Feedback Fanatic

by AJ

Ive become a feedback fanatic.

Most teachers go out of their way to avoid student feedback. They dont want to know what the student's think of them... and they most definitely dont want to be evaluated by the students. They are quite comfortable to maintain the illusion of authority and superiority.

But that is not only a lie... its shabby teaching. How can you improve if you shun student's honest feedback. Id walk 100 miles to hear one brutally direct, heartfelt, honest criticism of my teaching. I WANT to hear those opinions. How else will I improve? Otherwise, Im teaching in the dark.

Here's a reality check for most teachers: We are doing this for the students.. and that means WE serve THEM... not the other way around. They are the ones paying, they are the ones who we should ultimately aim to satisfy (not some jackass bureaucrats and certainly not our own egos).

Feedback is crucial. And to get it, we've got to earn the trust of our students. Theyve been swindled, bullied, and beat down by arrogant assholes called "teachers" for most of their life. Thats a lot of accumulated mistrust to overcome.

The first step is to acknowledge your students as equals and treat them as such (in the case of learning a foreign language, my students are clearly superior to me... and I have no problem admitting that.. my job is to bring out their greatness, passion, and potential... not to lord it over them as an insecure tyrant).