Am I Improving?

I have been reflecting on the past couple of months, being in the classroom and teaching full-time. It has been a challenge, and I can definitely say that I've learned more now than I ever have about teaching, but I'm still unsure as to how I'm growing as a teacher. Watching myself on the videotapes only goes so far. I get a lot out of the discussions that take place during MAC classes, but is that enough?

How else can I assess myself in terms of success with the students? How can I tell if I'm getting through to them, or if I am even teaching them anything? Are grades enough? Do grades really assess student learning? Not when we're required to "teach to the test". Extra credit can throw things off as well. Are my students learning from me?

I'm looking forward to the trimester ending, because I am collecting student comments to save from my very first class. Hopefully I will gain some insight into whether or not I've helped them learn.

Lauren Paul's LiveBlog