Marty, I understand exactly what you're saying. So, let me explain
quickly how
these evaluations work. First they've read on the first day confidential,
sealed letters
written about me and the class by students from the previous semester. Second,
from the
first day of class we start establishing strong, very strong bonds of trust and
respect,
especially during the "what do you want to know about me" session(s) that get
stronger as
the semester progresses. There's no distance teaching or learning in my
classes. Third,
I've got voluminous notes all over the place on each student that I have made
throughout
the semester. Fourth, they have already done evaluations on me and the class
structure at
the end of the "getting to know ya" community creating process. Fifth, they've
already
done evaluations of me and the class structure at mid-term and have seen how it
doesn't
have an impact on them unless I tweak something here and there--and they've
heard and seen
me do that. Sixth, I've been reading daily journal entries, responding to
them, and
talking with students eyeball-to-eyeball and through e-mail throughout the
semester. And
finally, as a protection against the very real and human what you call subtle
bias or
implications I don't read the evaluations of me or of the class structure until
July--and
they know that. Like I said, I'm not your traditional lecturing and testing
and grading
professor.
You know, at the end of the semester I have a reflective day of "closure." The
students
have to bring in an object to symbolize what meaningful experience they may be
carrying
with them from the class, something that they can explain to class their
understand of
"why I had to take...." One semester, a student who had been challenging my
methods all
semester took up, held up a pile of fresh dog shit in a plastic bag, and said,
"This is
what I think of you and the course." Everyone looked at me with frightened,
"what's he
going to do now" look. I answered with an sincere and grateful smile, "I asked
for your
honesty. You gave it. Thanks for respecting me enough to trust me. I truly
appreciate
it." By the way, he got the "A" in the course, because whatever the thought
and grumbled
and resisted, he gave it all he had and did all the work required. And there's
more to
the story that continued coincidentally on 9/11
Make it a good day.
--Louis--
Louis Schmier www.therandomthoughts.com
Department of History www.newforums.com/L_Schmier.htm
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, Georgia 31698 /\ /\ /\ /\
(229-333-5947) /^\\/ \/ \ /\/\____/\ \/\
/ \ \__ \/ /
\ /\/
\ \ /\
//\/\/ /\ \_ /
/___\/\ \ \
\/ \
/\"If you want to climb
mountains \ /\
_/ \ don't practice on mole
hills" -/
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