Inservice 26

Teacher Report Cards, Part 1

PURPOSE

Every few weeks or months, in just about every school, every student receives a report card. Although often dreaded, these documents give important information about how each student is performing academically, socially, and behaviorally. Yet when do the students have the opportunity to report on how their teachers are performing? Sure, the principal reports, through a few observations, on each teacher’s performance. But who better to tell teachers about how well (or not so well) they are doing on a daily basis than the teachers’ own clients? If you really want to know how a teacher is doing, ask the students! How? By allowing them to fill out teacher report cards.

Now before you think, “Oh, no! My teachers will go ballistic if I add yet another evaluation tool to their plates,” let us explain. The teacher report card is an informal means for students to provide feedback to their teachers. These report cards have nothing to do with a teacher’s performance scores. But they have a whole lot to do with improving teacher performance. We’ll tell you exactly how to introduce the concept to your teachers, but first we’ll explain both what a teacher report card is and what it can serve to accomplish.

A teacher report card is a simple, informal evaluation completed by students each time they receive their own report cards. These documents have no space for student names, because the best way to get honest feedback from students is to allow them to express themselves anonymously. Sample questions include the following:

Sample Teacher Report Card

Does my teacher care about me as a person?

Does my teacher hold me accountable for my actions?

Does my teacher do his/her best to make class interesting?

Does my teacher help me when I am struggling?

Is this class interesting? If not, what could my teacher do to make this class more interesting?

Does my teacher allow me to actively participate in lessons?

Does my teacher treat me with respect?

Do I feel successful in this class? If not, what could my teacher do to help me become more successful?

Does my teacher enjoy teaching?

Is my teacher a good role model for me?

One thing I really like about this class is _____________________________.

One thing I do not like about this class is ____________________________.

If I could change one thing about this class, it would be __________________________.

Now that you have an idea of what a teacher report card actually looks like, can you see the possibilities? When students are afforded the opportunity to grade the performance of their teachers, several things are accomplished:

The process holds teachers accountable for their actions, because they know they will be “graded” by their students.
It provides valuable feedback to teachers about their performance in the classroom. How the students view their teachers does matter.
It provides students with a sense of ownership in the classroom.
It tells students that their input is valued.
It keeps teachers on their toes, which is where they should always be.

We know of many schools and teachers who use teacher report cards with great success. Not surprisingly, students love the idea. It gives them a sense of worth and importance, knowing that their opinions matter to their teachers. One teacher shared the following story with us. Feel free to share it with your teachers after you discuss the new teacher report card idea:

On the first day of school, I tell my students that just as I will be grading them, they will also be grading me. I say, “I want to get straight A’s, but you can’t give me those unless I earn them. Therefore, I’ll tell you what’s going to be on the teacher report card in advance, so that you’ll know what to look for prior to grading me. I also want you to know that you will not be putting your names on these report cards. I want your honest feedback.”

I then give each a copy of the report card. I say things like, “One of the items on the report card asks if I, as your teacher, hold you accountable for your actions. And I want an A, so I’m going to hold you accountable for your actions. But notice it also asks if I treat you with dignity. I promise to do that also. So even if you do something wrong and I have to hold you accountable for it, I promise to treat you with respect and dignity.” I do this with every item on the report card. There are no secrets. We all know, in advance, what they can and should expect from me.

The same week that they get their report cards, I also get mine. I put a student in charge of handing these out. The students complete the report cards, anonymously, and then the assigned student puts them all into an envelope and puts them on my desk. I read through them carefully, and I take notes. The following day, I hold a class discussion and discuss the results. I don’t, of course, discuss every comment from every report card, but I do address patterns. For instance, if several students suggest that they would like to work in groups more often, I say something like, “Several of you mentioned that you would like to work in groups more often. I think that’s a great idea, so we’ll start doing more of that.” I have to say that these report cards have helped me to have a better grasp on how my students perceive me as a teacher. They have provided me with some excellent ideas for new and different ways to teach the same old concepts, and I’m definitely a better teacher because of it.

As an aside, before you conduct this particular inservice, run the idea of a teacher report card by your star teachers and then be prepared to be smothered with hugs. (You may want to wear your shin guards when you run the idea by your least effective teachers.)

INSERVICE

At today’s inservice, you will simply be introducing the concept of a teacher report card to your teachers. Begin by asking the following questions:

Would you agree that because none of us ever completely master the art of teaching, we are all striving to become better teachers?
Would you agree that our students are our clients and that they are the reasons we are teachers?
Would you also agree that we, in education, rarely allow our clients to tell us how we’re performing? Why do you think that’s so?

After a brief discussion of these questions, say, I’ve already run this new idea by a few teachers [don’t name anyone, of course], and I’m happy to say that they were as excited about it as I am. So I’m eager to share with you the idea of implementing simple, informal teacher report cards. I’ll tell you more about this in a minute, but know, in advance, that these are very informal, and they will be for your eyes only.

Next, tell them what a teacher report card is, what it looks like, and what the benefits of implementing a teacher report card will be. Conduct the entire inservice in a very positive manner. You are operating under the assumptions that they all want to improve and that they will all be excited about this new idea. Will they all be excited? No. But your least excited teachers will be the ones most in need of such an instrument.

IMPLEMENTATION

Assign a small group of teachers, consisting of a few excellent teachers and a few less-than-excellent teachers, to be in charge of collecting ideas for a schoolwide teacher report card. Tell all teachers to send any suggestions they may have to this group of teachers before the next inservice. You want them all to take ownership of this project, so include teachers at all levels of effectiveness. Treat them all as if they’re excellent teachers with nothing to fear, and send them off to create the new report card.