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Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: Scoff Please login to reply to this message. Posted Tuesday, Dec 11 at 8:29 PM Tue, Dec 11, 07 at 08:29:14 EST (In reply to 642) So, we can assume that 642 is your legal name then?

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: 642 Please login to reply to this message. Posted Tuesday, Dec 11 at 8:36 PM Tue, Dec 11, 07 at 08:36:37 EST (In reply to Scoff) No, 642 is my old office # and I may be reached at: tomgra23@hotmail.com and my blog is available via google: amusedbyitall. A few minutes of research will quickly reveal who I am if anyone is interested. Many sins have I but not hypocracy (poss. sp., it always kills my entry when I spellcheck.)

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: artsy357 Please login to reply to this message. Posted Tuesday, Dec 11 at 8:47 PM Tue, Dec 11, 07 at 08:47:45 EST (In reply to 642) Anonymity is not always a bad thing though. I think constructive criticism and honest feedback (good things I do in the class, as well as the bad)on RMP, in the proper location is fine and I know many students would not post if they had their names attached. If I never get feedback, how can I improve as an instructor...and those end of the semester "evaluations" provide little real feedback as to what students respond to in the classroom. I don't think I want to know who said what about me. That way, I can harbor no ill will, if I were to see the student again. That being said, I do think it is rude and inconsiderate to go on every posting on the forum to bash one particular instructor, no matter how bad someone feels an instructor is. Takes the fun out of the forum.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: summer-2 Please login to reply to this message. Posted Tuesday, Dec 11 at 9:59 PM Tue, Dec 11, 07 at 09:59:55 EST (In reply to 642) I don't believe one can destroy somebody's reputation via negative ratings on rmp. Nobody takes these ratings serious. It's clear that students are different, in great diversity, and some can vent their anger in public anonomous place. It is not an authoritative source to judge a person. So, I wouldn't worry. I would ignore. Normal people will find their way to form an opinion, other ratings will come, old ones will pass. I found some ratings about my professors totally inaccurate, some were pretty accurate. So, it all depends.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: cactusflinthead Please login to reply to this message. Posted Wednesday, Dec 12 at 9:17 AM Wed, Dec 12, 07 at 09:17:06 EST (In reply to 642) That is the nature of the beast when it comes to the internet. We have at least the illusion of anonymity, a court order can suddenly dispose of that little notion though. I can be found as well, but it is rare that anyone wants to go to that trouble. I have learned to accept others desire to remain unknown and I try to protect my own privacy, however I realize that if someone wants to find me they probably can.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: cactusflinthead Please login to reply to this message. Posted Wednesday, Dec 12 at 11:40 AM Wed, Dec 12, 07 at 11:40:11 EST (In reply to 642) http://rateyourstudents.blogspot.com/2007/11/its-our-birthday-and-we-dont-even-have.html at the risk of messing up the page, I will post the entire link to mention the blog in question. This particular link should take you to some of the origins of RYS. It affords the same anonymity of this site. It is a response to this site and exactly the same concerns you express in this thread. I think that there are means for professors and other teachers to vent and discuss the performance of their students. There isn't a specific list of students that is found on RYS but a rogue's gallery of faces we have all met in classes. It is difficult to compare the two entities of RYS and RMP, but they are intertwined.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: justbeingnosie Please login to reply to this message. Posted Wednesday, Dec 12 at 12:49 PM Wed, Dec 12, 07 at 12:49:03 EST (In reply to 642)I personally agree with those comments. I have gotten upset a couple of time on this site my self. It was because many of the istructore that I personally took for varieous subject had been put down, lied about and insulted. This is the kinds of critisim that I personally can't stand. Yet, on the other hand, I feel that this is a good way for students and instructors to vent about their feelings. Of all the instructors that I have taken, there has only one teacher that I thought was unfair and down right vicious when it came to her grading method. I felt that she was a bit unfair and her expectations were too much. I stick to my opinions reguarding that instructor, and think that I was right because all of the other rattings were all negative too. And, because of this I know that it wasn't I who was being unfair.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: Subtilis Please login to reply to this message. Posted Wednesday, Dec 12 at 1:55 PM Wed, Dec 12, 07 at 01:55:12 EST (In reply to 642) Who takes this forum THIS seriously? I don't think this instructor's credibility is seriously damaged or her reputation at stake because one disgruntled student decides to go on an anonymous rampage online. Secondly, do we even have "anonymity" anymore? I am of the opinion that the Internet is no longer as devious or as anonymous as it used to be.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: Scoff Please login to reply to this message. Posted Wednesday, Dec 12 at 2:04 PM Wed, Dec 12, 07 at 02:04:42 EST (In reply to 642) You totally know how to kill a one liner. On a more serious note, I disagree with your supposition that a person who does not wish to deal with reprisal for expressing an opinion is a coward. I'm sorry, but I have dealt with some pretty ****ty profs in my day who were more concerned with lording it over the students than educating. Who, BTW, SHOULD have been dealt with by an administration that chose to allow them to blithly continue apparently out of nothing more than apathy. And, if I want to warn those behind me of a landmine that I wish I could have avoided and don't want to be bothered with a lot of hystrionics and attempts at reprisal, that ABSOLUTELY should be my perogative. And further, I refuse to be made to feel guilty about it by someone who probably needs to work on thier sense of humor a little bit.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: Subtilis Please login to reply to this message. Posted Wednesday, Dec 12 at 5:26 PM Wed, Dec 12, 07 at 05:26:07 EST (In reply to 642) Come to think of it -- the past two semesters, I've had a professor who thinks of himself as a 'Ladies' Man'. To his credit, he IS very good looking and charming, but he seems to go out of his way to fish for compliments and see if any girls will get hooked on to him. His behavior is almost predatory, I should say. One the girls that got fixated on him probably stroked his ego so well that she was appointed tutor for that subject the following semester. And, she WAS THE WORST tutor the students could have asked for. Instead of doing her job -- which was to tutor students in return for a small salary -- she began acting like she was a professor herself, complete with a bad attitude. Wouldn't answer questions, was RUDE to those that did approach her etc, and most people were heartily tired of her by the time the semester ended. She coincided her tutoring hours around his office hours (he held office hours in his lab), so they were both BUSIER attending to each other with TLC than answering questions from students that either wanted to make use of office hours (such as me) or wanted extra help with her. It was all nice and warm and fuzzy, but it would have helped if they had got on with it OUTSIDE OF OFFICE HOURS / TUTORING HOURS. And since complaining to him about her or attempting to use his office hours proved useless (he just defended his baa-lamb every time) people finally got their own back at him (and that creature) by criticising his favoritism when the student evaluation forms were given out. Granted it was under a 'cloak of anonymity' but these were the same people who had already complained about the little pet baa-lamb, so he would have known who it was. Well, Fall rolls around and she is still the tutor, albeit with a BETTER attitude. He still holds office hours in the lab so they can still sit and talk about whatever it is they sit and talk about, but they now take heed to the students and put them ahead of their own warm and fuzzy conversations. So complaining -- anonymously or not -- is sometimes the only way to go.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: Adrahel Please login to reply to this message. Posted Thursday, Dec 13 at 5:23 AM Thu, Dec 13, 07 at 05:23:03 EST (In reply to 642) You can't honestly believe that the ratings left by anonymous students on this website ruin the careers of certain professors. It wasn't so long ago that student evaluations of college professors had to be handed in to the teacher being evaluated by the very students evaluating him/her. What a way to inspire "good ratings" right? Who would speak badly of the person who has yet to give them a grade to their face no less. In a way teachers can hold a students destiny in their hands, or at least the time it takes a student to achieve said destiny. But times have changed and student evaluations are handed into the dean or a fellow teacher rather than the actual teacher being evaluated. And the teacher being evaluated is not allowed to see them until after the grades have been submitted. This website is no different, students are as free to say what they think and feel here as they are on the evaluation forms handed out towards the end of the semester without their teacher necessarily knowing who they are. Now this freedom can of course leave room for students to lie about certain professors, but in general I think it provides decent feedback to the professors that are actually interested in what their students have to say about them. Usually the criticism is constructive and accurate in my experiences. Not only that, this isn't high school! Students are paying money to attend school, and who doesn't want to read several product reviews before making a purchase? A student's education is an investment and as such the student should be able to evaluate every aspect of that investment and have access to perspective of others who have come before them.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: 642 Please login to reply to this message. Posted Thursday, Dec 13 at 8:12 AM Thu, Dec 13, 07 at 08:12:08 EST (In reply to Adrahel) You make good and valid points one and all. Of course, valid & reliable student assessments done anonymously at the end of semester are vital. My quarrel is the public nature of RMP and the SNARKY comments. Everyone knows (or should) that the # ratings are fairly close to meaningless but the comments are there for all to see. Also, I was referring to reputation not career; I find it imposs. to believe that any Chair/tenure committee would give any credence to RMP but the students do. Make no mistake, RMP can be gamed for a while by a motivated student out to wreck a reputation. Admins have rectified this on a few occasions for others and myself.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: 642 Please login to reply to this message. Posted Thursday, Dec 13 at 8:13 AM Thu, Dec 13, 07 at 08:13:55 EST (In reply to 642) The odd snarky I can live with but a concerted and malicious campaign of them has happened and it is those who I call cowardly.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: plantman Please login to reply to this message. Posted Thursday, Dec 13 at 8:18 AM Thu, Dec 13, 07 at 08:18:50 EST In my long experience, students who are truly vindictive for no good reason are very rare. When I look at folks I know on rmp, very rarely do I not nod and say, yeah, I can see that. A lot of profs think they're being "challenging" when in fact they just aren't very good at being clear, concise, etc. The one place I do find problems with student evaluations, whether rmp or university- administered, is that most students do not really understand how academia and universities work. Their comments evince a lack of understanding of basic facts the faculties take for granted. That's our fault for not communicating it more clearly; this is something that probably ought to be covered at new-student orientation. The other place is that students sometimes have difficulty separating their feelings from an objective evaluation. It's like when your friend says, "That movie sucked!!" Well, maybe the movie was very well done, with good acting, an intelligent script, great direction, lighting, etc. But you just didn't ENJOY it because you never enjoy movies about singing opoosums in Vienna or whatnot. Okay, you didn't like the class -- it was a very unpleasant subject to study, a lot of work, and didn't crank your scooter. But did the prof perform his/her duties well? Was s/he clear, well-organized, lucid, patient, helpful, honest, fair, etc.? THAT is what you're being asked. ANY kind of polling, even by the Nielsen or Gallup people, must be taken with a grain of salt. Student evaluations are not 100% reliable, but they're reliable enough. I do not know ANY good profs of my acquaintance who have got 2.6 on rmp. (Though I have seen some I think are crappy get 3.5).

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: BenzeneRing Please login to reply to this message. Posted Friday, Dec 14 at 9:09 PM Fri, Dec 14, 07 at 09:09:54 EST (In reply to plantman) How do professors decide if other professors are "crappy"?

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: MathProfJC Please login to reply to this message. Posted Friday, Dec 14 at 9:23 PM Fri, Dec 14, 07 at 09:23:54 EST >(In reply to 642) You can't honestly believe >that the ratings left by anonymous students on >this website ruin the careers of certain >professors. (In reply to Adrahel) Depends on what has happened to you on here. I had a student try to ruin my career on this website, still tries once in a while... and all because he didn't get the grade he thought he deserved. Of course, it was my fault. I also walked in the deans office one day to find him reading ratings on this site - the same dean that told us he thought this site was worthless. Was also told by my department chair that two others in my department were going going to go to the dean about my ratings on this site. (At the same time the above mentioned student was trying to ruin my career.) Depends on who the person is that wants to try to ruin you. A person (dean, so-called-colleague, department chair) with integrity will not bother with this site. Any one who would is not worth the ground they walk on.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: plantman Please login to reply to this message. Posted Friday, Dec 14 at 9:30 PM Fri, Dec 14, 07 at 09:30:33 EST >>How do professors decide if other professors are "crappy"?<< On any job, you usually know which of your fellow employees are jerks, right? Who you can count on, who's an ass, who's a brown-noser, right? University departments are no different. With the concept of "shared governance" under which most universities operate, the rest of the faculty is involved in tenure decisions, promotions, merit raises, etc. We are called upon to evaluate our peers and they, us. A major way of gathering the info needed to do this is by sitting in their classes, usually at their invitation, to provide a "peer evaluation" for inclusion in their tenure/pomotion or merit file. I have been appalled at some of the things I've seen under these circumstances. It's been all I could do to keep from leaping out of my seat and shouting, "What the hell are you doing???" Also, in many cases, jerks are quite proud of things you know are just wrong, and will brag about them. ("I guess I showed THEM who's boss! I took 20 points off for a misspelled word!!") Also just by knowing how the prof behaves in faculty meetings, committee work, etc. A leopard doesn't change his spots. A jerk who is arrogant, belligerant, forgetful, disorganized, etc. in those settings is seldom a superb teacher in class. Also, by earnest discussions with students we know and trust. If students who perform well in your class confess to trouble in another, some directed questions usually reveal the problem.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: Sensir Please login to reply to this message. Posted Saturday, Dec 15 at 2:02 AM Sat, Dec 15, 07 at 02:02:06 EST >OK, now I'm angry. Not personally as I haven't >had a rating in months but it has always bothered >me that students can throw grenades from the >comfort of a foxhole against profs who are >disarmed and are on open ground. Hey, if you >have a problem with my teaching talk to me, beat >me up on the evaluations that matter (ie. end of >semester, in class ones), leave an anonymous note >but just make it behaviour related not >personality based. This sniping on a public >forum is gutless and puerile. It's academia, we >debate things on their merits with arguments >based on facts and analysis. We respect opposing >views and weigh them based on evidence. To vent >on a public forum in anonymity shows the worst >kind of cowardice and bullying; throwing stones >based on nothing but opinions against those who >have zero recourse. Let me ask the cowards: how >would you like your performance to be criticised >by anonymous people, yes, even profs, on a public >forum? You might want to think about that next >time you try to trash a reputation on RMP. Are >profs perfect? Of course not but I'd be willing >to bet a lot of $$ that the vast majority are >caring, nurturing, extremely knowledgeable >professionals who behave with integrity. We're >certainly not in it for the $$ nor the academic >politics. (In reply to 642) I totally disagree with you. First of all there's no such thing as anonymity. As I am typing this, there's message right below this window that I am responsible for what I post here, and that I can be identified with a court order. Second, it's not anonymity, it's the freedom of expression that you can exercise without having to worry about the excess garbage that you might get from everyone. The internet (here @ RMP) is a way for students to express themselves without facing any lash backs from professors. In my case however, I really do not care what lash backs are for me. In my college career, I've had about fifty or so professors. I've seen the best of them, and I've seen the most idiotic.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: Sensir Please login to reply to this message. Posted Saturday, Dec 15 at 2:14 AM Sat, Dec 15, 07 at 02:14:23 EST >Of course not but I'd be willing >to bet a lot of $$ that the vast majority are >caring, nurturing, extremely knowledgable >professionals who behave with integrity. We're >certainly not in it for the $$ nor the academic >politics. (In reply to 642) I know of one horrible professor who is very uncaring, non nurturing, and extremely non knowledgeable, and who behaved with the least of integrity. On the first day of class, she complaint about how she was poor, she got a scholarship, she went to college, and now she is a college professor... Wtf dude?! If she is so miserable with her career, doesn't know how to teach, or effectively communicate knowledge to her students, then why doesn't she choose to do something else?

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: Sensir Please login to reply to this message. Posted Saturday, Dec 15 at 2:21 AM Sat, Dec 15, 07 at 02:21:20 EST >Of course not but I'd be willing >to bet a lot of $$ that the vast majority are >caring, nurturing, extremely knowledgable >professionals who behave with integrity. We're >certainly not in it for the $$ nor the academic >politics. (In reply to 642) How much does a college professor make anyway? Not as much as a movie star! All a college professor do is judge a person by the grade that he or she is going to give to a student. In other words, a student is a just a number to them. Those kinds of professors must be the most anti-social people in the world.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: Subtilis Please login to reply to this message. Posted Saturday, Dec 15 at 3:07 PM Sat, Dec 15, 07 at 03:07:33 EST (In reply to Censesirship) You think movie stars cannot be anti-social?

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: Sensir Please login to reply to this message. Posted Saturday, Dec 15 at 5:36 PM Sat, Dec 15, 07 at 05:36:48 EST >(In reply to Censesirship) You think movie >stars cannot be anti-social? (In reply to Subtilis) He3l NO! Movie stars are like ordinary people.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: justbeingnosie Please login to reply to this message. Posted Saturday, Dec 15 at 6:13 PM Sat, Dec 15, 07 at 06:13:36 EST (In reply to Censesirship)I personally believe that most college professors do care about their students success, and things that may be going on in their life. One thing to remember is that they are people too and they have live outside of the institution. And, just like everybody else it can be hard to have a positive attitude. Especially, in the world that we live in today. Thats why negative critisim can be so distructive. When people lie, say insulting things that might affect their carrers or pride is wrong. I believe that not too many people can be edicuators. These folks very special to me. People need to stop and think about what it is that they are because without them where would the world be today. Education means a lot for success in life.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: justbeingnosie Please login to reply to this message. Posted Saturday, Dec 15 at 6:16 PM Sat, Dec 15, 07 at 06:16:06 EST (In reply to justbeingnosie)That is just my view. But, visa versa a student needs positive encouragement too.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: edwardlindsey Please login to reply to this message. Posted Sunday, Dec 16 at 9:28 PM Sun, Dec 16, 07 at 09:28:14 EST (In reply to 642) Hey look you just have to have a little thicker skin. I received negative ratings last year for being too easy. Thats right -- to frickin easy! Times have changed since the late 80's when I was in school. Students flocked to the easy proff in my day (and they still do, my enrollments are up)! I realized that it was one or two jerks who didn't really speak for the whole lot of my students. I actually find the site and its anonymity amusing now.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: buttercup Please login to reply to this message. Posted Sunday, Dec 16 at 9:41 PM Sun, Dec 16, 07 at 09:41:38 EST Times have changed since the >late 80's when I was in school. Students flocked >to the easy proff in my day (In reply to edwardlindsey) Back in my day (70s), there were no easy profs. They'd say things like, "Say goodbye to one of the people sitting beside you". And they meant it. Buttercup

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: plantman Please login to reply to this message. Posted Sunday, Dec 16 at 10:49 PM Sun, Dec 16, 07 at 10:49:49 EST >>Back in my day (70s), there were no easy profs. They'd say things like, "Say goodbye to one of the people sitting beside you". And they meant it.<< Oh, yes, and we had to walk five miles thru three feet of snow, barefoot, to get to class. And it was uphill ... both ways! ;-) Old Geezer

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: char6024 Please login to reply to this message. Posted Monday, Dec 17 at 2:18 PM Mon, Dec 17, 07 at 02:18:10 EST (In reply to 642) I agree that most teachers are caring and nurturing but this site is designed to help us find the pricks who aren't that way we don't end up in their class. If you find these forums very cowardice, then make your own site and require people to write their names.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: buttercup Please login to reply to this message. Posted Monday, Dec 17 at 8:19 PM Mon, Dec 17, 07 at 08:19:30 EST Oh, yes, and we had to walk five miles >thru three feet of snow, barefoot, to get to >class. And it was uphill ... both >ways! ;-) Old Geezer (In reply to plantman) Yer darn tootin', we did! And you better spell "through " correctly, or face the strap. It was six feet long and had nails in it. Old Geezet

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: rolypolyfishhed Please login to reply to this message. Posted Monday, Dec 17 at 8:34 PM Mon, Dec 17, 07 at 08:34:32 EST Classrooms were so cold we had to pee in our leggings to keep warm. (In reply to buttercup)

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: buttercup Please login to reply to this message. Posted Monday, Dec 17 at 8:47 PM Mon, Dec 17, 07 at 08:47:45 EST >Classrooms were so cold we had to pee in our >leggings to keep warm. (In reply to rolypolyfishhed) (In reply to rolypolyfishhed) Oh my goodness, yes! I remember the legging days indeed - girls weren't allowed to wear pants to school. We walked through those six foot snow drifts in our wool leggings - snow pants hadn't been invented yet. But it wasn't all bad. By November, the snow banks were firm enough that we could walk along the top of them, holding on to the overhead telephone lines to keep us from falling through. Buttercup

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: plantman Please login to reply to this message. Posted Monday, Dec 17 at 10:33 PM Mon, Dec 17, 07 at 10:33:44 EST >And you better spell "through" correctly, or face the strap.< Hey, we were SOOOOOO poor back then, we couldn't AFFORD extraneous letters!

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: buttercup Please login to reply to this message. Posted Monday, Dec 17 at 10:41 PM Mon, Dec 17, 07 at 10:41:07 EST Hey, we were SOOOOOO poor >back then, we couldn't AFFORD extraneous letters! (In reply to plantman) Awh, now you're gonna make me cry. My dad would say that when he had to explain why he had only one name - we were SOOOOO poor back then, we couldn't AFFORD extraneous names. Buttercup

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: rolypolyfishhed Please login to reply to this message. Posted Tuesday, Dec 18 at 12:19 AM Tue, Dec 18, 07 at 12:19:13 EST By November, the snow >banks were firm enough that we could walk along >the top of them, holding on to the overhead >telephone lines to keep us from falling through. <laughing hysterically> (In reply to buttercup)

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: IcyCalm Please login to reply to this message. Posted Tuesday, Dec 18 at 12:39 AM Tue, Dec 18, 07 at 12:39:45 EST >By November, the snow >banks were firm enough >that we could walk along >the top of them, >holding on to the overhead >telephone lines to >keep us from falling through. <laughing >hysterically> (In reply to buttercup) (In reply to rolypolyfishhed) Hey, that's no joke - I've done this, too! Also "walked" the roof of a culvert half full of slippery ice... ah, fun times in Canada.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: rolypolyfishhed Please login to reply to this message. Posted Tuesday, Dec 18 at 3:05 PM Tue, Dec 18, 07 at 03:05:16 EST I'm originally from New York, and I grew up with snow. It wasn't as bad as the way you describe Canada. Of course, you guys could be totally pulling my leg and I wouldn't know it. (In reply to IcyCalm)

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: Please login to reply to this message. Posted Wednesday, Dec 19 at 12:35 PM Wed, Dec 19, 07 at 12:35:20 EST (In reply to 642) It has always bothered me how teachers throw grenades at concepts, politics and ideals from the comfort of tenure. How they use the students class time to do so but as soon as anyone disagrees they say that isn't what the class is about. > Hey, if you have a problem with my teaching talk to me Why? will you change? > leave an anonymous note you don't like anonymity. Look at the subject you typed. >make it behaviour related not personality based. Perhaps you can give an example of personality that students complain about that isn't learned through behavior? Frankly, I don't see how anyone can know your personality except through your behavior. > This sniping on a public forum is gutless and puerile. >It's academia, we debate things on their merits with arguments based on facts and analysis. No. You don't debate. You have a closed mind. Someone who debates is open to the idea they could be wrong. That isn't you. >how would you like your performance to be criticised by anonymous people Everyone else deals with this all the time. People tell a restaurant manager about the waiter and he has no recourse. Parents are reported to CPS and have no clue why. Newspapers constantly quote "anonymous sources". Get over it.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: collegeboos Please login to reply to this message. Posted Friday, May 29 at 4:23 AM Fri, May 29, 09 at 04:23:33 EDT (In reply to 642) zero recourse? Teachers get rebuttals here. Many of them have several different Idents/ accounts. I have started to see the same accounts answering themselves in sympathy or gang upon legit complaints.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: ride2befree Please login to reply to this message. Posted Friday, May 29 at 2:10 PM Fri, May 29, 09 at 02:10:03 EDT (In reply to 642) I would like to say that when presented with an opportunity to fill in an evaluation form I do so. I take this serious to be used as a tool for reflection. What I do not like is that I am unaware when there are to be done. If giving time to organize my thought it comes across as a genuine effort. When they are given out of the blue, they are useless. Conflict is not always bad, depending on how you use it. Take the information to see if there could be an improvement, the positive application, or just disregard it if you believe it is in actuate. Each student and teacher has different abilities. Is the purpose of education to jump through hoops or is it to create an environment to facilitate education? Everyone wins in a healthy atmosphere. It is truly unreasonable to meet each individual students learning style. It does take courage to admit you just don?t get how the teacher teaches and even more difficult for a teacher to acknowledge situation. Is education a take it or leave it? Sometimes. Many would be surprised how much can be learned about yourself if it applied as a learning experience. It could even be viewed a evolution of the education process. We have all been on both sides even if it is not a student teacher relationship. These are issues faced daily by everyone in all relationships. Can a career be damaged, to a point? Maybe an announced invitation to complete an evaluation form near the end of the semester would be useful.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: areuavirgin69 Please login to reply to this message. Posted Monday, Jun 1 at 11:36 PM Mon, Jun 1, 09 at 11:36:14 EDT (In reply to 642) I never judge a professor based on one bad review. I read about 10 reviews, from different semesters, and sum it up. If a professor has mostly good ratings, then I take their class... mostly bad, then I don't bother (or at least expect much if it's a mandatory class). Even the CAPE review (university-issued professor survey) is handed out and turned in anonymously... many students wouldn't give their honest opinion/review of a professor if their name had to be attached.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: sportsstar469 Please login to reply to this message. Posted Tuesday, Jun 2 at 12:34 AM Tue, Jun 2, 09 at 12:34:50 EDT (In reply to 642)i think its to safe to say that you're a very bad professor who got tons of bad reviews and therefore is pissed off because you now have no students enrolling in your classes. HA. MY NAME IS JOHN SMITH I ANT SCARED LOL JK. BTW the professors do have a sense of recourse they can always offer their rebutals to comments and ratings left about them just most dont because its not in there best interest to be fighting with students online. also professors arent so innocent. i know a professor who rates himself and has a third persona that he plays and defends himself or even talks trash about himself thinking its funny and it be funny.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: willowtree11 Please login to reply to this message. Posted Tuesday, Jun 2 at 3:24 PM Tue, Jun 2, 09 at 03:24:37 EDT (In reply to 642) If these end of semester evaluations were available online we wouldn't need a site like rate my professor. I leave roughly the same feedback on the end of the year evaluations as I do on here and I wish students use this site more because I like to have a good idea about what kind of professor I will have the upcoming semester. I have had some wonderful professors, but I feel some are only here for their research or for a paycheck. I personally have never seen anything harmful to a professors reputation. And I do believe RMP tries to check on these things occasionally to make sure they are in good taste. Interestingly enough, as I type this there is a message in red under Post Reply "Remember, YOU are responsible for what you post here, and you can be identified with a court order."

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: phys_lab Please login to reply to this message. Posted Tuesday, Jun 2 at 4:16 PM Tue, Jun 2, 09 at 04:16:30 EDT (In reply to willowtree11) >If these end of semester >evaluations were available online we wouldn't >need a site like rate my professor. For what it's worth, I give out evaluations to my students and compile the results. I put them on the course website, and TELL students about them. By the END of the next course, 45% haven't looked at them.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: phys_lab Please login to reply to this message. Posted Tuesday, Jun 2 at 4:17 PM Tue, Jun 2, 09 at 04:17:38 EDT (In reply to phys_lab) >By the END of the next course, 45% >haven't looked at them. I know that because I ask about that on the evaluations for THAT course.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: luv2learn_2 Please login to reply to this message. Posted Saturday, Jun 13 at 2:32 AM Sat, Jun 13, 09 at 02:32:01 EDT >(In reply to willowtree11) For what it's worth, I give out evaluations >to my students and compile the results. I put >them on the course website, and TELL students >about them. By the END of the next course, 45% >haven't looked at them. (In reply to phys_lab) More professors should do this -good idea!

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: 642 Please login to reply to this message. Posted Saturday, Jun 13 at 2:21 PM Sat, Jun 13, 09 at 02:21:43 EDT >(In reply to 642)i think its to safe to say that >you're a very bad professor who got tons of bad >reviews and therefore is pissed off because you >now have no students enrolling in your classes. >HA. MY NAME IS JOHN SMITH I ANT SCARED LOL >JK. BTW the professors do have a sense of >recourse they can always offer their rebutals to >comments and ratings left about them just most >dont because its not in there best interest to be >fighting with students online. also professors >arent so innocent. i know a professor who rates >himself and has a third persona that he plays and >defends himself or even talks trash about himself >thinking its funny and it be funny. (In reply to sportsstar469)

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: 642 Please login to reply to this message. Posted Saturday, Jun 13 at 2:22 PM Sat, Jun 13, 09 at 02:22:17 EDT >>(In reply to 642)i think its to safe to say >that >you're a very bad professor who got tons >of bad >reviews and therefore is pissed off >because you >now have no students enrolling in >your classes. >HA. MY NAME IS JOHN SMITH I >ANT SCARED LOL >JK. BTW the professors do >have a sense of >recourse they can always offer >their rebutals to >comments and ratings left >about them just most >dont because its not in >there best interest to be >fighting with >students online. also professors >arent so >innocent. i know a professor who rates >himself >and has a third persona that he plays >and >defends himself or even talks trash about >himself >thinking its funny and it be >funny. (In reply to sportsstar469) (In reply to 642)

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: 642 Please login to reply to this message. Posted Saturday, Jun 13 at 2:28 PM Sat, Jun 13, 09 at 02:28:05 EDT (In reply to 642) Hi John, It may interest you to know that all of my classes are over-subscribed and that my RMP rating is about .6 below my actual ones. To surmise that I am a lousy prof. is just puerile. What you don't know ie. it predates you, is that there was a small cabal of po'd students aided by a malicious admin. (long since fired) who flooded my ratings with trash. And if you think that rebuttals are possible...good luck unless you are an American with a video cam. Good bye RMP. You were a delight when uber John ran it and near trash now. Evidence: I have had 166 ratings but only 1 or over 3 months now; no one even bothers any more.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: collegeboos Please login to reply to this message. Posted Thursday, Jul 2 at 7:18 AM Thu, Jul 2, 09 at 07:18:19 EDT (In reply to 642) Are you kidding..I wish I had professors as open and receptive. I am inspired by my core math courses..I was slammed by my art classes for elective requirements. I was appalled at how petty my art profs were. I skipped doing surveys after awhile because one professor started taking the evaluations waaaay to personally. We were told that the evaluations were rewritten on a computer. However some people you can tell their style of writing regardless. This professor bad mouthed several students she suspected of giving less than glorifying evaluations to other profs. These are her friends and coworkers...next thing you know they are all acting awful...guessing which students were the culprits. Apparently this prof whoadmittedly never took any adult teaching strategy classes..or human development classes was mad that she had been criticized by a teacher. Many of the complaints regarding the class were dead on. After word got out this student spoke up after being pinpointed. Not every professor is mature just as not as every student is mature enough to handle evaluations...and statements towards their professions.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: diemydarling666 Please login to reply to this message. Posted Tuesday, Oct 20 at 9:51 AM Tue, Oct 20, 09 at 09:51:38 EDT Uh maybe profs should worry more about listening to what people are saying and trying to (duh) fix the problem rather then whine about not being able to defend themselves. People aren't stupid, we can tell which reviews are left by people who just didn't try. It's like when I read obvious fake posts made by professors saying how "helpful" they are when all the real posts say they are incomprehensible. Why not just try to be more helpful rather than make a bunch of fake reviews? It's mind-boggling!

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: forreal2 Please login to reply to this message. Posted Thursday, Oct 29 at 10:17 PM Thu, Oct 29, 09 at 10:17:57 EDT (In reply to 642) I never say anything here that I don't put in an end of semester review. In fact I put more in an end of semester review. I post both good and bad stuff, i.e. I post the truth. But no I am not going to come to someone in person and tell them that the way they do xyz is horrible. I probably also won't walk up to them and tell them that they are excellent. If several people post the same FACTUAL information about someone I tend to take it seriously. If someone posts that someone is a ##### then I figure that they're just ticked that they failed and ignore them. I suggest you do the same.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: ck5 Please login to reply to this message. Posted Thursday, Oct 29 at 11:06 PM Thu, Oct 29, 09 at 11:06:35 EDT (In reply to forreal2) Thanks for the suggestion.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: Please login to reply to this message. Posted Friday, Oct 30 at 4:57 PM Fri, Oct 30, 09 at 04:57:05 EDT (In reply to 642) Not a teacher, but WOW!. - This is the most awesome retaliation to the cowards of this website who want to be anonymous. I wish I could write like you. That was powerful!

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: Please login to reply to this message. Posted Friday, Oct 30 at 5:14 PM Fri, Oct 30, 09 at 05:14:40 EDT (In reply to 642) I used to know a professor like that. He even told the class that he rated himself and commented too. Its a pretty funny thing though. People get screwed both ways. No one can trust anyone in here -RMP. Good luck picking classes on Monday. Professors try not to piss anyone off. This is a very hard thing to do. Everyone has different personalities and not everyone is going to get along and its just like that. Believe none of what you hear!

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: ck5 Please login to reply to this message. Posted Saturday, Oct 31 at 12:23 AM Sat, Oct 31, 09 at 12:23:43 EDT (In reply to naldo007) Okay, thanks for the advice. I'll wear my ear muffs on Monday.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: Please login to reply to this message. Posted Saturday, Oct 31 at 10:55 AM Sat, Oct 31, 09 at 10:55:58 EDT (In reply to ck5) These days you need ear plugs just to go grocery shopping. Sometimes if one doesn't let things go, they get real mad. Its just not worth the energy spent. Being pissed off all of the time will get you nowhere. Its kind of like holding in a negative energy that has no choice but to escape at the wrong moments. I think that is what happens to professors sometimes. Everyone has a breaking point. I have never met anyone that doesn't get mad or frustrated at times. This happens. Just kidding about your mama. hehe. See when you read this "What did you think?" You probably were a little upset and ready to retaliate until you found out it was just to get under your skin. A joke, and if you already written something back without reading this then maybe you feel bad now. Or maybe I am just a jerk and you will never talk to me agian in here. Either way, I hope this helps. Try not to push buttons even after your button is broken

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: ck5 Please login to reply to this message. Posted Saturday, Oct 31 at 5:39 PM Sat, Oct 31, 09 at 05:39:57 EDT I have this sudden urge to sew buttons on a coat.

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: Please login to reply to this message. Posted Saturday, Oct 31 at 5:41 PM Sat, Oct 31, 09 at 05:41:21 EDT (In reply to ck5) You like to sew?

Re: The 'Courage' of Anonymity posted by: Please login to reply to this message. Posted Saturday, Oct 31 at 5:46 PM Sat, Oct 31, 09 at 05:46:11 EDT (In reply to ck5) I got a couple missing buttons you could sew for me

w5

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