Some teachers create forms for their students to fill out at the end of the semester, or year, to provide some feedback on the class. Most of the time, these forms are asking for general feedback such as what they liked about the class, or what they think shouldn’t be continued in the future.
These forms don’t always allow for teachers to receive essential information on how to improve their classroom, or better their teaching style.
According to “Grading Teachers, With Data From Class” from The New York Times, a study showed that some teachers aren’t connecting with their students and it’s leading to a lack of understanding and results in students spending time outside of class to relearn and better understand lessons. In this study, feedback was collected from students about their teacher and how effective their teaching is and if they feel their teacher encourages belonging within the school and interest in a subject.
Students’ grades often reflect the teacher’s work and efforts, but these reflections aren’t always accurate. If students don’t do their work or put effort into their work, their grades will reflect that and could hurt teachers’ image or make them look bad. Sometimes teachers’ teaching methods or styles may not be effective but the students’ grades don’t necessarily reflect that.
There are many ways a teacher’s efforts can be shown inaccurately. By having students personally reflect on their teachers and give them specific feedback, it could lead to a more accurate representation of teachers’ efforts.
The article talks about how teachers are mostly assessed by standardized tests and observations, which aren’t always accurate of the teacher’s effect on students or their connections.
A website called “Rate My Professors” is used by college students to give feedback about how helpful the professor is in and outside of class, as well as how while they teach the course, and how easy it is to communicate with them. This tool is helpful to students as it helps prepare them for classes they are going to take, and they give them information about not only the class, but the professor who teaches it, which can be helpful when determining if success is feasible for particular students.
There should be a similar site that is available for high school students, but it should be used more as a reflection of teachers for the administrators. It will allow for students to give accurate and helpful feedback that truly reflects the teachers work and time they put in. The article talks about how teachers are mostly assessed by standardized tests and observations, which aren’t always accurate of the teachers effect on students or their connections. The site should be used by administrators in order to gain information on teachers and how effective their teaching is. It will allow for students to give accurate and helpful feedback that truly reflects the teachers efforts.
The Talon believes that students should grade their teachers and give them helpful feedback in order to help teachers know what they should improve or do in order to see more success within their students.