Today, a guy makes an announcement in class (and in front of our professor) that you can go to ratemyprofessors.com and (what else?) rate your professors.
I've gotta say, that would scare me as a teacher. People say things on the internet under the security of anonymity that they would never say otherwise. I can only imagine what kind of mean-spirited things that show up on our end-of-the-semester class "satisfaction" surveys (whatever they're called). Still, I would think that there would be less negative reports on the surveys than there might be online because the audience is different: one is written knowing that the professors will get all comments sent to them, while website reviews are written with a student audience in mind.
I decided to investigate the site for myself.
I looked up the professor that I believed to be the hardest and most strict of all the classes I have taken. Granted, this was a professor that I loved because I learned a tremendous amount about a subject that I cared so little about, but I felt that others probably didn't share the same affinity. There was a zero tolerance policy for tardiness, cell phones and in-class snacking...three things that college students love.
Wow. I was wrong! Out of 7 pages of reviews, only 2 were negative and the rest praised the professor's excellent teaching skills and understanding of the subject matter. I was floored. Even the negative ratings weren't so negative.
Of course, there were some professors with negative ratings, but--let's face it--not all teachers are great teachers. I don't believe in publicly bashing someone, but if there are specific complaints about a class, I think it's fair to address those things.
When I fill out the end-of-semester surveys, it's been my policy to always end on a high note. Even if you have a complaint, I think you should report a positive to balance it out. If you have no complaints at all and/or really enjoyed a class, I think you should report that as well both for the benefit of "the powers that be" and the teacher him/herself.
Everybody likes to get a pat on the back. I'm glad to see students using this website to do so.
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2 comments:
There is a prof rating website dedicated to the profs of my university that everyone goes to when scheduling their courses, and nearly every professor in the university has been rated. I find that some of the comments on there can be a little mean spirited, but many are fair. However, some of my favorite profs were those who have the lowest ratings, so I never pay much attention to them. Usually, it is the easiest profs who get the highest ratings, and the ones who actually make you learn something receive the lowest. By the way, I have been enjoying your blog for a while and can really appreciate a lot of your experiences as I am also 30 years old and a mother - and a perfectionist!!!
I never even considered using it to plan schedules. Then again, my university is pretty small & word travels fast--lol. Thanks for hanging out with me in cyberspace, Mary! I always enjoy the company of fellow perfectionists! :)
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