Emily's Last Reading Notes

EVALUATIONS! One of the parts of teaching that has caused me the most frustration and concern (and has even led to some tears). After having bad experiences with course evaluations in the past, I really looked forward to this reading and to see Davis and Lang’s approaches to interpreting and handling student evaluations. I really appreciated Lang’s discussion of the myths surrounding course evaluations (pg. 268-269). Many of the myths Lang presented were ones I had developed after dealing with course evaluations. However, his discussion into how these myths are not true was helpful to see the value students comments have. Lang’s end of the chapter discussion was the most helpful for me regarding evaluations. “Every set of rating forms is bound to include one person who says you are the best teacher ever, a few who complain that you assign too much work, and a series of conflicting comments…That’s standard stuff, and you should try not to worry about any criticisms or comments that come from one individual form, especially hurtful ones” (pg. 280). Even though I completely agree with Lang, and have to keep telling myself that we can’t worry about individual negative comments, I still do. However, I really believe Lang’s suggestion for talking to the department chair (or other experienced faculty member in my opinion) is helpful for interpreting these evaluations, and can provide the encouragement and positive response that negative evaluations may not provide. I did not seek out faculty help when I first got very negative student evaluations, and I regret that now because I did not have the experienced teacher’s insight and suggestions for interpreting the evaluations.

Secondly, I really appreciated Lang’s chapter about common problems in the classroom (chapter 12). As teachers, we tend to think we are doing something wrong when it ends up being the norms of students. Also, and more importantly for me, I appreciate knowing how to handle these situations BEFORE I start teaching. Having taught previously, many times people do not think about these types of situations OR they experience these situations, but are too embarrassed to ask about handling these situations. For any teacher, these questions identify concerns and issues to really be aware of, especially in light of Lang’s discussion in chapter 8 about teachers being vulnerable. The ability to recognize these situations can help us all protect ourselves and avoid (some) issues as starting teachers.

Based on my comments and reactions to the readings, I feel that the following issues are important for consideration and discussion with the class. First, I think it is important to talk about course evaluations and how to handle the comments. As someone who has a harder time with critique, and wants students to get something out of the course, I really would like to be able to talk with the class about other ideas people have for interpreting and responding to student course evaluations. Secondly, I would love to have a question/answer time with other experienced teachers (especially Carrie Anne) about other issues regarding teaching that Lang did not discuss. Throughout class we have addressed some of these, but I think more time to ask the “tough questions” or questions we may be too embarrassed to ask would allow us to gather information in a safe environment, and before encountering this issues. Also, allowing students to share information from their pedagogical issues regarding potential challenges or issues discussed by teachers could provide insight into other issues that may arise in the classroom. I know it is difficult to think about questions when we have not been in the classroom yet, but I think having an open discussion and time for questions about tough issues would be a great help before going into the classroom this fall.

Test question from last teaching demo:

Which type of leader asks other group members for their opinion on a subject, but ultimately makes the final decision themselves?
A. Authoritarian
B. Consultative
C. Participative
D. Laissez-faire