WMMS Observations
Observations
A resource for WMMS teachers to understand the TPGS observation process, prepare for observations, and make the most of feedback throughout the year.
What matters most in TPGS?
Think less “Did I perform the right teacher move?” and more “What did students learn, understand, do, or revise because of the instruction?”
👀
Observe
Teacher actions + student response
🧠
Analyze
What did the evidence show about learning?
➡️
Act
What is the next instructional move?
Choose your entry point
What do you need right now?
You do not have to read this site in order. Pick the situation that sounds most like you.
🔄
“What actually changed?”
See the biggest differences between Danielson-style evaluation and TPGS.
👀
“I’m being observed.”
Understand the observation types, timeline, and what to be ready to discuss.
🎯
“Help me understand the rubric.”
Explore the five TPGS Performance Areas in plain teacher language.
🧰
“Help me prepare.”
Choose your TPGS focus area and build talking points for your pre-observation conference.
The big shift
Danielson → TPGS
This is a conceptual bridge for teachers, not an official one-to-one rubric crosswalk.
📘 Familiar / Danielson-style lens
→
✨ TPGS learning-focused lens
“What did the teacher do?”
→
“What happened for students because of the instruction?”
Translate familiar language
Where did the Danielson domains go?
Choose a familiar domain to see the closest TPGS connections and the new emphasis.
Try the lens
Old lens or TPGS lens?
Read the statement, choose the lens, then see why.
Choose a lens.
Rubric explorer
The 5 TPGS Performance Areas
Click an area to see the essential question, a teacher-friendly summary, and examples of student impact.
Observation types + evaluation pathways
What kind of observation am I having?
Click a type to see what it means, what to expect, and what happens afterward. Semi-formal is a new TPGS option for 2026–27.
Quick pathway check
Which one sounds like my situation?
Choose the statement that best matches what you know. This is a teacher-friendly guide, not an official pathway assignment.
Choose an option above and I’ll point you to the most likely observation type.
See the differences at a glance
Informal
Semi-Formal
Formal
Scheduled?
Usually unannounced
Announced or unannounced
Typically scheduled
Focus
Targeted classroom evidence
At least 1 Performance Area
All observation Performance Areas
Student Learning Conference?
Not automatically required by the TPGS FAQ
Yes
Yes
Written feedback?
Required if used in the body of evidence
Yes
Yes
Ratings?
Depends on use/context
Included only for educators in a summative year
Included for educators in a summative year
After a Semi-Formal or Formal Observation
What happens next?
1. ObservationObserver gathers evidence of teacher actions and student impact.
2. ConferenceStudent Learning Conference within 3 duty days.
3. Written FeedbackWritten report within 7 duty days of the conference.
4. CompleteObservation process completed within 10 duty days of the observation.
Teacher takeaway: Semi-formal does not mean “less important.” It is designed to create more frequent feedback across the year, while a formal observation gathers evidence across all Performance Areas in one fuller observation.
Your 2026–27 TPGS preferences
Choose your observation model + feedback focus.
Use the form below to select your observation model and identify the instructional area where targeted informal-observation feedback would be most helpful.
TEACHER CHOICE
My TPGS Evaluation & Feedback Plan
Review your options, select your preferences, and submit them directly through the WMMS form.
SUBMIT ONLINE
Pre-observation conference prep
Walk in knowing your instructional focus.
Choose the TPGS Performance Area you most want the observer to understand. The official BCPS form is organized around Performance Areas 1–4, and you are not expected to answer every prompt.
🎯 Teacher Focus Builder
Pick one primary focus, think through the highest-leverage questions, and build your conference talking points.
YOUR FOCUS → STUDENT IMPACT
1. What do you want to focus on?
Select the Performance Area that best matches the instructional decision you want to highlight.
2. Think it through
Performance Area 1: Planning
You do not need polished paragraphs. Short notes, evidence, and examples are enough to support the conversation.
3. Get conference-ready
What should I be ready to explain?
Keep the TPGS lens: Do not stop at “Here is what I planned.” Be ready to explain why you made the decision and what you expect students to know, do, say, create, or demonstrate because of it.
✓ Learning target: What are students learning and why does it matter?
✓ Evidence: How will you know students are getting it?
✓ Student needs: What data, prior learning, strengths, interests, or needs shaped the lesson?
✓ Adjustment: What will you do if the evidence shows students need something different?
✓ Focus: What specific teacher move + student impact do you want the observer to notice?
If you are still thinking in Danielson language: Domain 1 connects most closely to Planning; choose the TPGS area based on the instructional decision you want to discuss, not simply the old domain number.
Choose your focus and add a few notes. Your conference-ready summary will appear here.
Official BCPS resources
Go to the source.
These links point to BCPS SharePoint resources and may require your BCPS account.
WMMS Formal Lesson Planner
Use the WMMS lesson planning template to prepare for a formal observation and organize the key instructional decisions you want to discuss.
Open WMMS Formal Lesson Planner ↗
BCPS TPGS FAQ
Observation types, pathways, timelines, evidence, SLOs, and system changes.
Open bundled PDF →
TPGS Evaluation Rubric
Full Performance Area descriptors and student-impact examples.
Open bundled PDF →
Observation Rubric
Observation-focused descriptors for Performance Areas 1–4.
Open bundled PDF →
Pre-Observation Planning Form
BCPS planning conversation prompts organized around Performance Areas 1–4.
Open bundled PDF →
Planning Decisions
Instructional planning questions for reflection and preparation.
Open bundled PDF →
Quick answers
Teacher FAQ
Is TPGS just Danielson with new names?
No. There are familiar instructional ideas, but BCPS describes a deliberate shift from documenting teacher actions and compliance toward analyzing student learning, instructional impact, reflection, and actionable next steps.
Is the TPGS rubric a checklist?
No. BCPS describes the rubric as a guide for a holistic determination of teacher efficacy based on student impact, not an exhaustive checklist of observable teacher behaviors.
What counts as evidence?
Evidence can include what students say, do, write, revise, explain, demonstrate, and understand during learning, alongside the teacher actions that produced or responded to that evidence.
When do observations begin in 2026–27?
BCPS states that informal, semi-formal, and formal observations begin on or after September 14, 2026.
How quickly does a formal or semi-formal conference happen?
The Student Learning Conference is held within 3 duty days. The written report is provided within 7 duty days of the conference and completed within 10 duty days of the observation.
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