For School Administrators ·
What you'll accomplish
By the end of this guide, you'll have a repeatable system for turning your handwritten or bullet-point classroom observation notes into complete, rubric-aligned formal evaluation narratives in 20–30 minutes instead of 2–3 hours. You'll complete each evaluation with more specific evidence and better-written prose than you'd typically produce under time pressure.
What you'll need
Go to claude.ai and open a new conversation. First, tell Claude which framework you use:
"I'm a private school administrator writing formal teacher evaluations. We use the [Danielson Framework / school's rubric name]. Here are the domain descriptions and performance levels we use: [paste or describe the relevant domains and their indicators]."
If you use the Danielson Framework, you don't need to explain it — Claude already knows it. Just name it.
What you should see: Claude confirms understanding of the framework and asks for your notes.
Paste your notes exactly as you took them — raw bullets, sentence fragments, and scripted teacher-student dialogue are all fine:
"Here are my observation notes from a [date] classroom visit to [Teacher Name]'s [grade/subject] class: [paste notes]"
Example raw notes:
- T asked 3 open-ended questions in first 10 min
- Ss working in groups, 2 off-task in back corner
- T used wait time effectively after question 2
- Learning objective on board but not referenced by T
- One student (high-flier) answered most questions
- T gave corrective feedback to 2 Ss privately
- Transitions between activities took 4 minutes
Now ask Claude to write the evaluation:
"Using the Danielson Framework, write a formal evaluation narrative for Domain 3: Instruction. Cite specific examples from my observation notes. Length: 250–350 words. Include both strengths and one area for growth. Tone: professional, constructive."
What you should see: A structured narrative with specific citations from your notes, organized by framework indicators.
Ask for an additional paragraph focused on a specific area of growth:
"Now write a growth-focused paragraph suggesting specific next steps for the teacher around [the identified weakness, e.g., 'increasing student equity in participation beyond high-fliers']."
Most evaluation forms require a brief justification for your overall rating (Proficient, Developing, etc.). Ask:
"Write a 75-word justification for a rating of [Developing/Proficient/Distinguished] based on this observation. The justification should cite specific evidence."
Copy each generated section into your evaluation form or document. Add:
Proofread once — Claude occasionally inverts your intended meaning on complex points.
Full domain narrative:
Write a 300-word Danielson Domain [X] evaluation narrative for a [grade/subject] teacher based on these observation notes: [paste notes]. Include strengths and one growth area.
Multiple domain evaluation:
Based on these observation notes, write evaluation narratives for Domains 2 and 3 (150 words each). Notes: [paste]
Growth-focused paragraph:
Write a specific, actionable growth paragraph for a teacher who needs to improve in [area]. Be concrete — reference 2-3 specific strategies they should try.
End-of-year comprehensive evaluation intro:
Write a 100-word opening paragraph for [Teacher Name]'s end-of-year evaluation summarizing their overall growth and impact this year. Key themes: [list 2-3 themes from your observations].