Teacher evaluation parameters

Undoubtedly, one of the most controversial issues in education is evaluation, it is too questioned. Is it really feasible? For serving us? Are the results it reflects accurate? Evaluate by competencies? Does a number determine my ability? There are many questions and more due to the holistic knowledge of this subject. For this reason, we believe that it is necessary to thoroughly analyze the educational evaluation.

Let's start by knowing some evaluation concepts:

"Point out, estimate, appreciate, calculate the value of a thing."

“Systematic process, intentionally and technically designed, for the collection of information, which must be assessed by applying criteria and references as a basis for subsequent decision-making for improvement, both by the staff and the program itself”.

“Assessment, by actually prescribing the goals of education, determines, to a large extent… what students learn and how they learn it, what teachers teach and how they teach it, content and methods; in other words, the product and the process of education… whether we like it or not, consciously or unconsciously, the educational activity of students and teachers is to some degree channeled by evaluation ».

Given this, we can say that evaluation is a process whose main objective is to obtain data that helps to give a value to a certain activity, skill or knowledge.

Evaluation in education serves as a measurement tool whose purpose should be to diagnose learning problems and thus seek activities to improve the teaching process. However, this evaluation process tends to generate a very strong psychological impact on both students and teachers since there is the idea that if it is evaluated it is because something is wrong, when it is really only a requirement of the institution to know the level of something in specific and of course make a continuous improvement, always be exceeding, offering higher quality. Well that is or should be the goal of evaluating in the classroom. But what happens when instead of evaluating the students, the teacher is evaluated?

Almost always we talk about the evaluation of the students, but when is this done to the teacher? Is it necessary to measure the teacher? The answer is yes. The teacher must undergo constant evaluation and not in order to show it to the institution or to dismiss him from it, but on the contrary, detect those red points that must be improved to have a more and more prepared teacher, providing him with the tools necessary to perform better in their practice, since like any company there is a quality system in which the role of the teacher in an Institution is essential.

Now: What are the parameters that must be taken into account to determine. If the teacher is good or not; There are many points that determine this, however we can mention:

Full knowledge of the subject to be taught. If you do not have control over it, it is impossible to convey something that is not known. They are the activities with which it is intended to address the study topics. Good class planning. Planning is an important factor in teaching practice. This is undoubtedly another controversial issue, since it has been questioned whether or not it is necessary for a class, to which I answer again; yes The planning is a guide to distribute and propose in what way and in how long they plan to carry out these activities to teach the subject. It is true that sometimes, planning cannot be carried out to the letter because it is influenced by various factors that must be considered, but that is why it is a support since it must be taken into account in order not to improvise in classes all the time,without a notion of what is going to be done, what do you plan to achieve and when it will be achieved. Planning is necessary before, during and at the end of the period in order to find continuous improvements during the process. Punctuality is an important factor in the teacher since he is a trainer of future professionals and what better way than him to start with the example. Distribution of time. It is key to accommodate the activities that will be carried out in a good class planning since sometimes there is little time to address topics and this helps to make the most of the classes. If indeed the evaluation should be the tool with which the teacher will be able to identify the areas where the student is not managing to understand and achieve the objectives set for which, already identified,will look for other ways to integrate that knowledge. It is also important to specify what elements will help me to obtain the data that I need to know in the student that will help me improve this process. Proper use of Didactic material. This will help me to facilitate the transmission of knowledge to the student in an attractive and digestible way for him. Good relationship between the teacher and the student. It is not about becoming best friends in the classroom, it is about creating an environment of trust, where the student feels free to express their ideas and be corrected or guided in a respectful way in order to exploit their potential. It is difficult, as it is a very fine line that is broken between trust and disrespect on both sides. Thus,great care must be taken when managing relationships with students. Control of situations. This goes hand in hand with the teacher-student relationship. It is difficult to remain equanimous in the face of various events because the handling of these is essential since the good result of this can improve the relationship in the classroom or, on the contrary, decay it completely. Give precise instructions. It is necessary to be totally clear when setting objectives as these lend themselves to confusion that hinders their achievement, thus creating dead times. Good voice modulation. We cannot be passive teachers, since the students no matter how hard they try to listen to us in the end they will be annoyed. For this reason, the importance of good voice management, strong and clear speaking, emphasizing different parts of our presentation,It will make the class attractive. Good body communication. Proper body management is essential. We cannot say something with the voice alone, we must use certain movements and gestures that will enrich what we want to communicate, of course without falling into exaggeration, since far from helping us it will only become a distractor. Good presentation. The way you look is important to the student because it is the impression you leave on him. For this reason, dress and grooming play an important role and it is a fine line that is broken between facilitator or distractor. Many teachers believe that by having the domain or a certain Degree or Title, they already know everything. But it's not like that. A person never stops learning new things in life and it is essential to look for updates,since the world we live in is constantly changing and if one falls behind it becomes obsolete. Displacement in the area. Having some mobility in the classroom creates a more active environment where the student is interested in the visual factor of moving from one place to another, since remaining static tends to generate boredom in the class.

These points are basic for teaching practice. However, it is not an easy path since if they are well used, they become very useful, they are facilitators, but on the contrary, if they are omitted or even abused, they become distractors that hinder the learning process.

For this reason, an evaluation is important where these aspects are taken into account with the aim of constantly observing the teacher's praxis and thus identifying what are the points that are well? Which ones need to be strengthened? Once the diagnosis is made, it is important to provide the teacher with the tools to improve them and subsequently monitor the progress made in their classes. A constant evaluation where a before, during and after is analyzed.

As mentioned, evaluation should not be seen as a problem for the teacher, if not on the contrary, it should be seen as a process of continuous business improvement and, above all, personal development. For this, it is necessary to change the paradigms that have been generated throughout the bad experiences obtained by the fear that someone will supervise your work, modify the annoyance caused by this word "evaluation" from the mind, put aside the psychological impact that continues to be imposed. You have to take it in a positive way and take advantage of the results it produces and set it as a goal to achieve excellence.