The Growth Problem with Evaluations

By -
The growth problem with evaluations will never go away.


Many teacher and principal evaluation systems are evolving more and more into growth vehicles. And that's a good trend.

However, there's a major problem haunting evaluation systems.

Evaluation systems will never equal growth systems.

I know that's superlative, and there's no room for mistake in my claim. So let me explain.

Evaluation Does Not Equal Growth

Evaluation is judgment. It's a stamp in time on your performance.

Evaluation is a rating. A score. It's not a discussion that promotes thought, reflection, or creativity. Therefore, it does not equal growth.

That's not to say evaluation is unnecessary. Of course, it's needed for many reasons. But it's not to be confused with growth tools.

Evaluation is about Employment

An evaluation measures your performance as an employee. It doesn't gauge you as a professional or as a person.

It compares you to the expectations of an organization. It's used to make employment decisions and formalize decisions from a human resource standpoint.

Evaluations are important for legal decisions and for recommendations of promotion or of termination. These are weighty purposes, and they override any intent for evaluation to be about growth.

The Affective Barrier in Evaluation Systems

Employees don't think through all of the purposes above. They understand them at an intrinsic level. And they have a major affective impact.

When you are weighing someone's employment, you are weighing their livelihood, their family, their lifestyle, and their survival. This creates an affective barrier to any purposes of growth in an evaluation system.

You can design goal-setting, formative checkpoints, and non-evaluative coaching sessions. These features will inch an evaluation system toward a growth model.

However, it does not break the affective barrier for the employee. It remains an evaluation system. That's the growth problem with evaluations.

The affective barrier prevents creative exploration and discovery. It hinders innovative thinking for fear of failure.

Growth is a human endeavor, but evaluation is an employment endeavor. The two will always remain distinct with significant differences.

Related Reading:



Comments

Post a Comment

What are your thoughts?

Popular posts from this blog

Accidental Diminishers, 6 Types for Self-Reflection

By -
Image
Multiplying results, multiplying your network, multiplying strength in others, multiplying your team's effective - these are all traits of multipliers (here's the amazing book by Liz Wiseman ). On the flipside, there are many actions that can diminish in spite of being spurred by good intentions. In this post, I'll share with you 6 types of accidental diminishers : The Optimist The Rapid Responder The Pace-Setter The Rescuer The Idea Guy Always On Marci Houseman shared the graphic below on Twitter, and I thought it would be perfect to share with you. The Wiseman Group " Being a multiplier means being aware of those times when we have a tendency to be an accidental diminisher. To build capacity we must provide others with the opportunity to learn and grow—even if something is done “differently” than we would have done it." - Marci Houseman The Optimist Being an optimist is a strength, and it's much needed. However, the strength...
Read more

How Long Should Direct Instruction Be?

By -
Image
How Long Should Direct Instruction Be? Direct instruction is great, but how long should it be - based on brain research? This is a great reminder from Eric Jensen about the length that most students can cognitively engage (in direct instruction, that is). Thanks  @DavidJHuber , for sharing this as we go back to school. But what can be done in only 8-12 minutes? Here are 5 high-yielding strategies that fit perfectly in this short direct instruction window. 1. Expand Prior Knowledge in Direct Instruction Part of the challenge in teaching classes of students (instead of individual students) is the range of background knowledge. Each student comes to class at a different starting point. Direct instruction can very efficiently build prior knowledge for all students. Present visuals, videos, quick reads, or graphic organizers. Fill in prerequisite background knowledge and push the limits on enriching background knowledge. This will allow all students to make richer conne...
Read more

Learning is an Adventure

By -
Image
I'm spending time in the mountains this week and am confronted with the awesome beauty and strength of nature. So much to fear, to wonder, and to explore.  A couple days ago we climbed Flattop Mountain ...ugh, I'm still sore. But I came across so many moments of inspiration that made me reflect on learning and education. Really, I came to believe that Learning is an Adventure. Here are a few of those moments that I felt were inspiring. Do. Learn. Live. These three words have been a theme lately ( shared on facebook ), but it really hit me on the hike. The path is not the destination. It is where the living is. It is the path where we find learning. We may or may not arrive at the destination - enjoy the path. What are you passionate about? Do. Don't delay. You don't need to know how, where, or why - just do. You will learn along the way. In that learning, we live.  Learning is not about inert facts and details. Learning is about life. Empowering each othe...
Read more