Lazy! Lazy! Lazy!

Even though alphabetizing and organizing these evaluations is boring, I am fascinated by how many managers/administrators simply copy and paste comments, just replacing the employee's name from evaluation to evaluation. Seriously, it's ridiculous and embarassing and totally unprofessional.

Okay, I wasn't going to comment further on this, but come on. It's lazy. I get that most managers/administrators have a number of evaluations to complete. I get that it's time consuming and not a lot of fun, especially if you have to find a diplomatic way to offer criticism. (Trust me, I know. I struggle with this every time I grade student papers.) But the whole copy/paste/find/replace thing cheapens the evaluation process and shows a lack of respect for the employees who are being evaluated.

I mean, I write college recommendations for up to twenty-five students a year, and it takes weeks to complete, but every single recommendation is original and focused specifically on the student in question. Because I care about the kids and I want colleges to know how individually amazing each of them are. Evaluations should be the same way and should show a familiarity with each employee's specific strengths and areas for growth.

Two summers of working with evaluations coupled with my experiences (some positive, the majority negative) with various administrators over the years has -- ye gods -- gotten me to this point: I might want to go into administration some day. Because teachers need administrations that will stand up for them and in whom they trust. And I kind of think I could be that.

(Wow, I can't believe I just wrote that. This is a major personal policy change. We'll have to see if this spark is a fire by the time I finish my master's in who-knows-how-many years.)

The other (less personally revealing) thing I have discovered is how many parents out there don't care about the laughability of their kids' names and and possible (likely) (assured) teasing that said kids must have received on the elementary school playgrounds.

Here is a sampling:

• Last name: Reeks. This is just sad, and probably not the parents' fault. But can you imagine if your last name was "Reeks"? Your name is, without revision, a tool for people like WS, whose favorite insult is "You stink."
• Last name: Williams. First name: William. Did his parents have absolutely no imagination?
• Last name: Racey. What don't you name your child if your last name is Racey? Especially because your last name is Racey? That would be Tracy.

Isn't that sad? And, at the same time, really funny? Don't judge me: I have to entertain myself somehow.