It is argued that high-schoolers should be incentivized to comment on or even criticize their teachers in order to improve the quality of the education system. However, others, myself included, are concerned that this suggestion would result in loss of respect and discipline in class.
Admittedly, proponents of allowing high school students to make comments or even criticism of their teachers often cite that such feedback can help enhance the quality of lessons, provided that it is managed properly. To be more specific, students are the ones who experience lessons directly; therefore, they can significantly understand which teaching methods may be the most effective. By receiving such feedback from high-schoolers, teachers can adjust pedagogical approaches to fit with students’ learning paces and abilities, thereby improving lesson quality and academic performance. For example, if instructors deliver a lesson too quickly, students can point this out to help them regulate their speech.
However, I firmly side with those who believe that encouraging high school students to openly criticize their teachers could do more harm than good. Indeed, students may perceive educators as their peers, subsequently abusing their student rights to launch unwarranted criticism against the teaching staff. This tendency can contribute to the deterioration of classroom discipline and disrespect for teachers, thereby leading to disruptive behaviors and unnecessary arguments between instructors and high-schoolers. Moreover, students are not always mature enough to evaluate teachers objectively. Due to their lack of life experience and emotional maturity, students may lack the ability to deliver criticism in a constructive and tactful manner, particularly when influenced by negative emotions. This can result in intentional or unintentional offensive remarks, which may consequently contribute to a lack of motivation for teachers and a detrimental impact on academic outcomes.
In conclusion, while allowing high-schoolers to freely express their thoughts on teachers can lead to the enhancement of instructional effectiveness and teaching methods, I firmly believe that this tendency generally leads to some adverse effects. It not only results in the degradation of classroom discipline and disrespect for teachers, but also affects the teaching quality and teachers’ motivation.