Re: Deming on rating teachers

[demingtw <demingtw@ms17.hinet.net>]

I think Dr. Myron brought us some important points in thinking about the
teaching and learning systems which I think are some kind  rhetoric and
dialogue processes in certain ways. Ever since Aristotle's tekhne, we know
the importance of students( both Aristotle  and Dr. Deming think  the
students are first priority, teacher(speaker) and content( it might be Dr.
Deming's research).

Nowadays, we have much more complicate educational systems so that the
sources of the diseases might be different and situational. I personally
feel difficult to accept some feedbacks of students sometimes but they are
part of the system.

Sometimes, even rating students or employees are nonsense, neither does
rating teachers ( I heard that USA Univ. payment systems are quite
diversified which are nice to attract the talents). But I like Andy Grove's
viewpoint on annual appraisal in the High Output Management,  that is,  it
is an important process so that all leaders must pay attention to improve
it. (Sorry for my admired Peter Scholtes and Management By Means 'School'
if any 'conflicts of interests'...)

Hanching Chung
http://www.deming.com.tw

Myron Tribus wroteˇG

> John:
> I do recall Dr. Deming taking the view that the student's opinions
> were not valid because I disagreed with him.  I was not able to
> change his mind because he was thinking of something different than
> I.  He was against some form of student rating of teachers.  So am I.
> On the other hand, students are involved in the learning process in a
> way that is very different from the teacher.  Having the students
> participate in the improvement of the learning process can be
> demonstrated to make a positive difference in the learning.
> It was not until I became involved in Feuerstein's methods that I
> understood why my instinct in this matter was correct.  When students
> are the recipients of 'instruction' they do not analyze their own
> activities but rely too much on the teacher to give them direction.
> When they are forced to think hard about what they do and the way
> they do it, they develop better.
> I realize that Dr. Deming did put much of the burden on the students
> so in practice he followed the principle.  However, I believe it
> would have gone better if the students were more consciously involved
> in the improvement of the process.
> As I said, Dr. Deming and I never closed on this issue.  I can
> testify, however, that he felt very strongly that student ratings
> were less than worthless.
>