (College of Technology) · university, US
- Bethel University (Academic Affairs) · university, US
- Indiana University Indianapolis (Center for Teaching and Learning) · university, US
- UC San Diego (Engaged Teaching Hub) · university, US
- University of Northern Iowa (Culture and Intensive English Program) · university language program, US
Make it yours
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A link per visit
Add ?teacher_name=Priya Patel&class_observed=Grade 8 science to the link and the first questions fill themselves in.
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Observers only
Settings → Access and limits → Password protection keeps the link to the people who observe.
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Your framework’s words
Rename the rows and the four levels to match your district’s framework, so ratings read the way your evaluators talk.
Questions about this template
Is this for students to rate their teacher?
No. It is for an observer in the room. For students rating a course and its teaching, use the student course evaluation.
Is there an end-of-year evaluation too?
Pick “Summative (end of year)” above the preview: each area rated over the whole year, planning and professional duties included, an overall rating and goals for next year.
Does the teacher’s signature mean they agree?
No. The line under it says it shows receipt, not agreement, as USD 284’s and Grossmont’s forms do. The comments box is for the teacher’s reply.
Is there a version for peer observation at a university?
Pick “Peer observation” above the preview. Each item becomes Yes, Partly or No instead of a performance level, and it asks for suggestions rather than areas to develop.
Can I use it for a quick walk-through?
Yes. Pick “Walk-through” above the preview: a short look-for list, one strength and one thing to try.
Which form do you need?
Not quite the job? One of these may fit, or browse all inspection, report and evaluation forms.
- student course evaluation
For students rating a course and its teaching at the end of the term.
- employee write up form
When performance has become a formal HR matter rather than coaching.
- anonymous employee feedback form
For staff feedback about the school itself, with no names attached.
Start with the teacher evaluation form template
Open it in the editor and take it to your next observation on a phone or tablet.
By Michael Hodge, founder of PulseFormCreator. Updated 22 Sep 2026.