LagosMums put up an opinion poll on Instagram and Twitter asking if students should rate their teacher’s performance and we got interesting feedback. While majority of people said YES some still said NO.
Should students rate their teachers performance?
Yes, they should.
Some teachers are born to teach, it’s obvious in their performance and how they relate with the students. They teach with passion and they don’t have to try hard to deliver their best.
However, there are teachers who are too laid back and don’t care if their students understand what they’re teaching. All they want is to show up in school, complete their syllabus and receive pay at the end of the school term.
As a result, some sections of society argue that we ought to hold teachers accountable for what they do. The good teachers should be rewarded , others should be trained, while those who don’t add any value to a child’s education need to be sanctioned.
Teachers hold a very important position in the society. They need to be intentional about teaching to the best of their ability. We’re well aware that teachers are usually assessed based on their students test performance and the occasional inspection by administrators. These methods shouldn’t be the ultimate judge of a teacher’s performance.
[Tweet “Teachers hold a very important position in the society. They need to be intentional about teaching to the best of their ability. “]
It appears that teachers are most likely to be on their best behavior when they know that their performance will be assessed. Also, while some subjects are relatively easy and if a student fails, it’s obvious that the student was not well prepared, there are other subjects that are difficult and the teachers performance has nothing to do with his students test scores.
What then will give an unbiased evaluation of a teachers performance? It’s the student’s opinion. It is impossible to fully evaluate the day-to-day atmosphere in a classroom unless one is in the classroom daily.
Students can be quite observant and they notice when a teacher is not delivering. However, they’re often scared to air their views because they don’t want to be on the teachers bad side.
Students evaluate their teachers in their minds and among their peers regularly. Why not allow them do it openly albeit anonymously so that the school can serve them better.
No, they shouldn’t
It has been argued that it is ignorant to allow adolescents the opportunity to evaluate authority because their brains are not equipped to separate ‘what they want’ from ‘what they actually need!
Some others are of the opinion that if a teacher is considered to be too strict or he/she constantly reprimands their student, the students are likely to speak ill of the teacher.
Our Opinion
Yes, students should be allowed to rate their teachers performance and give feedback.
If students evaluate their teachers, many shortcomings will be fixed as we view the teacher from the student’s perspective.
A good teacher will value the input from their student and use it to improve their style. Also, teachers will be aware that the students rate their performance so they’ll always be at their best.
We believe it depends on the school’s method/ manner of approach. How are you asking the students? If you’re using questionnaires are you asking emotional questions like ” do you like Mr XXX” or are you asking questions like ” does Mr XXX take everybody into consideration while teaching” or ” does your teacher entertain questions in class if you don’t understand? “. Is your assessment based on the opinion of the majority or that of a few trusted and well behaved students?
Schools have to put a lot of things into consideration when they decide to use their students opinion to evaluate teachers.
What do you think? Should students be allowed to rate their teacher’s performance and give feedback?
READ: [How to talk to your child’s teacher – parent’s guide]
