Is teaching really measurable?

We go through the performance evaluation cycles where our teaching performance is measured by ourselves, students and superiors.

Well its interesting to update and document our teaching goals every quarter of the year. But then I question: Is teaching really measurable? Can you see the results of teaching straightaway at the end of every semester?

Teaching involves many aspects from micro to macro levels. Looking at it from the operational view, it is teaching, covering the approved chapters, conducting the assessments and finalizing the grades.

But turning your mind to the macro level (broadly speaking), you can’t see the results straightaway. It takes time. The students need to take those teachings and find their way and place in the market. Sometimes it takes years.

We find many students who took a 4 or 5 year program and end up taking a whole different career that is not related to their specialization.

Measuring the teachers’ performance can’t really show you the full picture of the impact and value given unless you go to the market and find out what happened to our graduates and how did they really benefit from our taught programs.

Maybe in the short-term, we can measure it and restrict their value in percentages and numbers. But for the long-term, you can’t. The teaching practice go far beyond the time-tables and numbers of semesters specified. Its real value touches hearts, changes mindsets and transform lives.