January 27, 2004
I think it's healthy for students to have a place (okay, another place) to comment on their teachers' abilities, or lack thereof. Obviously, some of the kids could use a lesson in tact and/or perception. Also obviously, this is yet another numerical yardstick for teachers to feel pressured by. And yet, there are only two groups of people who can really determine how well a teacher is doing: 1. The teachers themselves, and we all know how hard it is to evaluate ourselves; and 2. The students. These are the only two groups who are in that classroom every day; everything else is guesswork based on highly imperfect samples. Of course, I'd probably be singing a different tune if I had more sad faces next to the reviews. (What's up with the comment "with a little practice he'll be a really good teacher"? A little practice? Like Homer Simpson said: "I'll practice you!")
irrespective of thefuck thebenefactorsparents of legacy admissions of the schools though; I figure that the professor that is handing out the most failing grades is probably the most honest. Another to add to my "If I were King" file.