Evaluating Students Verbally

In my student teaching, I had provided feedback to students after speeches in front of the class.  Positives and things they could work on.  This was done verbally and gave immeidate feedback and showed the class what to do well and things to avoid.  

After sitting in class today and seeing a group evaluated, I am rethinking this approach.  The group did volunteer to be a model, and they did ok, but I was not very comfortable with the way this was done.  Maybe I'm more sensitive now, maybe I am tired, but this experience has really made me rethink the practice of verbal feedback.

Thing for me to keep in mind: I can give generalized feedback to the class if I see a trend developing.  By giving general feedback, it spreads thenevaluation, so it's not just on one student (or group).  This is not to say that positive feedback cannot be given to students.  The more warm and fuzzies the better I say.  More specific corrections can be given to the students or to the group individually, so as to spare the embarrassment.

The importance of being a student

Being a student during the summer is always a god thing because it reminds me what it's like to be out in the seats during a lesson.  I see the strengths and weaknesses of my professors, and realize things that I am glad I do, things I like, and things that I want to avoid.

Things I am glad I do: I set clear goals for each class and I work towards them.  I have sat through a few classes where the prof just talks and talks without a clear goal, and this is incredibly painful.  I can see now why my students just want to fade away if they don't really have a reason why they are there.

Things I really like: I like that one of my professors provides printouts of his slides.  This may not be applicable in a public school where printing and paper budgets are much tighter, but it's nice to have here.  I'll have to explore options of getting info into my student's hands, but in a budgetary and environmentally friendly way.

Things I want to avoid: Showing my students that I am frustrated with them.  I have a professor now who has been snapping at students who have questions.  This is completely unacceptable.