Teacher as Evaluator
The quality
of mercy is not strain'd
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice bless'd
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His scepter shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein does sit the dread and fear of kings
But mercy is above this scepter'd sway,
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself,
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
-Shakespeare
Merchant of Venice
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"I
told every little star, just how great I think you are. . ."
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For several
generations we have been fooled into believing that if we could name a
thing, we could understand it; anything we could quantify and give a number
to had been evaluated, and that evaluation was an objective act, somehow
bestowing understanding. This is the legacy of the first one hundred years
of actively forming the study of human beings into a science. Unfortunately,
by quantifying or naming a thing, we do not necessarily understand it,
and we cannot say that in all our measuring and labeling, we know how
to be better teachers or serve children more effectively.
It is time to
rethink the role of teacher as evaluator. When we take that role, it is
much more as a detective than as a scientist that we search. We will not
be satisfied to gain facts, we wish to put them together to form a complete
picture. And we want the whole picture so that we can serve the whole child.
What might get in the way of assuming the role of teacher as evaluator:
we would
be redefining the role from the past training we have received
we need new tools to look at the whole child rather than the student IQ
it would not be enough to measure or understand only a small part of the
student
much of the time spent in evaluation in the past has been to determine
a grade, so our function in evaluation would change
A very real part of the function of evaluator would be self evaluation
it would be vital to reassess the pros and cons in subjective assessment
and to give more credence to our own ability to measure
nonverbal clues would take on more meaning and be important to consider
training students to be evaluators would be an unwelcome additional task
to some teachers
setting up students as evaluators might be seen as giving too much power
to the child
adding a new dimension or role to a "full plate" shuts down
the minds of people who already feel stressed or over-burdened
because we have so little practice admitting we evaluate constantly, it
might feel threatening to take on an assessment dimension
this would really add to seeing ourselves and the role of teacher as a
professional
Teacher
as Evaluator
Scott reviewed
the points for conducting a successful parent teacher conference. Plan
ahead.
Begin with
a positive statement.
Listen actively.
Establish a partnership.
Plan follow-up contacts.
End with a positive statement. (Wolfolk, 1995).
This would be
his first and he was worried. He'd bluffed about it in the teacher's lounge,
but he would be glad when tonight was over! He had the student portfolios
ready and he had invited students to come and showcase their own materials.
He knew that many parents of high schools students had never even heard
of portfolios.
He rehearsed his plan for making the fifteen minutes a beginning of a partnership.
He had a set of PEPSI charts (wholistic screening device for looking at
the development of students) for each parent. He had reviewed the PEPSI
notion with the students this past week. Having parents look at their sons
and daughters beyond the academic arena was his main goal for the meetings.
He hoped that making the whole student the focus would be a relief for many
parents. Scott remembered how surprised he had been when he realized that
many of the things he had done as a youth were actually normal and developmentally
appropriate. Some of the parents might find this evening enlightening. He
hoped so. Scott also hoped that he would gain more understanding of the
students through this eveningās meetings. Time would tell.
From Woolfolk, A. E. (1995). Educational Psychology. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Teacher as evaluator is also teacher as motivator:
- Try to
recognize your own norms or expectations, why you have them for these
students, who gave them to you and if they really fit the current classroom
situation
- Keep expectations
fluid and current and work to share them with students rather than keeping
them unspoken or believing that students should discover them
- Be consistent
among what is being proposed as achieveable, the lessons that are provide
and the behaviors or outcomes that are evaluated. Is there a match?
- Stress
a studentās own improvement and progress rather than comparing one student
with another
- Involve
students in their own goal setting and evaluation of self
- Use the
progress of the groups and students to determine possible progress rather
than setting a universal expectation or ceiling for achievement
- Focus
as much as possible on the areas of competence rather than on weaknesses
- Communicate
positive expectations for every student and verbalize encouragement
rather than comparison
- Involve
students in setting standards and assist them to become more and more
equitable in group treatment of each other rather than focusing on "fairness"
or competitive comparisons of one another or self
- Provide
a good model for students by monitoring nonverbal behaviors and not
setting up a grading process which does make comparisons and does pit
one student against another, all the time verbalizing that it is inappropriate
Understanding
and Evaluating the Whole Child
The model
or lens we choose to look through often determines what we will see, and
of those things we see, what we will pay attention to or value. In evaluating
or assessing a child our lens is a crucial factor. During the 20th century
great progress has been made in determining the normal sequence of growth
across many areas of child development. Although that has not yet been
translated into a change of focus in education, it has made it feasible
for us to educate the whole child. Now it is essential for us to incorporate
these precious tools into the lives of the children we teach.
Education is still the crux; teacher and student still the main players,
but cognitive learning assumes its proper perspective. It is a significant
part of the learning process. Acquisition of knowledge is easily measured,
a crucial part of the developing child -- perhaps a vehicle for moving
other developmental tasks forward. The ability to learn, after all, has
fueled much of our distinctions of who needs special services. However,
in perspective, it can be recognized as a part of the process of educating
humanity, and not pursued as the only primary outcome.
Viewing the child as a whole person
To help teachers change to a more whole child approach, it is important
to have ways to recognize more dimensions in the child, to have more knowledge
about the development of the child, and to have ways of showing and discussing
the child in a more whole manner. The PEPSI model provides that kind of
container for teachers and for parents.
The concept of a PEPSI screening devise came about through recognition
of the importance which child development has in assisting us to identify
patterns in child behavior, and perceived misbehavior. Important as the
concepts are, there is little instructional time or educational energy
devoted to training teachers in developmental concepts. Further, there
is such a mass of information available for study and consideration that
it is difficult to manage and utilize it effectively with respect to individual
children even when development is studied. The schema of developmental
delay also suggests the need for a simple format for screening a child's
potential strengths or delays across several dimensions.
The PEPSI model has been developed to assist in viewing the child across
five areas of development. As shown in the following materials, the five
charting areas are: physical, emotional, philosophical, social and intellectual.
It works as a teacher's "hands-on" device, showing guidelines
for recognizing and confirming a pattern of child behaviors and providing
insight into child needs. By using the detailed charting which is provided
as a reference guide, the teacher effort is enhanced, increasing the ability
to pinpoint levels of development in any (each) of the five progressing
areas and then discern a child's individual pattern of growth or delay
in those established areas.
Philosophical
Understandings
- The PEPSI
assessment model is based on an humanistic philosophy, a belief in health
and positive growth and maintains a child-centered focus.
- The basic
concepts come from the wealth of research in developmental literature.
- The screening
procedure is informal, partially intuitive and instructive, with a PEPSI
for a child being viewed as a starting point for assisting in recognizing
patterns of behavior and general levels of child growth.
- The PEPSI
model is not intended as a set of criteria for labeling or diagnosing
in any setting or with any child.
- The PEPSI
is intended to be a flexible tool which can be adjusted to meet individual
teacher needs.
- Viewing
the child through a PEPSI model may provide adult awareness of areas
which can be strengthened and nourished in the child.
- Once a
PEPSI is constructed for a child there may be a visible image of strengths,
weaknesses and areas of developmental progress which can assist in production
of the IEP and which may be included in a child's portfolio.
- PEPSI
can be a self help tool when taught to adolescent students to assist
them in developing self awareness and setting personal goals for growth.
Once the educator
recognizes and values the components in a student's PEPSI it is possible
to help the child enhance behaviors in less developed areas. The individual
PEPSI may also serve as a visual signal to remind educators and parents
that the child is developmentally delayed in some areas but not in others,
thus helping to alter inappropriate expectations or mediate unnecessarily
high demands which are beyond the child's current repertoire of behavior
choices. It will also be possible to highlight student strengths and utilize
them for the child's progress.
A case study example of using the PEPSI model follows:
In a First
Grade classroom we recently observed a student with a set of behavioral
problems which led the teacher to refer the child to special education
services. The teacher reported a belief that the child was retarded and
emotionally disturbed. The child appeared infantile and vindictive in
a setting of responsible and motivated students. In an informal observation
a cursory PEPSI was developed. By charting the child's behaviors and reactions
and then comparing them to developmental sequences it was possible to
recognize that the child was operating in patterns typical of a 4 1/2
year old socially, morally and emotionally. The child's chronological
and physical age of 7 effectively masked the educator's ability to recognize
immaturity as the real reason for the child's apparent dysfunction. Looking
at the child's work habits and report card history were not good clues
to the real issues or cognitive capability. That is frequently the case
when a child is viewed as being at risk.
The PEPSI screening
process can be learned by teachers in a brief period of time. The information
base is well established and objective. The use of the information is more
subjective. As the educator practices the model, reliability will increase.
The ability to recognize behavior patterns will become sharper with increased
familiarity in using the factors and dimensions of development. The PEPSI
screening tool can be useful, even during the learning process. Appropriate
use comes in recognizing the basic assumptions inherent in the tool.
It is essential, in reading developmental charts, to remember that development
is nearly always sequential but it is not necessarily age-specific to each
individual. Thus the "norm" or general guidelines for sixes will
actually be accurate for approximately 68% of children who are six. The
other 32% of the class will be beyond those guidelines or will not have
reached them. Theoretically, with a class of 30 students and five differing
areas of development, one or two students would be developmentally appropriate
in all levels and the other 28 students would probably fall above or below
the guidelines in at least one area. Given this understanding of children
and their growth, the teacher, rather than label the child as abnormal,
might set the goal for progress in the slower area and guide the child to
enjoy and more fully utilize personal strengths.
Creating
a PEPSI
Begin the
process by observing one child and gathering data in several situations.
Interview the child when possible and ask those who are close to the child
to furnish some of the information. A PEPSI model can be worked out with
limited information, though the more that is known the better the outcome.
Compare the data gathered with the charts from various developmental frameworks.
The behavior can be compared one age at a time using those charts. Go
through this sequence for all five developmental (PEPSI) areas and then
draw an overview of the child's progress. A set of charts have been included
in the appendix.
PEPSI Screening
- Gather
information about the child.
- Compare
the child's behaviors with the age charts supplied.
- Draw out
a PEPSI chart for a "typical";child.
- Diagram
an illustration of the findings for the individual child.
- List strengths
and weaknesses which are apparent from the profile.
- Review
suggestion list for enhancing safety and increasing student growth.
Helping Students
to Optimize growth
- Once the
teacher recognizes a delay, a goal can be generated to address growth
- The teacher
will be able to facilitate the most progress through increased safety
and structure in the educational environment
- Student
energy can be enhanced by showing pleasure in the student strengths
as well as focusing on concerns
- The teacher
can provide practice in missing skills which would be the likely behaviors
to surface next, according to the indications from the charting
- Remember
to reward close approximations rather than focusing on errors to achieve
an optimal level of development
- Get each
student involved in monitoring progress, in making and working on personal
growth goals
- Keep shifting
more and more of the responsibility for self control to the student
Safety for
Growth
- Consistency
and structure
- Caring
- Comfort
when hurting, anxious, alarmed
- Closeness
and reassurance when child is defensive
- Choices
given - possible, well defined, well drilled, thoroughly outined up
front
- Consequences
for behavior -
lined
out and explained
consistently applied,
logical and natural in the flow
never punitive or used punitively, angrily
Teacher
Power
The power
base for the evaluator role comes primarily from Personal Power and involves
Expert Power and Information Power. Teachers who possess expert power
are perceived by their students and the studentsā parents as possessing
the right kind of education, experience and ability to work with students.
Students who are proud of the expertise and dedication of their teachers
react with an increase in cooperative and supportive behaviors. Teachers
are much more likely to be perceived as experts if they view children
as whole people, not just as minds. In addition, teachers who learn about
students from many different perspectives will, indeed, be more expert.
Every parent wants to know that ćthe best teacher in the schoolä is at
the head of his/her childās classroom. Parents who know or believe that
their childās teacher is an expert are much more supportive of the teacherās
efforts and of the education process in general. The wise teacher builds
upon that foundation.
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