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Re: Teacher evaluations for 1st year physics



Kyle is suggesting a way to gather data (independent of the students) as to
how good a teacher you are and use that data to counter the twits.

Make the AAPT
content test worth a few points and give it pre and post, or just post and
compare to the national averages. Or try getting ahold of scores of other
standardized tests

The weakness here may be simply that administrators don't give much of a
damn how good a teacher you are only how *happy* the students are!!! And
only high grades will do this. So make your modal grade a B like the rest
of your collegues at your school and elsewhere. (BTW this is NOT true with
majors! They *care* how much they learn.)

I have another bit of trickery for Sue: You don't have a full year/semester
with the students to manipulate the tests (further, as you are the only
teacher available, they would get you -- and get to you -- the next term
anyway) so try to diffuse some of their disappointment at the possibility of
gitting a low grade as follows: Just a few days (but not too few) before
the teacher evaluation and as part of a test/quiz ask them to evaluate the
course in a separate and anonymous test question (even a take home test
question) and give points for an answer:

"The phys dept puts a lot of effort into this course blah blah blah and so
we would like your detailed fedback as how to improve the course blsh blsh
blsh. 5 points"

In this way they have the opportunity to vent without damaging you (except
your ego) and perhaps on the teacher evaluation they will be kinder. (:-)


Jim Green
JMGreen@sisna.com