I wrote yesterday about competition and how we should treat our students and their community as our customers. Coincidentally, in researching for some presentations I’ll be doing in northern Ontario next week, I ran across this web site, RateMyTeachers.com.
I’ve heard about this site for years, but never really took a look. I looked up the school that my children attended, and found quite a few ratings, and mostly they were pretty accurate as per my own experiences through my own kids. The ratings were based on easiness, helpfulness, clarity, and popularity.
A report card for teachers. Intriguing!
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What I find more intriguing is how many schools have blocked this site, as it’s “disruptive.”
Well, yeah. It is (disruptive). And should be. And shouldn’t be blocked.
Ho hum.
I think you are all a bunch of stupid yanks and it’s only in america where you could think up such a stupid website…
I know teachers who visit the site to have a little “fun” rating their peers. With no attribution you are going to get the very angry students being very harsh. Teacher fans are going to heap praise. And some people are going to just try to stir things up. I’m not saying that the site is of no use. I know students (including some in college who use ratemyprofessor.com) who use these as a guide to select teachers and courses. But it seems a bit risky to me. I think the page should be labeled “for entertainment only.” 🙂
I guess what impressed me about the rating system is that it didn’t seem to give a lot of opportunity to vent. It was pretty straight forward, rate by easiness, helpfulness, clarity, and popularity — a word all kids understand.
I’m also not suggesting that this be used scientifically, in the way that a survey might be used. But it is more than mere entertainment. It’s an opportunity to turn education into more of a conversation. Given the opportunity to grade students for the first time, I suspect that some teachers would be tempted to abuse.
I know some teachers that have been devestated by what they found there. However, when I read what had them so upset, I hda to admit that the students were on the mark. It’s not the way I’d ever want to hear negative feedback, but sometimes a wakeupcall is in order I guess.
I have mixed feelings about sites like that. On the one hand, I can see how the ratings could be used as a “wake up call” as Steve suggests. But on the other hand, it would be far too easy for a few students with a grudge to totally tear a teacher apart without merit. I would be much more comfortable with the site if the ratings were confined to numbers; allowing comments is an invitation to trouble IMO.
I am appalled by some of these comments. You should read my review of this site: http://terry-freedman.org.uk/artman/publish/article_524.php
Anyone can post anonymous comments; there is no proper guidelines for evaluating teachers; there is no need for a site like this if there is already an inspection system in place; and you sould see some of the really dreadful comments I received, including curses, from people who like to comment on the site and who didn’t like my comments.
In terms of a wake-up call, since when was “He gibs me dirty looks” a wak-up call? You people should exercise a bit of responsibility: this site is just an excuse for teacher-bashing, and you should be condemning it, not condoning it.
In the UK, if someone has an issue with a teacher, there are lots of avenues to go thru. Don’t u have that in the USA?
As for a simple rating system, it’s ridiculous quite frankly: in the context of teaching what does a number mean? I had one person email me privately to say that his sister was totally stressed because of someone’s anonymous comments about her.
So here is a question: are any of you prepared to advocate that when, say, a student is about to graduate from high school they get a certificate based on a Rate My Student site, in which teachers can anonymously say anything they like and then give the student a grade 3? If not, then don’t advocate it for teachers.
I’m sorry for getting out of my pram like this, and I hope it doesn’t sour any of the relationships I enjoy with some of you, but I am sick to death of people who think it’s ok to berate teachers. That’s bad enough, but to do so anonymously is, quite frankly, the lowest of the low.
Anyway, read my evaluation, which puts a rather different perspective on it.
erm, just to say, sorry if my remarks were a bit intemperate, it’s nothing personal of course
I haven’t given RateMyTeacher a good going over. But it doesn’t really matter. It doesn’t matter what I think, what you think, want any of the commenters here think. The conversation is out there. You can object, but there’s no stopping this now.
If you want to to be reliable, then you have to bring it in. Each school, or each district, or each state/province/ministry of education has to implement a method for students and parents to “grade” “their” “teachers”.
It’s actualling not a bad idea — if we’re to treat them like customers!
Pennies for your thoughts! 😉
Treating them like customers is an excellent idea. But setting up a system whereby anyone, whether they’re a customer or not, can publicly “grade” a teacher is not actually treating them like customers IMHO.
I have to agree with Terry Freedman, on the specific point of the site being un-moderated. There is the possibility of online bullying of teachers to occur !!! I know that web 2.0 has the aim of giving the power to pupils, and to use IT in a more creative way – however with all technology as with life not all is good ( even though the initial idea is.
Dave I would like some of your expertise – how can I a primary teacher in South Wales who has been bitten by the bug of web 2.0 technology ( podcasting and blogging plus using other IT across the curriculum) spread this to my hard pressed colleagues – I have done some in-house training and given demonstrations in house of what is possible – but schools don’t move very fast to take up technology as staff have too many other pressures on them. I am frustrated as I can see what they could do with the technology – but it can be tiring being an evangelist in the wilderness ( I approached my local Education IT Training Agency – I don’t think that they understand web 2.0 !!!!! I may be wrong ) http://cefnfforest.podomatic.com, http://ddraig-goch.blogspot.com/
You’re right, of course, Terry. I’m not condoning, in any way, any abuse of sites like RateMyTeacher. I’m just say that there isn’t much that we can do about it, except to usurp the conversation to any degree that we can.
If the site is unmoderated and there are features that allow disgruntled students to bully their teachers, then the site deserves our criticism.
I guess my hope is that with a few years, and perhaps even a few months at the current rate of change, people will start to be much more discerning about what they read and what they believe — read it for what it is — graffiti.
I heard about this site a few years ago but never perused it until now. I read the comments above and expected the site to be imflammatory and negative but was pleasantly surprised. Comments are monitored and students are allowed to leave one comment per teacher. I found the teacher ratings for the teachers of my own two high school kids, to be very generous and more than fair. I also found it interesting that although the students have found this site and left ratings, there weren’t any teacher ratings by parents. Once again, our kids know more about the possibilities than we do as parents.
The ability to leave general questions that were commented upon by both other students and teachers was helpful as well. And it looks like teachers are able to leave comments either of gratitude for rankings or to dispute their ranking so I found this to be a more legitimate site than I expected.
I think we need to credit our students for the fair ways in which they rated their own teachers.
Dave,
Just came across this post on the ratemyteacher.com site under user comments and thought you would find it interesting.
September 9, 2006
It simply amazes me how many teachers are upset that there is a webpage dedicated to rating their performance. It seems to me that there are far too many people that are overly sensitive about what is said about them. A strange trait for a group much like ourselves, who make a living giving feedback to students on their performance.
I agree that this platform can be abused, just like anything on the Internet, but you should be able to differentiate quality criticism from a blatant attack. As soon as I heard about this site, I gave the address to my students and asked that they give me feedback. I always want to get better at my craft, and this gives each student the capability to communicate that feedback to me without fear of reprisal.
Yes, the rating system is flawed and of course students can use this to take a cheap shot, but I think many people who have posted to this board vastly underestimate the people they teach. Students are more than capable, just as we were at that age, to differentiate between quality instruction that helps them and instruction that needs improved.
My advice to any teacher who thinks this site is out of line? Point your browser somewhere else. In the meantime, I will use this site to try to become more effective, and if I do get attacked by an upset student, I will just keep in mind that they are human too, subject to the same shortcomings as every single person ever born, and then still take their criticism and see if there is a shred of truth to it.
Thoughts?
Isn’t the genie already out of the bottle? The site is already setup?
What are those of you opposed to ratemyteacher.com proposing? Should we suspend democracy? Put you in charge of the web?
I’ve found that the reviews I’ve read at the site to be remarkably accurate and was enormously proud when I searched for an old student of mine who was held in very high esteem by her students.
We don’t need to treat students like customers, since most of the corporate metaphors are flimsy, but perhaps we could treat them as citizens we don’t fear or despise.
The only cure for unpleasant speech is more speech.
My two cents,
Gary Stager
http://www.districtadministration.com/pulse
How would you like it if your name was posted on the internet for everybody in the world to see and anybody (some who might not even actually know you) could rate you and write anything that they wanted about your professional conduct and ability to do your job? I think that’s potentially called slander in some countries. Funny how we feel that teachers are free targets for denigration, but if you were anyone else this type of treatment would be internet bullying.
On a lighter note, the site is completely useless. I can go on as often as I like and praise my abilities as a teacher as much as I want.
testing 123
Is there any legal avenue in place requiring this so-called educational site to remove a teacher’s name who does not want to participate. I personally am indignant – I never gave anyone permission to use my name or likeless in a published internet forum.
The site is nothing more than internet graffiti. Useless and full of claptrap.
It’s a great way for people to see what to expect of different teachers. But yes it’s true that people can use it for revenge rating and give bad ratings on purpose, but this usually doesn’t happen. People who really liked their teachers really give high ratings and that does make a reflection. Overall, I’ve checked many overall ratings for many teachers and they’ve always been accurate. Mean, loser-like teachers get lower ratings and good teachers get higher ratings. The internet contains free speech; if this avenue is not created it will still come out in some way or the other.
I know someone who had a nervous breakdown, the beginning of which probably was the posting of unfair and defamatory comments on the aforementioned website.
I wish those responsible for the comments could see and understand the consequences of their actions. We as teachers are accountable for our actions. Why are those responsible for this bullying practice not suffering the consequences of having destroyed a life and career?
The moderation of this site is a joke. You can get away with making any claims you want.
I’m sure these sites aren’t actually checked by professionals who can get the teachers fired? They’re only checked by students and parents and the teachers, not by people who have the power to fire teachers over random, baseless comments.
I was a sub teacher who has had negative comments made about me on Rate my teacher. Every one of those comments were true in the minds of those students. Was I “mean”?, yes, when the situation warranted it. Kids want to act out with a sub, and I wasn’t going to allow it when I took over the class. My reputation proceeded me that I was tough and wasn’t going to take any nonsense. So, I wasn’t well-like by some students. What do I care? I am there to make sure they do the work that was assigned and that the class was not disruptive. Some of these kids, needed the fear of God in them to quiet them down. I was always called to work every day because I was reliable and got things done. finally, students rate teacher on their personalities not on their pedogogy. I have had one’s on Clarity,Helpfulness, etc. Obviously, those numbers are wrong because I am very clear on directions and willing to help even the most disgruntled student. It just goes to show that these kids can’t be objective when they rate someone, Terefore, I don’t take them seriously. Really, these students don’t have the pedagogical training to rate anyone.
Well said and well done. The fact is that the odd balls of yesteryear are the parents of today. Screw all the psycho babble and whining about the long work day.Many people always had it hard but they sorted out their children if they heard from the school what you had to deal with.
I am a student and I have used RMT a few times. I find it very acurate and the reviwes are genaraly more positive than you would expect. I keep hearing about the horrible breakdowns teachers have when they see this site, but has any thought about the problems students might have with these teachers and how they deserve to be warned in advanced. The teachers who have breakdowns when looking at their reviews are the ones whos students can not stand thier teaching. To be honest I think the teacher having a breakdown is worth it so the students do not have to go through a miserable, uneducating and unlearning class. I also find it very frustrating that outside of RMT there is no method for critizcsing a bad teacher. Are we sudposed to assume that all teachers are great at their job and have no room for improvement?
The teacher’s breakdown was worth it? What kind of callous person are you? Do you have any idea what a breakdown does to a person? To a person’s family and friends? What if that teacher had her own children? Did they deserve to suffer even if she was a bad teacher? You don’t even know what the review said. It may have been made because she was mean, but nice teachers get awful or disgusting reviews too sometimes. Wouldn’t it have been better if, instead of writing some offensive anonymous review like a coward, the student and his or her parent had gone to the principal, and if that didn’t work, the superintendent, and if that didn’t work, the school board? No other method for criticizing a bad teacher? I just gave you three. Not to mention, a student or a parent could speak with the teacher directly about concerns. A lot of people handle things in this manner–it’s mature and respectful, as well as the most effective. Because 999 of 1000 teachers aren’t going to change because some teenager insults them on a website that they might never look at. People respond to a calm, rational, personal approach with lots of “I statements” and not direct accusations and insults.
Be careful of this site as what usually seems to be of good intent turns out to be quite something else. I have no qualms about proper critical analysis but you are dealing oft times with an elementary/secondary school audience who as yet require more perameters for analysis of a licensed professional.Indeed an educator can be seen by many an adolescent as a tyrant in one region but in another locale that same educator is seen as the best person to prep one for university; sadly it often boils down to the calibre of the audience.Yes I note that students do make accurate remarks but all too many times their comments are highly putrid and vaccuous.In HateMyTeacher.com it reflects that typical 13 going on 31 north american attitude where the adult/teacher is reduced or raised depending on the mood and mindset of the ‘student’.Teachers should gain respect but their positions should also command respect and while we balk at those commonwealth students who stand when a teacher walks in a class or line up outside the classroom, those students still voice concerns regarding inefficient teaching (versus the term inefficient teacher)through traditionally established school channels.HateMyteacher also makes some teachers look cool while others are perpetually evil.Hmmm what do yall say to teachers rating students in this way and by the way, I’m loved,I am, I really am,I have a smiley face with shades.But then so does the geezer candy-marker(teacher that grades extremely easily).