Self-Evaluation!

How do you know if your teaching is effective? If you are a new instructor of teachers, you may feel unsure about how well you are communicating the TCE curriculum. If you’ve been teaching TCE courses for a while, there is the risk that your teaching is becoming stale. In either case, it’s important to take time to evaluate how you are doing as an instructor.

Dr. Howard Hendricks, Christian educator from Dallas Seminary, is a strong believer in the process of self-evaluation. He explained its importance in an article for Christianity Today as follows:

“Teaching without evaluation can erode my effectiveness in many ways. Poor methods become ingrained habits. I can assume I'm doing better than I really am and become complacent. I can conclude something works when it actually doesn't. I can lose touch with my audience, teaching in a vacuum. Also, time exaggerates my idiosyncrasies rather than lessening them. And without anything to keep me on my toes, I can get sloppy.”

If Howard Hendricks, with all his many years of teaching experience and credentials, sees such value in evaluation, how much more do we need to consider its importance in our training ministries?

Of course the truest way to test our teaching is by our students. What results are you seeing in their lives and ministries? Are they motivated to teach a Good News Club? Are they applying the TCE principles when they teach children? As instructors, we are not entirely responsible for the actions of our students. There is a point where it is up to them to apply what they have learned. Our job is to make sure we are doing all we can to give proper motivation and equip them to do the task effectively.

Sometimes we don’t see results right away. Dr. Hendricks reminds us that instructors must be patient people! Remember it’s not so much a question of “where are they?” now that I’ve taught them, but rather “are they moving in the right direction?”

Another way to gauge the effectiveness of your teaching is to observe the immediate response of students in the classroom. Do they ask questions? Do you hear them in further discussion about your topic after the class is over? Effective teaching often raises more questions than it answers. It causes students to consider things they never thought about before. If all your students head for the door after class without further comment, you might need to examine what was accomplished in your class session.

One way to raise the effectiveness of your teaching is through your illustrations. Do you illustrate your points with good stories or testimonies? Hendricks says, “Narratives improve communication.” Make sure you are choosing good illustrations from your own and other teachers’ experiences with children in GNC settings. And be sure to update your illustrations from time to time--that will keep your teaching fresh!

To self-evaluate, try using these three questions:

1. What did I do well? Don’t just highlight your failures. Affirm and reinforce the good!

2. What did I do poorly? Did you sense a place where you didn’t connect or communicate clearly? Think about why and what you can do about it the next time.

3. What should I change? Do you need more or better illustrations or newer ones? Do you need more class involvement or more variety in your methods? Make the necessary changes in your lesson plan NOW while it’s fresh in your mind.

Evaluating our teaching takes time and discipline, but it’s necessary if we are going to have effective ministry. Just remember this thought as you evaluate yourself: You’re never quite as bad as you think; nor are you quite as good. But, with evaluation, you can always be improving!

What are your thoughts on self-evalution? Click the Comment link below this post and share your thoughts with us!