Well, I got a packet today from the Humanities secretary... my student's evaluation of me as a teacher.
I couldn't look at it.
I was too scared.
I always have good comments, but there's always one or two that have criticism. That's not such a bad thing, but it's hard for me to be objective. I take it too personally. I've tried to tell myself all the things one would, "You can't please everybody. It's not about being liked" or "They have a valid point and I need to grow as an instructor." etc......
Their responses are typed, so I have no way of knowing who wrote them, but it's still scary to be criticized. I am throwing my all students a cookout tomorrow here at my house, I'd just gone and bought loads of hotdogs, buns beans.... and I told myself I wouldn't look at the evaluation until after, in case there was a bad mark and I felt hurt. So I'm listening to E-Town on NPR doing dishes... Robert's teaching in Raleigh and Meredith's gone to a friend's house. I have procrastinated a much as I can, and now I see the envelope staring at me. I open it against better judgement.
I burst out laughing. They're so funny! and glowing...
Excerpt from one:
"I love Ms. Manley... I wish I could fail and be with her again!"
Love this one: "She deserves a pay raise and her own parking space."
This one made me want to cry: "Ms. Manley is a great metals and life teacher."
How wonderful!!!! I feel validated. I'm only part time. So I only get paid for the actual hour(s) in the classroom, face to face with the students. The extra time I put in with out pay painting a old showcase to put their work in, or babysitting the student art show last week, the extra money I pump into the class when we need things I can't order, or time delivering work that wasn't picked up from the show, sweeping the floor, scrubbing the sink, repairing tools, or driving broken tools across town to those that can repair them.... all seem worth it now. I do those things because I love metalsmithing and I want to see people get to do it, who normally wouldn't. I can confidently say that all of these people who took my class this semester wouldn't be making jewelry and metal work if it weren't for the class at CFCC. Most of them would never even have been exposed to "art metal" or "art jewelry". So my work here is done.
Warm inside!
