The Power of Evaluation

As teachers we can underevaluate student progress, and we can certainly overevaluate. What are the factors behind these extremes? Underevaluators may not have the desire or ability to synthesize what they've taught. It is difficult to test when you don't have a handle on what you've taught. Overevaluators ( and I was one ) feel they can gain some form of control over behaviours by testing. It is a form of coercion. What's missing in this picture is building a relationship with students so that testing can become a more natural way to gauge their progress. The behaviours may in fact be in part a reaction to the coercion and the negative cycle is then fully engaged between testing, negative reaction and more testing.