Evaluation
Teaching a
second language requires many creativity, passion, patience and objectivity to
make decisions, since there are a lot of aspects we have to face in the
classrooms of our public schools. As oppose to the sciences and other areas,
our field has to do with communication, and it implies more than rules and
vocabulary. We learn the topics we have to teach, how to organize them, what
materials can be used, teaching management, etc.; however, there is an aspect
that requires a lot of conscious and objectivity, and this is the evaluation.
We can consider
that it is the ultimate step in teaching; nevertheless, it is, and should be,
present all the time during our practice. We used to think that only students
are evaluated, but I want to point out the need on teacher’s self-evaluation. I
mean that, as well as we evaluate the students’ processes, it is important for
teachers to consider the evaluation of their process too.
When we enter
to a public school, we spend a whole year with the students; several individual
worlds with their own abilities, needs, values, problems, etc. We need to take
time in analyzing them, knowing them, thinking about what they need to learn,
and how to do it every time we consider necessary. Then, the results cannot be
measured only with elaborated tests and grades, but with the analysis of all
the aspects that surround each student.
Think about
a good student that at the end of a school year has a lower performance. She
does not want to be in the classroom, she does not participate anymore, and she
used to disturb your classes. You think that she is annoying and you complain
about her behavior with her head teacher. She “failed” your class. One day,
someone tells you that she was having nightmares. She was having again memories
about the time when she was raped. What do you think now?
This is a cruel example but shows us what we could find in our context; so, we have to stop thinking as accountants, and start to be human beings that try to teach, guide and form human beings too. The evaluation has many forms. It requires a lot of work. It involves all the subjects in the educational context; and the way in which we work on it, determines the results that we want to achieve. Then, it is a continuous process that is carried out mainly by us.
There are serveral issues that you are addressing...But, How can you relate the concepts seen in the chapter to this whole process that you are telling?
ResponderEliminarThere are many factors that can influece a good or bad result for example on an exam. Sometimes there are factors that we, as teacher, can not managed. I think we shoul pay more attention to this factors that we can, at least, try to fix, as the environment in which students are learning, try to get the neccesary materials, see if there is an ill student. In this case is also importatn to pay attention to the fact of desicion making. Where we should be ready to face any problem in the classrooms. But this is still a process of self-evaluation and construction of new answers for issues like the one Silvia is posting.
ResponderEliminarI understand perfectly the relationship you made here, You're talking about external factors and how those external factors affect students' performence at school. and how we must take them into account in the evaluation process. And, this is a reality. As you stated, teachers must be aware of students' problems and issues,and our labor might be focused on teaching students not only english but also letting them know that they are the main character of their own movie, and this is what the educational work is about. We can try to give our 100 % but sometimes students are not responsible for what they do. and that is what must be included in our teaching sessions, the concept and the attitude that identify an autonomous person.
ResponderEliminarThanks a lot for your comments, I just talk about my experience and what I have seen in my three years of work with vulnerable population.
ResponderEliminar