Do we or don’t we? Should substitutes receive a formal evaluation? No matter what your individual position is, educators agree that feedback concerning the teaching of substitute teachers is desired and can be valuable. Evaluation provides substitutes with the ability to give and receive feedback regarding their teaching experiences. If substitute teachers were evaluated more often, their performance would most likely improve because of the suggestions and feedback received from the evaluator. When substitutes learn to evaluate their own performance, accept suggestions for improvement, and recognize changes that must occur to improve their teaching skills, they are on the path to becoming better teachers and valuable assets to a district. “Substitute teachers cannot become effective if they are not aware they are ineffective” (Ramirez, 1996). For more information concerning evaluation see the following articles:
Ryan, T. (2000). The dangerous practice of evaluating substitute teachers. SubJournal, 1(1), 48-49.
