Comments on: 4 Great Sites To Rate and Review Teachers & Professors

By: Dave Drager

Dave Drager — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 10:59:00 +0000

I am also torn about these sites – on one hand they are good to get an idea of what a teacher is like, but also a teacher that may seem ‘bad’ because they are tough on you might actually be good for you in the long run. Good overview!

By: Jake

Jake — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 10:47:21 +0000

I'm a teacher who gets excellent reviews on these kinds of sites, I'm told, but I don't even visit them. If I take the good reviews seriously, I'd have to do the same with the bad ones, which I refuse to do. If students had to identify themselves, the ratings might have some validity, but it's all too easy to take potshots at someone behind the shield of anonymity.

A high rating usually means that the class time was 'fun' or 'entertaining' and that the student got a good grade. Being a stand-up comedian and handing out stellar grades have little to do with being an effective teacher.

You'd also be surprised how many unofficial, private 'Rate My Student' sites are out there; what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

By: Jake

Jake — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 10:47:00 +0000

I’m a teacher who gets excellent reviews on these kinds of sites, I’m told, but I don’t even visit them. If I take the good reviews seriously, I’d have to do the same with the bad ones, which I refuse to do. If students had to identify themselves, the ratings might have some validity, but it’s all too easy to take potshots at someone behind the shield of anonymity.

A high rating usually means that the class time was ‘fun’ or ‘entertaining’ and that the student got a good grade. Being a stand-up comedian and handing out stellar grades have little to do with being an effective teacher.

You’d also be surprised how many unofficial, private ‘Rate My Student’ sites are out there; what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

By: John McClain

John McClain — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 07:28:04 +0000

Yeah, it's definitely a problem. Everyone has their own definitions of what makes a good teacher.

From my experience, the teachers who are easy graders will just about always receive glowing reviews, regardless of the overall quality of the class. Everyone else gets mixed to negative ratings.

By: John McClain

John McClain — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 07:28:00 +0000

Yeah, it’s definitely a problem. Everyone has their own definitions of what makes a good teacher.

From my experience, the teachers who are easy graders will just about always receive glowing reviews, regardless of the overall quality of the class. Everyone else gets mixed to negative ratings.

By: Spam

Spam — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 01:26:00 +0000

My whole issue with these sites is that, as an educator, I have seen them abused by students with an ax to grind – fortunately not against me.