Schools Should Ask Students to Evaluate Their Teachers

Nowadays, education is at the top of people’s concern. Most of schools consider the interaction between students and teachers as an important role in the teaching process. Therefore, it leads to a policy that students can evaluate their teachers. In my opinion, I support that idea for several reasons.

First of all, students are the very people who receive knowledge and lessons from their professors directly thus their evaluations must be exact and appropriate. In fact, it is very difficult to ask people to evaluate something that they never experience by themselves. As an example, customers are always the accurate measuring device of products’ quality because customers often try to find the best product among a lot of ones in the market to use. Similarly, students will express true opinions about their teachers and those opinions are very helpful for schools to know their teachers better. In this way, schools can have right methods to improve their staff.

Furthermore, evaluations from students will make teachers perform their tasks better. As teachers know that their students always consider their teaching methods and their profession in every lecture or discussion, they will be stimulated to do well at the class. Besides, students’view will help teachers to find out their most effective teaching way and thus, their skills and experience can be boosted to a higher level.

Finally, asking studentd to evaluate their teachers is also a way of showing concern to students. By that way, the schools indicate that they really appriciate their students’opinions and feeling. Hence, students may feel more comfortable and free. Also, when evaluating teachers, students have to pay attention to their lessons and they may realize their attitude of studying as well.

To sum up, I strongly believe that schools should ask students to evaluate their teachers. That idea will help both of students and teachers to do better in their tasks.

A First Year Teacher’s Biggest Challenge

A teacher spends a tremendous amount of time learning how to teach various ages of people. Their main objective it to teach the lesson in such a way that it will be easily understood by the students.

For students of a specific age bracket, say three to eighteen year olds, the only way that they can actually learn the lesson is if they have fun doing it. Unfortunately for new teachers, this is where all the problems begin.

How does a first year teacher manage her classroom and discipline her students?  Be it in the pre-school or high school teaching environments, getting the students to respect the teacher and follow learning rules during class hours has been the bane of teachers since time immemorial.

But, this is not to say that first year teachers have to suffer that kind of situation. No, there are many things that a first year teacher can do in order to gain control of her students and her classroom.

To begin with, it is imperative that new teachers enter the classroom with at least a basic training and know how regarding classroom management. Admit it, the youth can smell a novice teacher a mile away and will take advantage of the greenhorn teacher in any way they can.

New teachers need not despair though. All is not lost. The teacher can still manage to win the war provided he or she is willing to work at it.

To begin with, a new teacher can take advantage of the hired consultants that many school district offer. These are people who can train the new teacher to use the art of nonverbal techniques in classroom management. If a new teacher learns how to use these skills to his or her advantage during her first year of teaching, it will be a lot easier for them to get through their freshman teaching experience.

Not all the new teachers have to go by hit or miss results and rely on learning from their mistakes. Unlike their predecessors, new teachers can be taught and trained in how to use a personal bond with the students in order to get the results they want.

The keyword in this type of situation is respect. Children respond better to people whom they know will not mete out a punishment for bad behavior and instead treats them as an equal whose rights and feelings must be respected. This is a delicate line to tread upon though.

The new teacher must be sure to convey the aura of respect for the student without overstepping the boundaries and becoming a personal friend instead of a teacher to the student.

Although most school systems have their own ideas of how a new teacher should be able to gain control of her classroom, the truth of the matter is that it would be best if a teacher has the freedom to try various classroom management and disciplining techniques on his or her own until he or she finds a style that she is comfortable with and gets positive results from.

New teachers may or may not be given the chance to learn about classroom management styles during their senior year of college because that is not the focus nor priority of their training.

Therefore, it would benefit the fresh teacher if he or she would take advantage of every class session break to enroll in various training courses and seminars that will help him or her learn and enhance the classroom techniques that they already know.

Finally, a fresh teacher can reap the benefits of consulting with the senior teachers of the school regarding how to implement classroom discipline and management. Just as we learn from others emulation, so can the new teachers when it comes to classroom management.

Fresh teachers must never feel too inferior to their senior counterparts that they would be afraid to come up with their own classroom management style by taking a peer’s original style and updating it to suit his or her needs.

Classroom management is a problem that faces all teachers, not just the newly graduated ones. Therefore, they should never be afraid to ask for the help, guidance, and assistance of the senior teachers. After all, it is through a free exchange of ideas that most problems are usually solved.

Work Cited

Bosch, Karen A. & Kersey, Catherine C.(2007). Managing with class. National Education Association Professional Library. Retrieved January 20, 2008 from http://www.nea.org/tomorrowsteachers/2007/classroomcon.html

Matthews, Jay. (2000). New teachers rarely learn classroom management. Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved January 21, 2007 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23017-2000Dec18.html

Strict Teachers Produce Outstanding Students?

When coming to the discussion whether strict teachers can produce outstanding students, most of us must have our thumbs up and find it absurd and ludicrous if one claimed the famous Chinese saying is wrong. Undoubtedly, strict teachers have high expectation on their students and always demand them to do their best. Under such a strict confinement, students would become more obedient and disciplined. As a result, to a certain extent, students may have a better academic result since they follow what their teachers asked them to do.

However, what is the true meaning of “outstanding”? From my point of view, an outstanding student should not only has good academic result or discipline, but more importantly, balanced development of a student should never be neglected. Therefore, based on the above definition, I cling to the view that strict teachers do not necessarily produce outstanding students. My views will be expressed as follows. First, strict teachers always constrict students’ daily activities.

Students are requested to spend most of their time studying or doing a host of homework which are assigned by their teachers. Thus, they will have fewer chances to participate in extra-curricular activities or engage in other learning experience. This includes doing exercise or voluntary works, which are vital parts in all-round education. Students’ personal development would then be hindered and obviously, they cannot be outstanding on a social dimension. Another standpoint to be put forward is that students’ thoughts will be restricted.

Nowadays, it is not difficult to notice the significance of critical thinking among students. That’s why the latest educational reform stresses on the importance of liberal studies because the previous educational system is too exam-oriented. Yet, strict teachers would ask their students to follow what they have said and refuse all the ideas from students. In this way, students may just follow suit as they are afraid of being punished by their teachers. Hence, they cannot learn how to think critically.

This certainly violates the principle of education, let alone producing outstanding students. What is more, the harsh training methods of strict teachers, indisputably, are not suitable for all students. For students who cannot keep abreast of the progess under the harsh training, they may not be able to study efficiently and effectively. In worst case scenario, they might even give up their studies. Being too strict, therefore, cannot guarantee students to be outstanding.

It really depends on whether students themselves can accept such kind of teaching methods or not. The teaching methods of strict teachers sound powerful but dreadful at the same time. Strict teachers do not infallibly produce outstanding students. It is essential for them to strike a balance between strict and lenient so diversified development of students can be fostered. I believe that when balanced development can be achieved, an “outstanding” student would be produced.