Students Evaluate Teachers

Last night I received Massachusetts' Education Evaluation Newsletter (newsletter link). In the newsletter there was an article about the ways that students will evaluate teachers. I will read and evaluate the information soon so I know what to expect in coming months.

Then this morning MindShift, one of my favorite blogs, had a related article related to the inspiring Science Leadership Academy.

And, with students evaluations of teachers in mind, I'm thinking about the following areas of school life:

• How do we talk about ourselves in front of students?
• How do we serve students well?
• How do we spread the good news about students?
• How do we respond to students' questions and needs.

The fact that students will evaluate us, makes all of us think more deeply about our service to students--the way we talk, the work we do, and the professional student-teacher relationships we foster.  

Though cumbersome and at times overwhelming, Massachusetts' multi-faceted evaluation process which includes standardizes scores, evaluations, district determined measures (DDMs), student evaluations, and evidence (portfolios) is leading the way to more well-rounded, comprehensive standards for educator effectiveness and performance.

Note: I plan to read the newsletter with greater detail in the days to come, but I didn't want to lose the thought as I think and plan ahead. In other words, more to come.