A World Without Teachers

A big portion of my job relates to teacher evaluation--not a topic that incites joy when I mention it--especially to teachers. Some might think teacher evaluation is about a checklist of things teachers ought to be doing in the classroom. And to be fair, it wasn't all that long ago that evaluation really WAS a checklist. But evaluation should be more than a list of dos and don'ts for it to be valid and meaningful.

What I often hear from teachers is that typical evaluations can't measure the real impact a teacher has on a student, and I definitely understand that perspective. The Jubilee Project made this inspiring video called a World Without Teachers that touches on that intangible impact teachers have on students--the things you might not see until many years after a student has left a teacher's classroom. As one woman in the video states, "I feel like teachers are — besides our parents — the first people we meet who shape who we become."



There are a lot of ways to see how effective teachers are at their jobs and I think teachers deserve to regular feedback to inform their growth and development. But beyond that, I hope someone thinks of you the way these video participants think of some of their former teachers. It would be tough to be that teacher for every student, but I hope you can be for at least one. Now, go grab a tissue and hit play.