Time for a switch!

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Can playing teacher for a day be fun? Most students love the idea. Once a year, students exchange roles with their teachers. The student-teacher evaluation programme has proved to be profitable for students and to the institution as well.
“We have to fill up a form and assess our lecturers based on their teaching capabilities, their skills and communication with students. Of course, even their understanding and relationship with students come into picture,” says Rahul K, a student from St Josephs. “We rate them according to how their performance has been depending on these factors. This method invariably has led to one great change — no lecturer can take out his personal vengeance on you, as the students have their eye on him,” he adds.
These feedback sessions sometimes do pay off, when necessary. “One of our lecturers was asked to leave after one such evaluation session — almost all students had a negative feedback against this teacher,” says student Ashwini Adiga.
“Having such a system is good, but most often this ‘evaluation’ is used as ‘pay back’ time by a few students. They give negative feedback if they have a personal hatred towards the teacher, and that’s really unfair,” she adds.
Teachers though, believe that this helps them understand what the students really need from them. “Feedback from students is always welcome. It makes teachers realise their shortcomings and if we receive good feedback, we’re overjoyed. It motivates us to do better,” says Purshotham R, a science teacher.
For some, this means freedom and could lead to a change. “When students evaluate a teacher, they are given a forum to voice their concerns and needs. It is a mechanism that ensures accountability and credibility,” says student Parinitha Shinde.
But unfortunately, at times, this can be used to one’s advantage. “Since there are chances of personal ‘opinion’ playing a role in this evaluation, the college should not solely take decisions based on the evaluation from students. The staff and the teacher’s association should have a say in the matter too,” opines Ashwini.