5 FIVE THINGS YOU WILL ONLY DO AT HYDE Malcolm Gauld ’72
Faculty Evaluations
Five Things You Only Do at Hyde: Faculty Evaluations by Malcolm Gauld ’72, P-’08, P-‘10 Copyright 2017 Hyde Schools
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e were recently visited by an officer of a philanthropic foundation to which we had submitted a grant application. He happened to attend the afternoon school meeting where we were beginning that year’s annual spring Faculty Evaluations. To the trained Hyde eye, that particular session had been solid with direct, insightful, public responses. However, to our visitor, it was much more than that. He said, “In my role, I observe many, many educational practices. Some I forget. Some I remember for a while. However, I may well remember this one for the rest of my life.”
We sometimes utilize Faculty Evaluations as a kind of litmus test while interviewing prospective faculty members. After we talk about teaching experience, pedagogic philosophy, extracurricular expectations, dormitory responsibilities – i.e., the duties and responsibilities common to any boarding school teacher – I then say, “Now let me tell you how we do faculty evaluations…” (i.e., Common only to Hyde!) Suffice it to say that at the conclusion of the explanation, the prospective candidate either wants nothing to do with Hyde or is intrigued enough to want to know what else we do around here. Faculty Evaluations 1
First, when we say that “Every individual is gifted with a unique potential that defines a destiny,” we mean every individual. So, what’s so special about faculty evaluations at Hyde? Read on. First, when we say that “Every individual is gifted with a unique potential that defines a destiny,” we mean every individual. Most schools that profess to be committed to character education really only focus on the kids. It’s almost as though the faculty is saying, “OK, kid, I’ve been there and done that (that = high school), but now I’m here to make you buckle down and do this stuff.” By contrast, whether a teenager or an adult, all of us at Hyde are works in progress. In fact, at least once a year, I will say to our students, “Hey, I may be 63 years old, but I don’t have all the courage or integrity I need. And I need your input to help me improve.” Hyde teachers are very demanding. Actually, exacting may be a better word. In addition to challenging our students academically, athletically, artistically, and in a wide range of other ways, we can be relentless when it comes to more subjective qualities like attitude, tone, and deportment. We can be quick to tell students when they are not measuring up. Faculty evaluations provide a time for students to render the same service for us. Second, if there is one word that most contributes to an understanding of faculty evaluations at Hyde, it would be: LIVE. These are not anonymous comment sheets filled out by students at the conclusion of exams; these are direct comments delivered verbally to the faculty member who is sitting on stage – in a chair that we call “The Hot Seat” – in front of the entire school community. 2 Five Things You Will Only Do at Hyde
The Process – 3 Questions Sometimes we gather the entire school community into a single large space. Other times, we may divide the students and faculty into separate groupings of 50+- in order to maximize participation opportunities for our students. Regardless of where or how we’re meeting, the faculty member takes his or her seat and the facilitator (usually the head of school) asks Question #1 to the crowd assembled, “What are the positive points of Mr. X’s teaching?”
From there, the scene can appear much like a press conference. Students raise their hands and the facilitator calls upon a succession of them to make succinct observations. (The faculty member is expected to sit silently and listen throughout the process.) Here are some typical comments: • “You always make time for your students.” • “You explain things clearly.” • “You are a great motivator as a coach.” • “I feel I can always come to you for advice and support.” • “You have a passion for your subject.” Faculty Evaluations 3
While the critical comments may change from year to year, they’re basically the same things that all students say to each other at any high school. Changing gears, the facilitator then asks Question #2: “What are the things that Mr. X needs to work on?” Typical responses: • • • •
“Sometimes you go off on tangents in class.” “It seems that you play favorites with your soccer team.” “You can be really late in returning term papers.” “You don’t seem to smile much.”
• “You don’t seem to know whether the class is following you or not.” While the critical comments may change from year to year, they’re basically the same things that all students say to each other at any high school. Faculty Evaluations transfer these comments from the back rooms and presents them in public for all to hear and think about. Hence, the criticism is transformed from idle and secret to constructive and public. By this point in the evaluation process, some contradictory comments have very likely been stated. For example, responding to Question #1, a student may say, “You’re too tough.” Then during Question #2, another student might say, “You’re too easy.” In the end, it’s up to the faculty member to consider what has been said and to then act accordingly. In the spirit of an old Hyde saying, “If the shoe fits, wear it.” Again changing gears, the facilitator asks Question #3: “Is there anything special that you would like to say to Mr. X?” At this point, things invariably become poignant and emotional: 4 Five Things You Will Only Do at Hyde
• “When my parents divorced, you were always there for me.” • “I’ve watched you with your kids and family, and you’ve helped me by providing a model of how I want to be as a parent.” • “You make me want to be a teacher when I grow up.” • “You walk the walk: Your commitment to your own physical conditioning inspires me.” • “Having lost my father when I was young, you have become a father figure to me.”
Tears shed by faculty and students are not uncommon at this point of the process. Once the three questions are addressed, the facilitator will typically ask the faculty member if he or she would like to respond. Sometimes they choose to respond. Sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they will simply say, “Thank you. I now want to think about and process what has been said to me.” Whenever prospective or new faculty members are learning about Faculty Evaluations for the first time, I can feel them wondering: Don’t the kids ever use the process to get back at those teachers that may have given them either a bad grade or a hard time? Don’t the kids ever tee off on the faculty?!? Those are fair questions. They also have a simple answer: No. Faculty Evaluations 5
Not only do the kids not tee off on the faculty, they often operate at the other extreme and treat them with “kid gloves.” Having facilitated Faculty Evaluations for decades, I recall only one occasion when I have felt compelled to reprimand a student relative to a comment made. I said something like, “Maybe it’s just me, Steve, but I’m not hearing constructive criticism here. I’m hearing revenge. So, I would ask you to hold your comment and maybe speak privately with Mr. X once we’re done here.” The student nodded his head respectfully and spoke later with the faculty member. Not only do the kids not tee off on the faculty, they often operate at the other extreme and treat them with “kid gloves.” In fact, I have been known to jump into the process with a light-hearted comment like “OK, I’ve spent a lot of time with Mr. X both in- and outside of school, and he’s nowhere near as great as all of you are saying. Surely we can provide him with a few suggestions on how he might improve as a teacher.” Then the kids might dig deeper. The reason the kids sometimes don kid gloves is not only because they may happen to like the particular teacher being evaluated. It also has something to do with the fact that they are so freaked out over the whole idea that the adults have voluntarily placed themselves in such a position of public vulnerability that they are not quite sure how to respond. So, they may go overly easy on the teachers and might then need some gentle prodding before they can believe that it’s alright to really say what they think. In any case, this 3-question process invariably contributes to a myriad of benefits, some of which include: 6 Five Things You Will Only Do at Hyde
• Improved teaching • Increased trust between students and faculty • Enhanced student ownership of the learning process • Public modeling of both the giving and the accepting of criticism • Living examples of how to act as a work-in-process regardless of age Furthermore, once the process is integrated into the school’s culture, it neither begins nor ends on the public stage. One sign of it working well: After the facilitator concludes the process, we see seemingly endless pairings of students and teachers engaged in further one-on-one discussions.
In writing this piece, I asked a number of faculty to share memorable comments that students have made to them over the years. Here’s are some selected responses I received: A female faculty member: I remember when a student from my 9th grade English class told me to be “tougher” on them. I thought I had been pretty strict and tough already. So, at one point when my class had become unruly, I indeed got tougher on them. Faculty Evaluations 7
I felt I was even being a bit mean at times. So, when the next Faculty Evaluation rolled around, I expected to be blasted by the class. However, much to my surprise, the kids I was the toughest on told me that they could tell I cared and that they enjoyed the class. Frankly, I was shocked. This reminded me – again – that kids appreciate us holding them to a higher standard. Especially when they can tell it comes from a commitment to bring out their best. Another female teacher: Years ago, a student with whom I had had minimal contact, said, “You are always walking fast through the halls and not smiling. I’m afraid to approach you.” It was so helpful to know that! I certainly don’t want to be unapproachable! I now make a point of being more aware of the people around me. A longtime male athletic coach: Having established myself as a coach in football and wrestling – arguably Hyde’s most “manly” sports – I confidently took my place on the Hot Seat. Then one female student challenged me to be more engaged with Hyde women’s athletic teams. Months later, responding to an opening in women’s lacrosse, I threw myself into it, eventually becoming head coach, a position I’ve now had for several years. I love it! Prior to this change, I was all about “rah, rah” and did a lot of yelling. Working with Hyde’s women, I learned to appreciate what I might call the “Power of Positivity.” Interestingly enough, I’ve brought this over to my football and wrestling teams. At the end of the day, I’m a better coach… for both men and women. And it all started with a single comment from a female student who didn’t even know me all that well. 8 Five Things You Will Only Do at Hyde
A female teacher: Right off the bat, one of my student’s said, “You’re intimidating.” This was followed by a chorus of “Ditto!” from the crowd. (Note: A Hyde tradition voicing agreement.) I took it in and thought about it, later speaking to a few more students in search of their candid assessment. I came to realize that my style was actually contributing to inhibiting my students in class. So, I consciously decided to tone things down. Today I’m convinced that this simple 2-word comment contributed to my becoming a better classroom teacher. One of Hyde’s most senior faculty members told me that he remembers three comments that have been made to him by students over the years. He then spouted them off: 1. “I challenge you to ask for more help and to take more time for yourself and your family.” 2. “Be less aggressive.” 3. “Live healthily.” When I asked him how he remembered them so readily, he replied, “Because I wrote them down years ago and I still keep them on my desk as a reminder.” ‘Nuff said. n
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