Evalutation Festivals

[jgallag]

I have a curiosity question for you teachers. Do you find the Evaluation Festivals that have cropped up all over the place to be of any real use? I mean, I understand that it serves to motivate kids, and that's really nice, but recitals can do that to. I'm referring to the comments. It seems as though (and maybe this is supposed to be how it is) the comments simply direct the reader to the problems with the performance, without providing suggestions for how to fix it (or at least I found that at my festival). Have you ever read one of your student's sheets that had a new insight that helped you improve your teaching, or is it more an affirmation of what you already know?

Other questions: Do you agree with the syllabus for your evaluation program?

Have you ever had truly negative experiences at a festival? In mine once I had a judge sitting right on top of me in what seemed like a closet and heap so much criticism on me that I walked out of the room very upset, probably crying (This was four years ago, I believe, so I don't remember it too well). Also, we had a judge removed from the program for starting up a metronome before one of the students played and demanding that they perform at that tempo. It scared the crap out of the kid.