Am I weak because I determine my self worth by Ratemyprofessor.com?

[Runcible Spoon]

I care most about how many hot tamales I get. Anyone else have existential angst at the end of the semester? :evilgrin:
Disclaimer: No, I don't really determine my self worth according to ratemyprofessor but I do think the kids are more honest there than on evaluations, plus I'm secure since my overall quality rating is 4.8 AND I have 5/5 hot tamales baby! Boo-ya! :headbang:

[supernova]

1. You are indeed, a campus God!

:-) Lecture on, FarceOfNature!

[Runcible Spoon]

3. snarf.

I always DO have that ONE student who absolutely hates me however...what can I say, I'm a carpetbagger from the North in a very conservative state...

[Aiptasia]

2. I find it pathetic

That you rate your self worth based on anything your students may have to say about you. Why the desperate need to feel loved?

PS: You don't have tenure, do you? ;)

[Runcible Spoon]

4. hope you meant a sarcasm icon...

all jesting aside, I don't think it's pathetic to care what your students think of you but there is pbviously a point where one goes overboard..there are some people here who absolutely freak out and obsessively check their ratings. I'm pretty freakin' young to be teaching a full class but I'm damned good at my job and sometimes NOT having tenure makes for a better lecture experience for the students! :evilgrin: I can honestly say that I care more about my research than my teaching appointment and in my research-driven field that's par the course but some of these faculty dinosaurs punish the kids because they are "above" teaching and resent doing it. I don't think that's fair...

[redqueen]

7. bless you

:)

[Elidor]

17. "above teaching"

It's amazing how many teachers at the college level regard their students as nuisances to be avoided at all costs. Some of them seem to feel they'd have the perfect job if all those damn students would just go away.

Many are called. Some are worthy.

[Book Lover]

5. You *do* know about Rate Your Students, right?

http://www.rateyourstudents.blogspot.com/

[Runcible Spoon]

6. wow! what fun!

thanks for the link! :evilgrin:

[deadparrot]

8. It's how I pick my classes.

:blush:

:hi:

[Runcible Spoon]

9. by hot tamale rating alone?

or do you factor in easiness too? ;) just kidding, I actually know you by your posts and think you're very bright and interesting.

[deadparrot]

10. Thanks!

:hi:

I usually look at overall quality, but for subjects that I don't like (math/science), I definitely take the easiness factor into consideration. Now that my math/science requirements are over, though, that should stop. :D

[Left_Winger]

11. I know how you feel

I have a 4.4

There is one digruntled student out there, but they did not bother to make a comment.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

12. What do you think makes you great?

And that was not a smart assed question. I'm really curious. I miss academia. I read a lot and am currently obsessed with Russian History.
I loved the professors that challenged me and involved me in discussion. I usually ended up loving the professors that no one else liked. What subject do you teach?
Duckie

[Runcible Spoon]

14. cultural anthropology :)

it's a hard subject to make boring, so that makes my job easier. I think finding new ways to make the material relevant to the students' actual experiences is where I am strong...but I fear I get into trouble a bit with some of the more, err shall we say, set in their ways students who don't like being told there are many other perspectives cross-culturally...

[YellowRubberDuckie]

21. Damn...Where do you teach?

I wanna take that class! :evilgrin: I miss academia. :evilfrown:
Duckie

[JVS]

13. Well at least the tamale count can be trusted somewhat

Generally the ratings seem to be either the gripings of malacontents or the gushing praise of people who find their professor to be "hot"

[Runcible Spoon]

15. true true

but I have seen a few of my colleagues who get hot tamales and low ratings :shrug:

[Hissyspit]

25. If you are choosing your professor by "hotness"

you are an idiot. Of course, with everything else EQUAL, then maybe...

The hottest professor I ever had (she wore leather boots) turned out to be a lunatic who personally attacked me, blaming me for EVERYTHING WRONG with the class, in front of other students. Believe me, I didn't give a damn that she was "hot" after that.

[Nevernose]

16. Yes. Not to mention insecure and shallow.

I know, because I check "ratemyteacher" every few months. :D

[TallahasseeGrannie]

18. Those things are so unreliable

because the responders are pissed about their grades.

What's a hot tamale? In my family, that's what we call a dog in heat.

[realisticphish]

20. that's why

you read all the entries, and average. most of the time, i've found advice from my fellow students to be accurate when it come sto teaching style, etc. I have one teacher that I always reccomend, but with the caveat that you may not get good grades; they're still a great prof

[Hissyspit]

27. So, seven replies out of ten years of teaching is going to give you an

accurate picture? I have taught several hundred students if not thousands. And you can get an accurate picture from seven comments? That's what I have on the site.

[realisticphish]

29. of course not

and that's why I don't drop a prof because of one bad review. But, say, 10 bad reviews for one particular class gives me a sense of forboding. And if there's another prof without the bad reviews for that same class, I'll probably err towards that. And in all cases, I ask around with my friends who have taken the class, to see what they think.

If I had 10 years of comments, I'd be thrilled. I don't, so I work with what I have

[realisticphish]

19. not at all

that's how I pick my classes:shrug:

and a hot tamale gets the edge over an equivalent non-tamale prof

[xmas74]

22. You gave me an idea.

I went there and rated a friend. I've never taken one of his classes but who cares!

Then I sent him an email telling him that I called him a hot tamale. He ought to get a kick out of it.

[Runcible Spoon]

23. that's the spirit!

we all promise each other we won't "throw" the ratings but I rated all my peeps too (and a few "enemies") :evilgrin:

[xmas74]

30. Got an email back from him.

He loved it.

[Hissyspit]

24. I don't even need to look to know I don't have any hot tamales.

Which I find kind of insulting, so I don't have any use for those sites.

My evaluations are usually really good anyway.

[Floogeldy]

26. Nope. You're weak for a totally unrelated reason.

;)

[Mutley]

28. After reading this thread

I went and rated all the professors I love. I couldn't bring myself to rate the ones I don't like, though. :P