AS OTHERS SEE US H. J. LONG Greenville College, Greenville, Illinois
AS a rule students seem to resent having tests sprung on them unannounced. However, for the past nine years in the chemistry department a t Greenville College one such test has been given each year. This test occurs near the middle of the year. It is not a test of the students, but rather of the teacher. It is unique in that there is no chance for any student to fail, although the teacher may do so. The middle of the year is selected so that the students will know the teacher well enough to properly evaluate him and yet early enough in the year so the teacher may still have opportunity to redeem himself in the eyes of his pupils. On a certain day small plain sheets of paper are handed to the members of the general chemistry class. A quiz is announced, which usually brings a degree of consternation, for such exercises are ordinarily held a t regular intervals and are announced to the students beforehand. The studeuts are asked to number their first question, which is as follows, "What do you consider my greatest weakness or fault as a teacher?" Panic reigns supreme, for they consider that this is a very risky business to be engaging students' attention. Of course, they have been thinking along this line but never expected to disclose it to the teacher. They are then asked to print or disguise their handwriting and leave the papers unsigned in order that they will run no risk of failing the course because of any prejudice
aroused in the teacher's mind by the answers. They are told that this is theirtime to say some of the things which they have been thinking, under conditions where good may be accomplished. Reassured as to the safety of the situation, they usually enter into the exercise whole-heartedly. The answers to the first question sometimes have to do with personal traits, while sometimes they take the form of criticism of the course itself. But in either case it is profitable to the teacher. When the first question is fully answered, the second is given as follows, "What do you think is my best trait as a teacher?" The answers have been tabulated and compared through the years. Casual answers which may only occur once in a given year are not considered seriously regardless of how complimentary they are. But if a given suggestion occurs repeatedly, it should really concern the teacher. It has been interesting through the years to note the gradual decrease of certain undesirable criticisms through the conscious efforts of the teacher. This somewhat daring exercise gives a teacher an opportunity to view his personality and teaching habits through the eyes of his students. The writer believes that this very simple test has great possibilities from the standpoint of personality development and professional improvement.
