Guess Who Can Evaluate?

With all the chatter out there about tying teacher evaluations to standardized tests, at least to a degree, one major component in this process always goes missing. Check around and you will find that it is a rare school or district which asks teachers to self evaluate.

I'm not suggesting that this is the only way to evaluate teachers...far from it! What I am saying is that the person actually preparing the lessons, doing the research and teaching the kids has first hand knowledge of what works and what doesn't work.

I have always found the toughest critics are teachers themselves yet we never empower them to any real extent to weigh in on their own evaluation. Teachers know darn well what works and doesn't work and if you let them have a say in assessing their teaching; well, they will be the first to want to improve upon their performance.

I believe there are many reasons that teachers are really involved in this self critique and I'll comment on these concerns tomorrow.

Dick