In his article in Chalkbeat New York, Kim Marshall details eight pitfalls in putting the teacher rubric at the center of classroom observations. He cites distraction from open-minded observation, creating a top-down dynamic, and replacing face-to-face observations with electronic communication.

Marshall offers these alternative approaches:

• Use the rubric at three points in the evaluative cycle: for teacher self-assessment and for the mid-cycle and summative reviews.
• Follow up every classroom observation with a brief face-to-face conversation.