Rate My Professor

At every semester’s end, institutions of higher learning afford their students the opportunity to evaluate their classroom experience by filling out forms on which they may offer anonymous commentaries and ratings for their professors. Once grades have been submitted, copies of the completed forms are then given to professors. Students and professors alike are curious as to whether or not anyone else reads them or whether they serve any purpose other than allowing students to sound off by way of blame or praise. I remember when I was in divinity school and we too engaged in this end-of-the-semester activity, there was a section on our forms by which we could identify ourselves. Elisabeth Schussler-Fiorenza told us that she would not read any evaluations that were anonymously submitted. She thought that the anonymous evaluation was cowardly and she would only entertain those assessments in which ownership was claimed. And further, the anonymous evaluation signaled a dead end. How could she discuss a particular student’s point of view with them (if she chose) if she didn’t know who they were?

I always identified myself.

 

On the form that is utilized at the College of Charleston there are eight boxes that allow for 1) a quick “fill-in the circle” rating, ranging from “Highly Agree” to “Highly Disagree” and 2) handwritten commentary. Each of the eight boxes represents a particular element of the student’s experience.

 

Below is a sample of some of the comments that appear on my student evaluation forms this semester along with the heading under which the comment appears (in bold). A brief response from me will follow. I think you will also be able to see from the students’ comments, which often seem to be in complete contradiction that these evaluations say more about the student than ever they do about the professor.

 

1. The instructor is well prepared.

 

“Always ready with some damn deep discussion.”

“She can actually give a lecture without Power Point. Impressive these days.”

“She probably doesn’t even need her notebook.”

 

My response: As for the notebook, I probably don’t. But it’s like Linus’ security blanket. I just feel better with it.

 

2. The instructor presents material in an understandable way.

 

“Absolutely, her points in class are so clear.”

“Material not always clear.”

“Always breaks it down to our level and makes us think.”

“Sometimes the readings are above our level and very difficult.”

 

My response: Stretch…or die.

 

“”Sometimes she sort of told stories.”

“Good stories and tangents.”

“Has stories which relate to material and engages students.”

“Gets way off on tangents.”

“The tangents are the best.”

“A lot of things are taught that don’t deal with the class.”

 

My response: Sometimes the most important lesson is in the tangent. Or the tangent from a tangent. Or the tangent from that one.

 

“Gives an objective point of view on every topic discussed.”

“Does a good job of approaching subject academically.”

“Presents a biased view.”

 

My response: “What you see depends upon where you stand.” Elisabeth Schussler-Fiorenza

 

3. The instructor encourages students to express themselves.

 

“Discussion and questions all the time.”

“Yes! This is a great class for thinking out loud.”

“Love the ‘Milk and Cookies Controversy Days!’”

“This class encourages discussion more so than any other religious studies class  I have taken.”

“It’s refreshing not to have to inhibit oneself and one’s ideas.”

“Love the Kazoos!”

“Even though it was 8 AM.”

 

My response: Well, most seemed to be in agreement on this one but…

 

“Encourages feminist perspective, but does not embrace the male perspective in religion.”

 

My response: No comment.

 

I once had a student tell me that in a Philosophy class a young man was attempting to offer a response to the philosophy of one particular thinker and the Professor said, “I don’t care what you think.” So much for the Socratic Method.

 

4. The instructor is helpful.

 

“Very approachable.”

“Goes the extra mile.”

“She bends over backward to help her students.”   [Now there’s an image].

“Doire, you completely understand that as a student life is not one-dimensional and I appreciate that.”

 

My response: I always thought it would be hypocritical or, at the very least counter-productive to teach a course on evil and suffering, which emphasizes compassion, and then not be compassionate to students’ issues and needs. There are stories of pain in those classrooms beyond belief.

 

5. The instructor provides constructive evaluation of my work.

 

If a student writes anything in this box the comment usually takes one of two forms; 1) something like “always comments in a helpful way,” 2) “it takes her too long to get work back to us.”  This latter I concede. Every semester I vow not to procrastinate and every semester I do.

 

6. The instructor is an effective teacher.

 

“This class has turned every preconceived idea I had about religion on its head. Thanks Doire.”

“Made me think more about religion in one semester than my 12 previous years of education.”

“Every class is inspiring.”

“She’s my hero!”

“The best I’ve ever had.”

“She is the best teacher at this school. Give her a raise!” 

“She speaks too much about feminism.”

“She rambles and goes off on these really long tangents.”

“Didn’t learn anything.”

 

My response: Nothing?? The kid learned nothing??

Shoot, I learned at least 10 new things, and I'm the teacher!

 

7.  This course stimulates critical thinking.   

[This box is the most important one to me].

 

“All the damn time.”

“I think so hard it hurts.”

“I can’t sleep at night.”

“Oh man, that’s an understatement. This course made me think of life differently.”

“It is a heavy course due to the amount of thinking I do after class.”

“Too much sometimes.”

“I have made so many epistemological leaps in this class it isn’t even funny.”

“Yes. Now how do I turn it off?”

 

My response: They simply crack me up.

 

8. I would give this course a positive rating.

 

“Yes. Makes you look at religion in a different way.”

“Should be a requirement.”

“Incredible.”

“What you thought you knew before, you don’t really know.”

“Enjoyed every minute.”

 

“11,273,489,508 on a scale of 10.”

 

My response: Awwwwwwww... thanks.