Assessing Teachers?

This week I decided to write about effective teacher assessment, instead of effective student assessment.  In Alexis Wiggins’ article, “The Courage to Seek Authentic Feedback,” she asserts that student surveys are vital to improving her teaching methods and determining students’ learning needs.  The end of year surveys of her high-school English class provided such useful insights that she even implemented a mid-term class survey.  She cites an example where her mid-term survey revealed that most students wanted to study more grammar, and therefore dispelled the cries of a few students who complained about the grammar lessons.   After years of conducting pen and paper student surveys of her teaching, Wiggins took a faculty paper survey and realized that she was afraid the administration would recognize her handwriting.  Wiggins now claims that her new online surveys allow student to be more honest than they were before and discuss touch issues such as grading, favoritism, course materials. 

I find Wiggins’ story of survey success overly optimistic.  She says that no student has ever used the online surveys to personally attack her.  She also seems to imply that the surveys allow her to resolve all pedagogy issues. 

I believe that teacher designed, online mid-term surveys in a college course could offer the professor a way to monitor the atmosphere and progress of the class.  However, it seems like designing an anonymous online survey could give the students a place to voice personal attacks against the teacher.  It seems that the success of the survey would depend on the temperament of the class in general.  It could not be a mandatory survey and still stay anonymous. 

I personally think that periodic anonymous, one-minute papers would involve less work and provide a more regular barometer for student lesson comprehension.  Though, according to Wiggins, the written format would mean that students might be afraid to really voice their opinions.   

I will reserve my final verdict on the effectiveness of online teacher surveys until I have the opportunity to test them in a class for myself.

Wiggins, Alexis. “The Courage to Seek Authentic Feedback.” Education Digest 76.7 (2011): 19-21.  Educator's Reference Complete. Web. 1 Mar. 2011.