The Skillful Teacher

Helpful Unfavorable Evaluation
I need to write to you about your behavior in class yesterday. Please
view my comments as being offered in the spirit of assistance. I don’t
think you’re aware of how your behavior is being perceived by oth-
ers in the group, and I’m concerned that you’re losing the goodwill
of your peers without your knowing this is happening.
I think you could be a terrific member of this class. Your enthusi-
asm, drive, and experience are valuable assets to any group, and I’m
glad we have them as resources. But some things are happening to
obscure the value of these assets. As examples, let me mention three
things that happened in class yesterday that are worth your attention:
1. In the small-group exercise when your group was discussing the
different intellectual traditions informing concepts of critical think-
ing, you spoke so much that in the fifteen minutes allocated for
this exercise I noticed the other three group members speaking
only once each. You are entitled to have your voice listened to
seriously, but you spoke so quickly and confidently yesterday that
the other group members could find no space in which to make
their own, less forceful, contributions.
2. During the whole-class discussion of the small-group conversations,
you nominated yourself as your group’s reporter and then spoke as
if all the points made in the report came only from you. I think your
colleagues in the group would have liked some recognition.
3. When Stephanie was reporting her group’s comments, I and the
rest of the class heard you make a joke about “a woman’s place”
and men “being on top” that distracted the group’s attention,
threw Stephanie off her stride, and was clearly sexist.
Giving Helpful Evaluations
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T
HE
S
KILLFUL
T
EACHER
If these kinds of behavior continue I’m concerned that your credibil-
ity in the class will be completely destroyed. It would be a real shame
if class members closed their ears to your insights just because of
some unfortunate behaviors on your part of which you’re probably
unaware. So I’d like you to begin a self-conscious pattern of behav-
ior change when the class meets again next week. As a start, please
try to do the following things:
1. In any small-group exercise in which you participate, don’t be the
reporter who gives an account of the group’s discussions to
the larger class.
2. When you’ve made a contribution in both the small- and large-
group discussions, please wait until at least three other people
have spoken before you talk again. You can forget this rule if
someone asks you a question directly.
3. For the next three weeks don’t crack jokes while other people are
making their group’s presentations to the whole class.
Let’s try this for three weeks and then meet to talk about what each
of us thinks has been happening.
If anything I’ve said in this memo is unclear please feel free to call,
e-mail, or visit me personally to talk it over. My number is 651-962-
4982 and my e-mail address is [e-mail].
Both these evaluations would be hard for a student to take, leaving
him or her feeling threatened, not to say devastated. There is no
way to entirely anesthetize against the pain of receiving negative
instructor evaluations. But there are some important differences
between the two examples given. The first evaluation probably
leaves the learner overwhelmed with feelings of shame and anger,
but with no sense of exactly what it is that she is doing wrong. The
only message conveyed is that the student is bad and needs to stop
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being bad as soon as possible. But why she or he is bad, what it is
that must be stopped, and how the student can change for the bet-
ter, are never revealed. Note also that the first evaluation is given
two weeks after the events described, by which time the learner’s
memory of the class will probably be dim.
By way of contrast, the second evaluation is given very soon
after the events, which heightens its significance for the learner.
The evaluation specifies which particular actions the teacher finds
objectionable. It then suggests in clear and concrete terms what the
student might do to improve the situation. Instead of only being
condemned for bad behavior, the learner is told why it is in his own
best interests to consider changing. The teacher also acknowledges
the student’s experience and enthusiasm, a fact that should help
him feel respected while being criticized. The student also has the
possibility of reacting to the evaluation after the next three weeks
of classes and can contact the teacher for further clarification and
discussion. The student does not have to bottle up feelings of
shame, anger, or embarrassment but can talk through these with
their instigator.