Reflection on Teacher Evaluation

Reflection on Teacher Evaluation

                Teacher evaluations, I believe, should be partly self evaluation, partly student evaluation, partly bits and bobs evaluation, and partly colleague evaluation. I don’t think that something like student test performance or an over examination of lesson plans is valuable to any part of an evaluation, unless it is a small portion. Just because a student isn’t performing well on the test doesn’t mean the teacher isn’t worth their salt. Just because lesson plans aren’t too far in advance or aren’t quite detailed doesn’t mean the teacher doesn’t know what message to get across to the students. Grading a teacher is difficult because it needs to be based on several methods of assessment: lesson plans, in class observation, conversations with the teacher in question, conversations with students, conversations with the faculty, standardized test scores, and general upkeep throughout the school year.

                If I was going to be assessed for my teaching, I would first like to know what I am doing right, even if that list isn’t so long. Like with a student, start on a positive note. Then I would want to know what I am doing wrong. Do NOT sugarcoat this for me. It is easier to rip off the band aid so that the healing process can begin. After telling me what I do wrong, I’d like to know conscious steps and procedures that I need to complete and work on to improve my teaching in the classroom and with my students. After addressing how to improve certain areas, I would hope to be assigned a mentor that could check in on a weekly or biweekly basis to determine my level of improvement or lack of improvement. Being kept accountable for my actions makes me feel like a student, and I promise, I will do whatever it takes to get that feeling taken away; therefore, I will work my behind off to get a higher mark from my mentor and improvement from my students.

                

Various Assessment Types: A Reflection

Blog Reflection on Various Assessments:

                When it comes to grading, I am firmly in the mindset that it is a teacher’s responsibility that comes with the job. Grading comes with the field trips, the extra help, the parent emails, and the super sweet vacation time. While it is included in the job description, I am also of the mindset that it can sometimes be harsh to deliver grades that may not truly depict the effort provided. Reading about these four “newer” types of grading and assessing was enlightening, but I do not think that all are relevant or helpful in my classroom.

                Peer assessment is a type of grading that I am fairly comfortable with just so long as I have the opportunity to check over the papers afterwards. While I would like to think that my students are trustworthy and all have the ability to perform flawless math calculations, I know that is not the case. Mistakes happen. When I grade, I always double check my math and assure that I am doing the calculations correctly. Peer assessment is fine by me as long as I can have final say or checking authority before the students’ papers are returned.  Students aiding in the weighting of importance of assessments is not something that I am comfortable with because I am too worried that personal strengths and weaknesses could come into play. I am all for students suggesting assignments and assessments that are helpful to them and are interesting, but determining the grading scale is not kosher in my opinion.

                The one in four grading scale is a new idea to me. I have never heard of it, and frankly, the process still confuses me. While I understand the process of grading only one out of four assignments and counting it, I find it a little superfluous to give assignments, assess them, and then only score one when you have “graded” four. I DO like the surprise for the students though of never knowing which assessment will be chosen. It keeps them on their toes and always prepared to showcase their best work!

                Stamping, in a weird way, feels a little bit better to me for use in class without having to worry about numbers. Instead I feel like stamping focuses on effort and the work that was put forward. I feel like with subjective and opinionated subjects stamping is a very viable option because measuring the “grade” on an opinion is difficult. Obviously we want our students to have their personal voices and choices, and as far as grading goes, that can be hard to judge, and I think stamping is a way to get around that challenge.

                Student journals are a good idea for classes where they can be warranted and useful; however, for foreign language, they aren’t really feasible. Though I cannot really use student journals, I do see the benefit from utilizing them in the classroom. For one reason, just like the one in four, students are kept on their best academic behavior and given the responsibility to keeping up with their most impressive works. I also like the idea of student journals because it allows for creativity to blossom where it might not otherwise in the classroom setting.

                When it comes to giving student feedback, I prefer to either write directly on the assignment that they either did well or need work. If work needs to be done, I ask if they will do the job of coming to see me so that we can start a conversation about what needs to get accomplished. I do not give feedback via stickers or smiley faces or giant red X’s. I’d prefer to write my comments on the back page of the assessment and let the student either come to me or enjoy their appraisal solo.

RTI Response

RTI Blog Response

                Response to Intervention is loosely defined by Ben Johnson as a reaction to a student struggling with classroom materials and subject and the teacher’s desire to help the student. The No Child Left Behind Act falls under RTI, and to a certain extent, I do understand and support these kinds of programs and systems of aid; however, on the other hand, I do not see the need to reward unwarranted bad behavior from a child academically.

                I am a stickler for high expectations. I demand high expectations because they are expected as normal in the real world, and because as people, we should want the best for ourselves. I want the best for my students, and they should want the best for themselves too. High expectations show kids what they can reach and what can happen when they do reach and surpass the bar. Keep raising that bar, and they will rise with it. I’ve seen it happen. I’ve done it in my previous school that had no Spanish program at all, and then after a year and a half of me busting my behind and the kids working their tails off, more than three quarters of them are going into honors high school Spanish, a level past where they would normally be in freshmen year. It’s about dedication to the kids and to the subject. Sell it to them, prove its relevancy, and they will pick up what you’re putting down. I don’t think high expectations are the difficulty. I think the difficulty in today’s classrooms is the fact that literally every child expects that they will be great at everything because that’s what society is preaching. I’ll be honest: I am terrible at math. I can’t do simple addition. I can’t do grading systems out of anything less than 100%, but at least I admit it. I know I will never be great at math, so I have the honors math students teach me how to make grading scales or ask for help from a fellow teacher. It is OKAY TO ASK FOR HELP, and I think that is the hardest thing for some kids to do in this day and age.

                I like RTI for the reason that it gives kids the incentive to ask for help, to allow them to be confused and then rectify the situation. I do not like RTI as a way just to pass the child for the sake of passing. School isn’t meant for that. School is meant for learning. Progress is progress. Even a C level student moving to a B level is a good situation in my opinion because it means they have learned and they have applied the material in a way that is understood. Any improvement is still improvement, and that IS a movement that I can get behind.