In light of our readings on teacher evaluation, teacher activism, and education policy, come up with two questions to ask an expert on teacher evaluation and teacher advocacy/activism. I will share the blog with a local teacher organizer and I will ask them to pick some of the questions to answer.
Oftentimes I have seen an uptick among parents and people in fields unrelated to education believing that teachers' evaluation should come from their class's test scores. How could this mentality possibly contribute the the divide among students and teachers? Could these policies potentially breed resentment within teachers for their students?
ReplyDeleteAs a queer person going into teaching, I often will see policies infringing on my rights as a person. How could I advocate for myself and my students safely if the organization/school I work for is against my identity?
How do teacher evaluations make teachers feel about their jobs, and what can teachers do to make evaluations fair and useful?
ReplyDeleteHow does teachers speaking up and taking action affect the rules for schools in different areas, and can you give some examples of times when teachers were able to make change?
How do you navigate potential stereotypes or biases in student evaluations based on your identity as a person of color?
ReplyDeleteIn what ways do you think teacher evaluations may be impacted by racial or cultural differences between educators and students?
While back when we watched the film, I started to have questions about how teachers were able to manage their classroom, when everyone is different from one another. Most of my teachers were white and I know I might not have the same experiences as they do and I want to know what I expect as a First generation Mexican American.
How do you navigate societal diffrences in a classroom?
ReplyDeleteDo you think the public school system is currently on a good track for the future?
do you feel teacher evaluations feel staged or almost fake?
How would a person still support themselves, the people they work with and their students respectfully and safely if the school they work for doesn't support their religious beliefs?
ReplyDeleteHow can teachers advocate on behalf of students who have been marginalized?
Do you see any issues in the way that teachers are being evaluated now? Do you think it's fair or not?
ReplyDeleteSay that a teacher fails their evaluation, are there steps or supplies that are taken to help them improve to the standards to which the schools need them to adhere?
What is the most common suggestion made by the majority of VA Public School teachers about the state evaluation process, and is there any plan or action towards manifesting this request?
ReplyDeleteWhat motivates you to keep your position when you face setbacks/obstacles/push back, and what experience can you share that supports this purpose-driven goal?
After having a teacher evalution done on yourself, are you pulled for a meeting? (maybe to talk about room for improvement/where you are doing well)
ReplyDeleteWhat are the motivations when you may not be reciving the suppourt you may need to suppourt a student in their journey? (either suppourt from parents or admin)
In what ways can teacher evaluation systems be redesigned to not only assess performance but also empower teachers as advocates for change within their schools and communities?
ReplyDeleteHow can teacher activists effectively influence education policy to ensure that teacher evaluations are fair, equitable, and supportive of professional growth?
What are some expectations that people have when it comes to evaluating a teacher's class?
ReplyDeleteDo you feel like students try to be better behaved when they are being evaluated?
^Sorry, it's Milady
DeleteHow do teacher evaluators make teachers balance making teachers feel ready to teach in a classroom while maintaining proper assessment? Is this process a by the book "checklist" type of assessment or is their feel involved?
ReplyDeleteHow do teacher evaluators ensure that the teachers they are evaluating have the ability to tackle DEI concepts to make sure that their is equality practices in their classrooms? I feel like this is a very important topic that teachers should be the forefront of demonstrating in the classroom.
Are teacher evaluations something that could cause teachers to feel pressure to do things certain ways rather than the way they think would best suit their students needs?
ReplyDeleteAre teacher evaluations fair to all teachers? Does the evaluation differ from subject to subject or are all teachers bound to one evaluation?
What is your motivation to keep teaching especially today when teachers are quitting and the school system is necessarily in your favor?
ReplyDeleteHow do teachers advocate on a student's behalf especially when I want to teach them to be able to speak up for themselves? Where is the line?
How do you react to teacher evaluations, and how do you feel about them being done?
ReplyDeleteHow do you react if you receive a negative teacher evaluation, and are there any consequences to this?
Alex Hansin
DeleteOne criticism of teacher preparation programs from the Stemhagen and Sober reading was that there is often no instruction on how to participate in teacher activism. I would like to say that the opportunities to learn about and participate in activism in The VCU education program are great. However, I want to challenge the idea that the mission of a teacher preparation program is to teach teachers ' activism. It is about teaching them to be masters of their disciplines and to understand child development. It can include methods on how to advocate for resources for your students. But when I think of teacher prep I do not think of teacher activism. That could however also be the problem. Do you think that is the problem?
ReplyDeleteDiscipline is difficult to administer. Individual students react differently to discipline, there really isn't a good standard practice for students, because of how poorly it can affect an individual, but you also cannot administer punishments unfairly. We listened to different approaches to discipline at the beginning of the podcast we listened to. I would be most inclined to have a conversation with a student about their behavior. Have you found that this is effective, or does this create more instances of misbehavior in class?
Hannah Falls
ReplyDelete1. Do you believe that teacher evaluations are fair/unbiased? If not, what improvements can be made to improve evaluations?
2. Do you think that teacher evaluations are necessary? How do they make you feel as an educator?
How do you think teachers should be evaluated? What criteria should the evaluators look at and what criteria is less relevant?
ReplyDeleteDo you think most teacher evaluations are accurate? How can we decipher between accurate evaluations and misinformed evaluations?
In highschool I often had teachers speak negatively about the administration and rules, I knew it was wrong but how common is it for you to disagree on new rules? and would you ever speak up for you and your peers if you thought they were unjust? This goes into teacher evaluations, if you like them or not.
ReplyDeleteAs a student I notice that sometimes teachers have very different perspectives on school policies or general policies specifically when it comes to human rights- How can you advocate for your beliefs while maintaining a professional relationship with coworkers who have beliefs that you feel very strongly about?
ReplyDeleteWho creates the standards for teacher evaluation?
ReplyDeleteAre there other methods to evaluate teachers that you believe would work better than what we use now?
What kinds of challenges do schools and school districts face with teacher evaluations?
ReplyDeleteDo you think there should be more teacher evaluations throughout the school year/semesters?
Do you think it is fair that some teacher evaluations are done by their fellow teachers and do you think the evaluations cause more stress on the teacher possibly causing them to do poor work?
ReplyDeleteHow do you stand up to a fellow teacher if they are talking poorly about a students behavior without considering anything about they child or their home life?
How can teachers actively participate in advocacy efforts to influence the creation and utilization of teacher evaluation systems? Specifically, how can these efforts ensure that these systems prioritize supporting teachers in their professional development and fostering student success, rather than solely focusing on punitive measures or accountability?
ReplyDeleteHow can teachers effectively collaborate with educational stakeholders, such as administrators, policymakers, and community members, to ensure that teacher evaluation processes are fair, transparent, and conducive to professional growth?
Do you see differences in teacher evaluations based on the school's rating/test scores?
ReplyDeleteWhen observing teacher evaluations do you see a similarity in the teaching styles or differences?
How should teacher evaluations be different and how does the process of them now make teachers feel what works what do you wish was different?
ReplyDeletehow can school administration systems provide more support to teachers? What areas specifically could administration being doing more in to help teachers?
-Allison bruehs
DeleteWhen a teacher has an unorthodox way of teaching that goes against the set practices, but works better than the set practices for the kids, does the teacher have to change their ways?
ReplyDeleteIs their things in place to ensure teachers don't feel degraded or anything negative about the evaluations?
Should evaluations be based on the teachers practices or the product of the teachers practices? For example, if the teacher has non-standardized practices should they be penalized even if their children are excelling.
ReplyDeleteWhat traits are evaluators looking for the most when observing a teacher?
1. Do you think that when they do teacher evaluations on you that it is fair and/or easy to get a good evaluation?
ReplyDelete2. What are the big things they focus on when it comes to evaluating and do you think that it is valid/ makes sense?
1. How can teachers speak up for themselves to make sure they have what they need to do their jobs well? Include ways to work with school leaders to ensure schools are better for everyone.
ReplyDelete2. What can teachers do if they think their school needs to change something important, like ways they reach out and how can they make their voices heard when scared to speak up?
Iliana
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