Students' Rating Their Teachers

In colleges and universities, it is quite common for students to rate or evaluate their teachers. There are various opinions about this practice. Advocates of the idea feel that such an evaluation helps both the teachers and administrators see the effect and influence of teachers ontheir students. Without such evaluations, they say, teachers would become lazy, and students would have no voice to express their dissatisfaction.

On the other side of the issue are those who point out that students are leamers, notjudges. Very ofien these evaluations tum in popularity contests, with personable, funny teachers coming out better than other intelligent and skilled, but less funny teachers.

In my opinion, students should have an opportunity to rate their teachers once or twice a semester, but this should not be the only way a school evaluates its teachers. A school shouldhave a teacher evaluation committee visit classes, analyze all aspects of teachers and theirclasses, survey students and report on their findings. In this way I believe our schools will remain places ofleaming rather than popularity

competitions.