Guide: TeachBoost for teachers and school staff
Are you new to TeachBoost? Or simply looking to find out more about how it works? Learn more about how to get started below!
- What is TeachBoost?
- How do I navigate my dashboard?
- How can I start a new document or PD item?
- How do I locate and access my recent forms?
- How do I set goals?
- What are next steps?
- Help, I still have questions!
What is TeachBoost?
TeachBoost is a collaborative portal through which teachers, staff, and school leaders can engage in a meaningful dialogue focused on professional development and the improvement of student outcomes.
Note: Each school or district that uses TeachBoost implements a custom-designed set of activities for you throughout the year, reflecting your in-house evaluation/coaching workflows. As a result, some features and toolkits mentioned below may or may not form part of your school's evaluation process.
How do I navigate my dashboard?
After first logging in you will land on your Splash Page: this is a landing page from where you can enter the dashboard of any school or group you are part of; depending on your role you may have only one option or multiple. You can access this page again at any time by clicking the TeachBoost logo in the top left corner.
When you enter the school Dashboard (sample dashboard below), you will see all the high-level information about you and your data on TeachBoost and all the tools and actions available to you. The different sections are explained below.
Left-hand navigation panel
- Dashboard: click this tab to return to your dashboard from other areas of TeachBoost.
- Help & FAQ: links to the TeachBoost Support Center. The search bar above the panel is also connected directly to the help content.
- Summative/My Videos: if your organization uses our specialized summative or video observation tools, then your staff will have access to those areas on this panel. If you do not use these tools, then these options do not appear.
- Resources: links to your Resource Library. Use the Framework Explorer to deep dive into your organization’s frameworks, competencies, and Rubric Comments. Your organization may also upload resources here, associated with framework competencies.
How can I start a new document or PD item?
To create a new activity of any type in TeachBoost, simply click the purple Create New Activity button right at the top of your dashboard. This opens a window for you to select any of your school or district's custom templates.
How do I locate and access my recent forms?
If you've already created a form—or a school admin has created a form for you—you will see this appear in the Recent Forms widget on your Dashboard. The most recently modified or created form will be at the top of the widget, with older forms floating to the bottom of the widget
The rows of the Recent Forms widget are color-coded and show the current status of each form:
- Gray border with a calendar icon: this form has been scheduled by a school admin
- Yellow border with a clock icon: this form is in progress
- Green border with a check mark: this form has been completed!
Clicking on the form row in this table will take you to the Form Summary page, from where you can:
- View the current contents of the form
- Edit the form (if you are the author)
- Attach a file
- Print/download the form
- Discuss the form with an admin
- Sign your copy of the form
Find out how to locate your forms from previous years in this help doc!
How do I set goals?
To create a new Goal for yourself:
- Click on the Create New Activity button at the top of your dashboard, which will take you to the goal-setting page, for you to create your new goal.
- Select the green Quick Save button to save your progress as you start filling in the fields. If you leave this page without filling out all required fields then the Goal will retain a 'draft' status on the dashboard so you can return to complete all sections at a later time.
- When all required fields are completed, click the purple Save & Finish button to mark your goal as 'active' in your dashboard widget.
Find out more about goal-setting in TeachBoost in this help doc!
The Goal widget shows all of your goals for this school year and is color-coded and can help you identify which Goals require action by labeling the status of each Goal:
- [No label]: this Goal is active and in progress!
- Draft: not all required fields have been input
- Approved: this is an active goal that has been formally 'approved' by your administrator
- Achieved!: the goal has been achieved!
Clicking any of the Goal cards will take you to the Goal Summary for that goal, from where you can edit the goal, attach evidence, or mark it as completed.
What are next steps?
TeachBoost allows for the creation of Next Steps to manage your progress and act as a dynamic 'To Do' list right on your dashboard.
To create a new next step for yourself:
- Click on the Create New Activity button at the top of your dashboard
- Select Next Step
- Fill out your new task and set an optional due date and click Save Next Step. Once created, your new step will appear in the Next Steps widget.
Note: Next Steps may also originate from Forms about you or your Goals within TeachBoost. If so, this is indicated by a link to the right of each step - clicking this will take you straight to that Form or Goal.
Each step may be marked Complete by checking off the box to its left (on page refresh, any completed steps are hidden at the bottom of the widget, although these can still be accessed and reviewed via the 'Show completed next steps' link at the bottom of the widget).
Additionally, clicking the down arrow to the right of each step will give you the option to:
- Mark Complete/Incomplete
- Edit
- Delete
Note: Although you can mark all your next steps as complete when they have been accomplished, if you are not the original author of a step (e.g. it was assigned to you by a coach or evaluator), you cannot edit or delete it.
What does my performance summary show?
This data table provides a snapshot of your performance throughout the year, allowing you to track your progress over time.
Any rating data that is shared with you will populate the Performance Summary table, providing insights into how you are doing in each area of the framework.
You can view your performance on a component level by clicking on the (+) to expand the domain. For further insights, click on the Report button to see a list of all the feedback that’s been given in association with this rating, as well as a breakdown of how you have been rated overall.
Note: If your organization assigns ratings on multiple frameworks, use the framework pulldown menu on the upper right of the Performance Summary widget to toggle between these.
Help, I still have questions!
If you can't find the answer to your query in our support center, please don't hesitate to reach out to us directly with a support request including as much detail about what you need to do as you can and we'll be happy to help.