By Aaron Strow
The ups and downs of each new school year come with inevitable change. Challenges force students to adjust how they think, how they work, and ultimately how they learn, yet the largest variable in the education process is something which students can’t meaningfully alter, their teacher.
The methods a teacher uses to educate their students endure more or less the same year after year. As a result it is often the student who shifts as a result of a teacher, rather than the two sides finding a productive middle ground together. While many teachers encourage feedback to improve their lesson plans and kill confusion, a significant portion of students often still feel uncomfortable sharing their perspective.
In addressing this, anonymous teacher surveys should be distributed to IHS’s student body, so students can display their feelings, or give feedback about teachers. Educators only gain the clarity to pinpoint improvements within their teaching when they’re aware of how students are receiving knowledge. Since most teachers enter the educational field for the desire to help students succeed, this new system falls in line with that ideal.
For example, a survey complaining about the excess use of homework and little to no teaching can tell a teacher to reorder the balance of the class to focus on classtime.
Obviously such a system would need certain restraints, and students must clearly understand the consequences of putting un-friendly or non-school-like comments on these forms, before they potentially harm certain reputations. Nonetheless, honest feedback must simultaneously be prioritized as well. If change needs to occur there’s no use ignoring it. A doctor wouldn’t avoid telling a patient about the nature of their illness, still the best are able to do it in a respectful way.
In sharing his thoughts, Joseph Brandstaedter, a sophomore at Irvington High School said “I think that this system could be a good way for the students to say their opinion without any consequences.”
Ultimately, giving the students a voice furthers a sense of mutual respect between students and teachers. Some may argue that this could be a way for students to overcomplain about teachers, the reality is most students appreciate being heard and having the opportunity to make a change.
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