Scholar Practitioners as Program Evaluators

Impacts of the Course Content

Upon reflecting upon how the content of this course might impact what I do in the early childhood education profession, many things come to mind. Assessments and evaluations are necessary for student growth and development. Through the knowledge of evaluations obtained throughout this course, I plan to utilize that information to increase my understanding of developmentally appropriate evaluations. This acquired knowledge of evaluations will be used to enhance and guide my instruction in the classroom. I also plan to utilize the content of this course to possibly introduce new evaluations to my administration in hopes of utilization in the future.   

In terms of how the content of this course will impact who I want to become in the field of early childhood, I feel this course will benefit me in many ways. Through the course content, I feel I will ultimately not only be able to enhance my knowledge of appropriate program evaluations but also learn to support my fellow educators in the process. One day in the future, I would like to become a lead teacher or mentor for fellow educators. Through the information obtained throughout this course, I feel this goal can become a reality.  

Questions

 I am aware that all evaluations used should be linguistically, developmentally, and culturally responsive from past experiences with program evaluation. I have learned that multiple measures of program evaluations should be utilized for effective program evaluation. Leadership and planning should take place in ensuring that directions and support are provided by administrative staff. From previous courses, I have also learned how critical teacher observations are in the outcome of these evaluations. Implementation of evaluations should be communicated with families and documented throughout the learning process. As an educator, past experiences have also taught me that I am accountable for all student learning and the first step to doing this is to know my students and their abilities. Through the utilization of research-based practices, I have learned to utilize collected data to guide instruction, modify, and provide accommodations for students when necessary.

 Personal Impacts

 As an educator, I have learned that every step in education impacts teachers. Regarding the process of evaluation, I feel I will be impacted in many ways. Evaluation of performance is something of which all educators are very familiar. Educators are evaluated continuously by administrative staff, families, students, community, and state members. Through these evaluations, I listen and absorb the information shared. I take it all as constructive criticism and learn to improve my instructional methods and strategies. I learn to grow and prosper in the field of early childhood education. By using the information provided through evaluations, I guide my instruction to meet the needs of all students in my classroom. I plan lessons and activities which are developmentally appropriate for all students. I learn to meet a student wherever they may be academically and help that student grow and learn to improve their understanding of academic material.

Just as the process of evaluation impacts me, I can also affect this process as well. One way I can influence the process of evaluation is to be open and eager to learn and grow. Far too many times, teachers assume information provided through evaluations is used to critic their teaching strategies and methods. I have changed my mindset concerning this and plan to be openminded, listening to the information provided so that I can improve my knowledge of all aspects within the field of education. In addition, I plan to use this information to educate and help those around me, possibly serving, as stated above, as a lead teacher or teacher mentor for new teachers in the future. After all, we, as educators, never stop growing or learning.