Should Teachers Be Graded?

Photo by Kimberly Farmer on Unsplash

Simple question, simple answer. Yes! Or at least if you take your time and think about it. Just like teachers grade students for them to give feedback on their work or behavior, students should grade teachers for the same purpose.

If a teacher is not direct and makes it harder for students to understand he/she should not teach, but should study. By grading, I do not only mean giving the teacher a number out of a hundred because of his/her teaching skills but also of their behavior.

I have not only witnessed racism and disrespect but also harassment or teachers that interrupt students. If a teacher meets any of these points, then he/she should not get away with it. The difference between a student and a teacher is only most likely age and knowledge. That does not mean that teachers can do whatever they want without consequences.

If a student does not do his/her homework or project correctly, they will get a lower grade, and if the student disrespects, or disturbs the teacher, the student will get a red card or a note. When a teacher on the other hand does not do his/her work right, nothing will happen and the teacher will continue that way. I’m not saying that it’s the teacher’s fault if he/she can’t explain, but it is not the students’ fault either. So the solution must be found.

Red cards are expected to change a student’s behavior, that is if the student has red lines or is not too careless. However, the teacher will not change because there is no such thing as grading him/her. How will the school know all about this if the teacher is not graded? The students could go and tell someone that can do something about it, but usually, students can get uncomfortable and scared if it is something serious.

“Schools should give students a chance to grade their teachers in order to give their opinion and give information on how effective their method is. Schools can use the information they gather to help the teachers improve and have a better understanding of what methods are most effective,” says Teresa Collins.