Smiley faces on new evals: Kids will mark them but will teachers have them?
I just met with a team from the Georgia Department of Education about its work on using its Race to the Top monies to develop a teacher and leader evaluation tool that incorporates many moving parts, including two 30-minute principal observations, student performance as measured by standardized test scores where there are such scores, other measures in courses without tests, such as middle school chorus and first grade reading, documentation of strong teaching practices, including student work, planning materials and data analysis, and student surveys.
I am going to write about this at length shortly, but wanted to share one slide from the DOE presentation as I think it is a novel idea — asking students even in kindergarten to review their teachers. Students from kindergarten through 12th grade would be surveyed once a year electronically under the pilot.
While the youngest students would circle one of three faces — the best rating being the smiling face — older students would rate teachers on a 1 to 5 agree/disagree scale. A sample statement that older students would be given: “My teacher has deep knowledge about the subject.” (The slide here shows both survey question types.)
Teresa MacCartney, DOE Race to the Top Director Deputy, said, “I want to stress with the kindergarten to 2nd grade survey that we are pushing the bar, but given that we are piloting this, we thought we could see what we could learn from it.”
“It may or may not fly depending on what we learn,” said Martha Ann Todd of DOE’s Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Division.
I want to emphasize that DOE team said the surveys would be a very small part of the teacher evaluation process, which will begin as a pilot in January in the 26 Race to the Top districts.
In a major change, the new evaluations will only be piloted among 10 percent of the teachers in those districts or 4,700 teachers, chosen at random. The task of piloting the new tool for all 47,000 teachers in those districts was too daunting.
Also, some districts will pilot the teacher/leader evaluation system in a single school that represents 10 percent of its work force, while others will pilot it in all their schools but only for a handful of teachers who collectively add up to 10 percent.
I was impressed with the efforts of DOE to create a fair tool, and the team includes former Marietta Middle School language arts teacher Kathie Wood, who is a strong voice for the teacher perspective. (When I asked her what she thought about releasing the teacher evaluation “grades” to parents, she said, “I think it would be horrible.” Her DOE colleagues agreed and that is not in the game plan, but I would not rule out the Legislature getting into that issue someday.)
The DOE team is attempting to be respectful of teachers and the profession, and is focused on creating ways to improve teachers rather than run them off. (Although some will be run off.)
If I were a teacher, I would have more confidence that the state’s intentions are good, but I would also have some concerns about the RTTT timetable and whether these evaluation tools will have enough time to evolve before they are unleashed on the state as a whole. (That would take legislation, but I have no doubt that legislation will be forthcoming mandating statewide evaluations that consider student performance.)
Check back later as I am about to interview the new Milken teacher from Georgia. I spent a half day in Shekema Silveri’s class at Mount Zion High School, but now we are going to talk about her approach.
–from Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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133 comments Add your comment
Confused
November 9th, 2011
8:12 pm
My questions is the following. Are the inmates running the asylum? You are going to ask Kindergarden and up to evaluate if their teacher know they are teaching. Another question is how are Kindergarden going to know. You have the multiple ways to evaluate what a teacher knows now.
I love teaching. I hate what it is becoming...
November 9th, 2011
8:16 pm
@Sam “It seems that all the so called professional teachers care about is getting a good evaluation and their raise. It sounds really pitiful.”
Really? I don’t recall a single teacher mentioning anything about a raise on this thread. Maybe the reason we are able to point out potential pit falls of such a process is that we are “professionals” and actually know what we are talking about! I have worked with young children for approximately seven hours a day for over 21 academic years – not to mention church groups, child care work, and babysitting. I dare say I have a much better understanding of HOW young children think than most of those who are advocating allowing them to pass judgment on their teachers. Teaching is a unique job unlike any other. People keep trying to shove teaching into some predetermined category and evaluate as your would other professions – but doing so fails to take into account those unique aspects of teaching that are unlike any other field.
The thing is, I am fairly certain that, for the most part, I would receive good evaluations from both my parents and students. Certainly, word of mouth around the school is generally positive in my case. I am not really worried about MY evaluations. However, I also know enough about the field to recognize that some very good teachers could easily be misrepresented or undermined by such approaches – and I am enough of a “professional” to advocate for my WHOLE profession and not just for myself.
Beverly Fraud
November 9th, 2011
8:34 pm
Let’s just put into perspective how mind-numbing this action truly is:
Children WHO DON’T KNOW HOW TO READ, (thus the smiley faces) will help to determine the career fate of a reading teacher, based on how well the teacher knows reading?
Brilliant!
We can let children who DON’T KNOW HOW TO READ evaluate teachers as to their worthiness to teach reading, but MacCartney won’t dare touch giving teachers some CHECKS and BALANCES by allowing teachers to evaluate administrators?
Is it wrong to ask whether our blog moderator appears to be very muted in her criticism of the DOE and their latest genius “cure du juor because she fears being too critical will hamper her unfettered access to Matt the Mouthpiece? (Apologies for not remembering the last name)
If the above question is INDEED not fair and legitimate, please make the case that this is, because from this perspective, the DOE is writing the manual not on how to make teachers “accountable” but on how to drive teachers AWAY. Permanently.
No wonder “Fled” fled. Non readers evaluating reading teachers on how well they know reading?
Beverly Fraud
November 9th, 2011
8:39 pm
“Has anyone considered the possibility that students, particularly middle and high school students, will become more accountable for their own education if they are sent the message that they have a voice in their schools?”
That would be NO Emily, because if that “possibility” you claim exists was anymore remote, it would be called PLUTO.
Beverly Fraud
November 9th, 2011
8:46 pm
What do functional illiterates, mentally disabled persons, child abusers, drug addicts and those who suffer from severe psychosis all have in common? As long as they can also go by the title of “parent” they will be able, in the near future, to help determine the professional fate of teachers.
Is this not true? Will anyone at the DOE deny this isn’t true?
2nd career teacher
November 9th, 2011
9:13 pm
This is absurd, and anyone who thinks that children can evaluate an adult is not living in the real world or has a cruel motive in disguise. There is no way this type of evaluation will help children’s learning because by nature children do not want to learn, they want to socialize with friends or else sleep because they were up all night on Facebook or video games. The last thing they want to do is several long division problems. Think about it people. Students’ favorite teachers are the pretty ones, the cool ones, and those who let them goof off or do fun things. This is not a 360 because the evaluators do not have the maturity nor knowledge to observe and judge. The children have no motive in improving the system. I could go on and on. It’s just stupid, no the ones driving this survey are stupid. And how much of our tax money does this survey cost? Yes, I’m a teacher and I pay taxes too.
Emily
November 9th, 2011
9:20 pm
Second career teacher, I pray that you have retired by the time my son is school age. How dare you say that children do not want to learn. It is very dangerous for you to speak in such absolutes. I am sure that the children you think so little of can pick up on your bitterness and lack of faith in them. You have no right to your paycheck, pension or a role in any child’s future.
Beverly Fraud
November 9th, 2011
9:27 pm
@2nd career teacher, I disagree that this is, in your words, “stupid”
Driving without a seat belt because you want to be able to quickly jump out of a car in case of collision…that would be “stupid.”
Jumping off a building in a thunderstorm, because you don’t think gravity works in the rain…that would be “stupid”
This proposal goes so far beyond the sheer, total, abject ignorance in the two examples above, that new descriptors will have to be invented to adequately describe it..
Beverly Fraud
November 9th, 2011
9:36 pm
“How dare you say that children do not want to learn.”
How dare INDEED Emily. In fact, just the other day I was with a group of parents and they ALL had the same lament:
We spent all this money on PlayStation and Wi and all the accessories we can NEVER get the kids to go within five miles of them. ALL they want to do is pull out paper and pencil and work long division problems. And the television? Forget it. Can’t get them to watch it for 30 seconds, much less 30 minutes. ALL they talk about is paper, pencil, and divisions problems.
It’s a real problem, I must admit. Kids just won’t play video games these days or watch TV to save their lives.
Pink
November 9th, 2011
9:43 pm
I’m tired of every word over three syllables having to be shortened into a slang word. Can we have a word over three syllables?
Veteran teacher, 2
November 9th, 2011
10:11 pm
When did people get the idea that teachers are not already evaluated????? I have an evaluation that is about 15 pages long every year. It takes at least two hours for the preliminary part, many observations (about 10) from administration, and the final conference lasts about two hours and includes test scores and other evidence of learning.
Maureen mentions two administrator observations per teacher. I frankly would not want to work for a principal that visited my classroom only twice a year. I would question whether that administrator really knows what is going on in my classroom if s/he only came in a couple of times.
This is at least the third different evaluation system the state has come up with in my career. Remember TPAI? Challenged in court and thrown out. Remember GTOI? Currently in effect, but watered down since its inception. In the hands of a capable administrator, GTOI can be used to improve or remove ineffective teachers.
Timid administrators will not be able to use this new-fangled evaluation instrument to get rid of ineffective teachers, either. Why does everyone think the problem is with the evaluation instrument?? The problem is that administrators in some places are not using evaluations effectively.
Anyone who thinks that teenagers can effectively provide formal feedback on effectiveness of teachers has not worked with the current generation of teenagers. Everything is about me, me, me, and me. Most of the teenagers would not bother to even answer the survey because that would require effort, and they would receive no grade (I hope!!) for doing it. A few would be very gracious to answer positively for a teacher that they connect with, and a few more would answer any such survey with nasty venom for teacher that they don’t like, or those that are demanding. I personally would not feel comfortable with the state saying they would filter such comments out. They also think the CRCT tests and EOCT tests are valid measures of academic achievement.
To all the cynics out there: I don’t fear any evaluation you may come up with. All I ask is that you make the evaluation valid, based on what I do, or don’t do, and that you don’t waste my time with busy work just for the sake of paper work. I think the evaluation I get every year is very authentic, fair, and proper. If the evaluations given by your school system are insufficient, do something about it.
Janet
November 9th, 2011
10:22 pm
I’m not a teacher and have limited experience in public schools as my daughter is only in kindergarten, but I think this is a crazy idea. I can’t believe the person who came up with the kindergarten idea even said that out loud. Kids are immature, irrational, and spontaneous and giving them control over a teacher’s ability to be employed is absurd. I remember not even taking teacher evals seriously in college. I actaully remember writing something about a particular teacher’s “comb over” hair. Stupid, I know. Can you imagine what middle schoolers will write???
And I don’t think parents will be much better. In my experience, most parents are double income families. They are good people who love their kids and do care about their education, but are still pretty much clueless about what’s actually going on inside the school walls. They just expect teachers to do their job so they can go to work and do theirs. They just don’t have time to participate at the school to actually know what’s going on so having them do teacher evaluations would not be a great idea in my opinion.
Plus, doesn’t something like this seem like alot of work for such a “small part” of the evaluation? And now they will have to some fancy algorithm to compensate for the kids who are just being silly by giving good marks to the “bad or easy” teachers. Then all that extrra work will mean more money spent on administrators to decipher it all.
Judy
November 9th, 2011
10:48 pm
This is a great idea… what is the problem. If you are doing a great job, then you should not care who is rating you. Teachers rate principals and students should rate teachers.
ScienceTeacher671
November 9th, 2011
10:59 pm
Like Lisa B., I had several teachers I didn’t much like until a year – or two or three – after I’d had their class. I probably wouldn’t have been kind on an end-of-year evaluation.
ScienceTeacher671
November 9th, 2011
11:00 pm
Judy, where do teachers rate principals? Not in my district!
Anonmom
November 9th, 2011
11:01 pm
I think that middle and high school students (even older elementary) can provide input (not the “be all, end all” but input) into the teacher evaluation process. I think that there is merit to the teacher knowing that the students in the classroom have a “voice” and that they can’t be “trampled” on. As I’ve previously said, we’ve had some (some) excellent teachers at some local DCSS schools. We have also expereinced teachers who have had the ability to teach but have made it clear that white boys were not their top choie to teach and entered “power struggles” with my sons (all of whom are gifted-one pretty good math teacher– department chair actually threw things at the kids during class and had anger managment problems but he could use the Socratic method to teach 10th-12th graders math — scare the crap out of them but they learned the material). When Lakeside regularly indcucts (on a subjective process) 2/3 girls (white girls) to 1/3 boys to National Honor Society under standards that are far more “onerous” than any other school in the area, you have a lot of underlying bias in many areas of the school that no one is really honing in on or paying attenion to — my spin on it (biased as it is) is that boys are boying crushed (the boys that do well are the ones that can get by without drawing attention to themselves and who don’t need teachers — they can teach themselves. If the kids get to input on just how the teacher is treating the students and if the teacher seems to know what they are teaching (there are plenty of examples at Lakeside of math teachers being corrected by students and then taking their inability to correct themselves out on the kids) — there’s some merit here to student input (there really are some not-so-bright teachers — take a look at the recent news report of the teachers who failed the licensing exam 5 times and remember that Georgia’s licensing exam is actually one of the easier ones — some ot fhe kids are really smarter than their teachers and this isn’t a pretty dynamic in some classes (this is why truly gifted kids really do need teachers who can really handle them). As Lisa siad, the kids don’t yet have the perspective that they need so these surveys can’t be the “whole thing” but they could really be a very useful tool.
Were Out!
November 9th, 2011
11:10 pm
If teachers are allowed to evaluate students… then students should be allowed to evaluate teachers. In some colleges this is a standard practice, it is about “performance” and if a teacher cannot “perform then they should be called on it. My high schooler knows already who is a capable teacher and who is not. Why do you think parents become involved in the PTA… not because they really care about other kids.. they know that is the only way they can make sure their kid gets the best teachers. I know as a parent what teacher I do not want my kid to have due to their reputation as a poor educator… it’s time to look at the whole picture ie. why our kids are not prepared for college. Having been an educator of adults in the corporate world, evaluations from students provide valuable information into how to improve not only your teaching methods but how to deliver curriculum to All students. Granted many of these kids are not capable of understanding why they are doing this, but young kids are usually honest, if enough poor evals of the same opinion then the principal should plan to spend more time looking at this teacher.
Truth in Moderation
November 10th, 2011
2:22 am
Let’s see… Government school teachers are required (mostly) to have an education degree or expertise in the subject area they are teaching. Colleges grant degrees certifying this training. The principal then interviews teaching candidates before hiring them. All teachers have been through two gatekeepers before being allowed to teach. The direct beneficiaries of the work of the teacher are the students and parents. Students are under “in loco parentis” at the school. The parents and the principal should have the final say in the teacher evaluation. Many parents can vote by removing their child from the school. The principal would hear of any complaints, and could directly observe the teacher to check out the credibility. The principal would have the authority to fire the teacher. Any teacher dissatisfied with their treatment, can quit. No one is guaranteed a job, life isn’t always fair, and NO SMILEY FACES CIRCLED BY 5 YR. OLDS ARE NEEDED! This is a sick joke by the shadow government. Together, citizens and teachers can fight this.
Truth in Moderation
November 10th, 2011
2:46 am
Joe tries to cover for the TBTF’s. Can’t get past informed, smart constituents!
That lady should run for office!
http://thehill.com/video/house/192613-rep-joe-walsh-gets-heated-during-constituent-meeting
Janet
November 10th, 2011
3:04 am
This is a joke, right?
I’m not sure why this evaluation thing is so hard. Good teachers can identify other good teachers. At the college level, high standards are maintained through peer review. Other professions (doctors, lawyers) do something similar. We should be looking at incorporating peer review systems for other levels as well. Evaluations would be done by teachers from different schools to avoid any bias due to personality clashes… some fraction of evaluations would be done across county lines or even state lines. Evaluations would be based on classroom visits, review of student work, and possibly written and/or oral examination of students in some (random) cases. Each teacher would be evaluated by several peers. Experienced teachers who consistently receive good evaluations would have their evaluations of others weighted somewhat more heavily. It would take some amount of time and money to make this happen, but the results would be more than worth the investment. The majority of teachers know their jobs and are doing their best in spite of the ridiculous burdens imposed by administrators and others… over time these evaluations would rise to the top. Teachers who mean well but lack skills or training could be helped to improve… the few that are truly bad would be removed. The current focus on “bad teachers” is terrible for morale and gives power and respect to the administration, parents, students (!) – everyone but the teachers, who can’t do their job without some amount of power and respect in the classroom. Focus on the positives, insist on better training, and offer better pay for those who do well in evaluations including a strong peer-review component, and those ill-suited for the task will fall away or naturally be pushed out, without the need for the “witch hunt” for bad teachers that is going on right now.
Beverly Fraud
November 10th, 2011
5:31 am
Again, here is something NOBODY at the state DOE will deny:
What do functional illiterates, mentally disabled persons, child abusers, drug addicts and those who suffer from severe psychosis all have in common? As long as they can also go by the title of “parent” they will be able, in the near future, to help determine the professional fate of teachers.
Will ANYBODY at the state DOE deny this is a true statement?
d
November 10th, 2011
6:19 am
I guess I am lucky. I teach a course (Economics) that does have a state test.
Two earlier comments got my attention. “Students by nature don’t want to learn…”. I disagree. Students do want to learn, but not necessarily what is in the state curriculum. While I believe that students should have an understanding of basic economics, do all students really need to know the finer points of monetary policy, aggregate supply and demand, how to read currency exchange tables, etc.?
“Good teachers can identify other good teachers.’. Why is the state so afraid to et the professionals take control of the regulation of their own profession? Believe it or not, I have seen the “union” counsel people out of the profession. We don’t want bad teachers amongst our ranks.
marie
November 10th, 2011
6:37 am
I am an educator. I am so saddened by the overall tone in this posts. I hear the same comments in
daily conversations with my fellow teachers. i do believe that the “powers that be” believe that they are operating in the best interest of the children and their overall intentions are good. It is not working. All decision shoulds revolve around INSTRUCTION and how it can be maximized in the classroom. Decisions should be based on common sense. Teachers know how to teach. We know how to differentiate. We know what curriculum is effective. PLEASE stop placing such demands on us that waste valuable time that could be used to plan for classroom instruction. We are losing focus. Most reform is put in place to simply to cover for the ineffective teachers and administrators. Focus on them and leave the rest of us alone.
RobertNAtl
November 10th, 2011
7:09 am
Kindergarteners rating their teachers with smiley faces? This is an article from “The Onion,” right?
Ed Johnson
November 10th, 2011
7:49 am
Instead of being a way to get from students reflections and assessments of their own learning in order to inform efforts to continually improve the system of teaching and learning, what we have here is a further disruption of the system by “the DOE attempting … to improve teachers ….”
Will the foolishness ever end?
Maureen, have you ever witnessed Dr. Deming’s “Experiment with the Red Beads?” If no, I’d welcome an invitation to show it.
Elizabeth
November 10th, 2011
7:51 am
It is about respect for teachers. Authority is already seriously undermined in the classroom. NO child at any age knows enough to “evaluate” an adult. The whole thing is a joke that will turn into a tragedy and result in multitudinous lawsuits. And classrooms will be in chaos.
Dr NO / Mr Sunshine
November 10th, 2011
7:52 am
Alas, yet another hugely STUPID idea takes to the wing. All I can say is teachers be sure to cheat a little, giving your kiddies good grades, keep the snack/candy bowl full and basically kiss their young butts.
I ENCOURAGE ALL TEACHERS to do the above. If you do then your scores will be wonderful.
And remember you want lots of
and few 
Dr NO / Mr Sunshine
November 10th, 2011
8:05 am
Some other ideas to assist the victims here ie teachers. Every week have a little contest, one for the boys and one for the girls.
Just draw names from a box and the winner gets some little prize. For the boys say a little HotWheel car and girls a little bracelet or headband. The children will be delighted and any negative thoughts they have at evaluation time will be overpowered by their latest worthless trinket.
You teachers should manipulate this grading system in any way possible until it is deemed worthless, which most of us know it is, by the idiots in charge.
Anonmom
November 10th, 2011
8:16 am
I also want to add that in DCSS there is an inordinate number of principals who are not qualified for their jobs — they have been promoted there under the “friends and family” plan — they don’t have too much experience, themselves, as teachers. Further, they seem to be threatened by the really good teachers and seem to give the “good” teachers bad reviews and the “bad” teachers the good reviews — (we are “Alice looking through the looking glass”). I think, at least under Dr. Lewis, there may have been an intent to keep “new” principals at schools — if a principal isn’t at a school for at least 3 years, you can never get rid of a teacher — the first year at a school — the principal is learning the staff; the 2nd year, the principal is now figuring out which staff needs new “careers” — the 3rd year, the documentation process can begin to get rid of the really bad teachers (yes, they really are out there). If you move the principal every 3rd year, you never reach this point (you also never get a principal who learns how to “Maximize” points to get additional teachers or to lobby for additional points, so more points stay at the central office level — so as an administrator, fewer teachers depart and more money stays in administration — this is my theory). When the new principal comes in, all the work to start to document the teachers “needing a new career” finds the circular file” and the process begins again. If you look at the DCSS school (there are almost 150 of them), I think you’ll find under 10 with principals who have been in place over 5 years. If students are allowed to input (again, not as the “final say so”) as to how well their teachers are doing, with questions that they can truly answer as the student (e.g. not on what they are supposed to really be learning or the work they are actually supposed to be doing but asked in ways that show how they are supposed to be treated and that the teacher is effective in conveying material), I think it would really start to show real gaps in how Georgia, particularly in a place like Dekalb (but this blog seems to reveal that Dekalb is not unique), is not spending its billions of dollars in the classroom to really educate the kids. The teachers that are really communicating with their students and who are really teaching them, relate really well to them and should not be threatened by their input (again, I’m really not advocating for them to be the sole input).
Reality
November 10th, 2011
8:18 am
I’ve said it before
If you want to be a customer as a student or parent then go to a private school. Students are not customers and should not be treated as such. They need to come to school, follow the rules and do their best to learn.
This customer service stuff is horse$^&* and is what is pulling our public system into the toilet.
Talk about entitlement mentality!
And for the record – 360 reviews are the cowards way of leading. Only weak willed and incompetent managers/administrators hide behind that “share the blame’ nonsense.
Truth in Moderation
November 10th, 2011
8:37 am
@reality
“If you want to be a customer as a student or parent then go to a private school. Students are not customers and should not be treated as such.”
Yes. If they home school or use a private school, they should no longer pay property taxes or SPLOST. I’m sick of the government schoolers’ “entitlement mentality!”
Red Herring
November 10th, 2011
8:39 am
so we can’t tell what the kids have actually learned by testing but we can by letting the kids put smiley faces on an evaluation. this is not an evaluation but a popularity contest. test the kids going into a grade and coming out of that grade to see what they have learned. we all had teachers in school who were good and some were bad but that didn’t necessarily coincide with the ones we liked and didn’t like. this is taking Ga. Gain to a new level. it didn’t work in state government and it will not work in the classroom. we shouldn’t be running a popularity contest but instead finding out who’s really doing their jobs.
Beverly Fraud
November 10th, 2011
8:49 am
Will our blog moderator ask the resident geniuses at DOE why, if it is appropriate for a STUDENT WHO CAN’T READ to read a survey and rate a teacher, based on what they CAN’T read, why doesn’t the DOE push for allowing teachers to evaluate administrators?
Is it not a fair and legitimate question? And if it is, and our blog moderator won’t ask it, is it fair to ask if our blog moderator’s willingness to ask tough questions is mitigated by her desire to have unfettered access to Matt the Mouthpiece? (Apologies for not knowing his last name)
Why do you get the feeling an AJC reporter might be willing to ask this question, but an AJC commentator seems unwilling?
Reality
November 10th, 2011
8:58 am
@ truth in Moderation (what in the world does that mean anyway? People like you can only handle a little truth at a time?)
Get over yourself.
Those of you that whine about ‘paying for other’s kids to go to school’ need to realize a H3!! of a lot more tax money goes to house the inmates that the uneducated kids will turn into.
Man up and quit whining about your little bit of tax money that goes to improve things for all of us! You all are pitiful!
I am so sick of the people that think they shouldn’t have to help out the country or others in any way as long as they get theirs.
Talk about entitlement mentality – you all are just as bad as the people that make their living in the welfare line. The heck with everyone else as long as I get mine.
You get to live in the grandest country in the world and all you can do is whine about contributing a few dollars here and there that might help someone else out.
What a sorry, sorry attitude.
Reality
November 10th, 2011
9:00 am
To parrot others on these blogs — If you hate the American Way and out government so much then please leave – Mexico awaits
Reality
November 10th, 2011
9:01 am
our government, not out government – apologies
Dr NO / Mr Sunshine
November 10th, 2011
9:07 am
The teachers who are subject to this latest nuttiness need to think about this grading program, finds its weaknesses and exploit said weaknesses to the “Nth” degree.
Play the hand you are dealt and double deal your superiors who are in cahoots with others, regarding this latest round of stupidity.
NY Teaching Vet
November 10th, 2011
9:14 am
I was evaluated by my students when I was student teaching in 5th grade (YEARS ago). The questions were pretty simple. One I remember was, “My teacher speaks with a voice I can hear and understand.” Another was, “The teacher helps me when I have a question.” And, “I improved my score from pretest to posttest in this unit,” or something along those lines. And “My teacher has all materials ready for the lesson when we start.”
There was a comment section as well. Those were the best. “She wears cool clothes,” and “I loved when we did the outside scavenger hunt to classify leaves,” both came from the same student. My favorite was, “She cares.”
My professor took it all with a grain of salt; it was another piece of the puzzle in my evaluation.
Colonel Jack
November 10th, 2011
9:19 am
@ Judy … Please tell me what districts allow teachers to rate administrators. That doesn’t happen ANYWHERE, as far as I know.
Truth in Moderation
November 10th, 2011
9:36 am
@Reality
“You get to live in the grandest country in the world and all you can do is whine about contributing a few dollars here and there that might help someone else out.”
LOL! Isn’t that the DEFINITION of entitlement mentality?
If you really care about this country and want prosperity for most (nothing is 100%perfect) please support the one candidate promoting this ‘GET OUT OF DEBT FREE CARD”, Ron Paul!
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/14-reasons-why-we-should-nationalize-the-federal-reserve
As far as my blog ID, it was inspired by the AJC, as in:
‘After a comment I had made on the computer it said, ” Your comment is awaiting moderation”. LOL!
I enjoy double meanings. Your usage would be, “The politician’s speech was truth in moderation.”
BTW, Governor Ventura is already on his way to Mexico….
http://www.mediaite.com/online/jesse-ventura-loses-tsa-lawsuit-threatens-to-run-for-president-andor-flee-to-mexico/
Bell Curve
November 10th, 2011
9:49 am
There are some students for whom learning is not a priority and there are some who work hard and just can’t seem to do much better than average. It has always been this way. The “Bell Curve” is and always has been valid. Let them rate teachers, this too shall pass.
swarovski
November 10th, 2011
10:19 am
Just where do these folks get this stuff?
Truth in Moderation
November 10th, 2011
11:23 am
The secret history of the “smiley face”……
“Ball reported that he spent about 10 minutes designing the smiley face, and he was paid $45 for it. This was the only profit that Ball ever made from his most famous creation.”
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/smileyface.htm
Sadly, story of the smiley face is the story of many excellent, but under compensated teachers.
Freedom Education
November 10th, 2011
12:02 pm
I am receiving over 1700 evaluations from my students and it is worth 40% of my overall observation. How come there is no talk about opting out? Did this option disappear? How much of my instructional time will I have to use to implement happy face time?
Ms. Art Teacher
November 10th, 2011
12:12 pm
Personally, as an educator, I find the idea of getting feedback from my students helpful and informative. I frequently perform “feedback” tasks in class in both formal and informal manners to gauge engagement, interest etc. etc. At the same time, I am concerned about the personal attitudes of students towards teachers. A popular teacher would, no doubt, score high on the evaluations and a non-popular teacher would score low. However, those scores would not reflect whether or not those teachers were quality or sub-par; instead, it is more of a “do you like this person” test. I can see from the evaluation questions, that attempts have been made to prevent this. . .But, students are still learning to think and evaluate information for themselves. For most of these questions, they will revert to their emotional response to the teacher. And, that, (in my opinion) is problematic.
Dr NO / Mr Sunshine
November 10th, 2011
12:16 pm
Ms. Art Teacher
November 10th, 2011
12:12 pm
LMAO…you are an Art Teacher. You might as well be dog-catcher or janitor.
“Now class, today we have a choice of finger painting or pasting cardboard together. Which would you all rather do? And Timmy please dont rub the paste in hair, again.”
Dr NO / Mr Sunshine
November 10th, 2011
12:21 pm
“Sadly, story of the smiley face is the story of many excellent, but under compensated teachers.”
OH ABSOLUTELY!! BRAVO!!
Truth in Moderation
November 10th, 2011
12:45 pm
Let’s rate the companies who actually run this country….
) -: $ ) -: $ ) -: $ ) -: $ etc., etc.
Next time, give US the $700 billion and let the banks experience EPIC FAIL!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/wall-streets-resurgent-prosperity-frustrates-its-claims-and-obamas/2011/10/25/gIQAKPIosM_story.html?hpid=z1
Teacher
November 10th, 2011
1:10 pm
To the person who wrote, “Anyone who thinks that teenagers can effectively provide formal feedback on effectiveness of teachers has not worked with the current generation of teenagers. Everything is about me, me, me, and me.”
I have been working with teenagers as a high school teacher for most of the past decade, in affluent and Title 1 schools. In both places I find them to be some of the most inspiring, honest and articulate people on earth. Even if we take the later part of your statement as fact, it actually is all about them…that’s the point of supporting student learning. It’s not about you or your content. However, check out this report on volunteering and civic engagement in the U.S.:
http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=534
One of the key findings:
- Older teenagers (ages 16-19) have more than doubled their time spent volunteering since 1989.
From the report…
“We are encouraged that emerging studies consistently show increased volunteering by young Americans. If supported properly, we may be on the cusp of a new civic generation,” said Robert T. Grimm, Jr., Director of Research and Policy Development.
AS FOR THE TOPIC AT HAND: If you don’t think students should have a meaningful voice in all aspects of schooling, including teacher feedback protocols, why are you working with kids? The idea that a teacher would feel threatened by their students is baffling. If you fear kids and what they might say about you, that’s a problem that speaks to some deeper issues. Getting along with and being in tune with what kids think about the classroom experience is half the battle!
Clueless
November 10th, 2011
1:13 pm
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/10/opinion/kristof-girls-just-want-to-go-to-school.html
Is it really the teachers? How many of our students want an education this badly?