Home June 2, 1996
Evaluations
American universities have a useful system in which students evaluate their
professors. Typically an anonymous survey is done near the end of the term.
The teacher leaves the room while the students fill out a questionnaire.
After grades are turned in the administration reviews the student comments
with the teacher.
Generally these evaluations are used as a way of measuring teaching effectiveness. The answers are analyzed as a group. That is, if many students have a similar opinion, it is seen as a significant comment on the teacher's classroom abilities.
I remember one evaluation in particular. I really enjoyed the class and naively thought everyone else did too. I was thus shocked during the evaluation when a student in the back of the room said "I have been waiting for this for weeks! I am going to tear that old man apart!" She certainly did, answering the questions very negatively and out loud!
I don't know why she hated the class so much. She gave only the scores, not the reasons. Still, it really bothered me that she had such a low opinion of my favorite teacher. A few days later I saw a classmate and told him how disappointed I was about the negative student's comments.
He just smiled at me good-naturedly and said "She has her own reality, her own view of the world, and you have yours. So don't worry about it."