My student evaluations from last spring were just returned to my box. They were a mixed bag–one class went well and the evaluations reflected this. Another class had some rocky moments, and that was reflected in the evaluations as well. Several colleagues (both of whom have been teaching for some time) take the evaluations too much to heart. Instead of seeing them for what they are–an instrument–they feel that they reflect their worth as a person.
I used to fret about these evaluations, too, but I’ve since realized that to worry is really to waste time. Now, when I get back the evaluations, I follow a process:
- I read all the comments from a class and sort them into categories: useful and useless. Normally there are quite a few useful comments in a class of 20-30 students. All the useless ones (He’s so mean, I don’t like tests, and so on) I ignore. I refuse to lose time fretting about them.
- I then turn to the useful pile and decide what is reasonable. This semester, for instance, several students said that they wanted more (?!) quizzes on the poetry unit because it helps them to gauge how well they are learning the material. Also, several noted that the course was back-loaded ( they had a lot more work toward the end of the semester) and wondered if some things could be moved from the last few weeks to other places in the semester.
- After finding the reasonable comments, especially ones that get repeated several times, I decide what changes I’ll make in the course and then immediately go to the syllabus and either make those changes or note them promintently so that I can consider them again next time I teach the course.
- I then record the numerical scores for every course in the master list I keep in my tenure/promotion spreadsheet.
- File the evaluations away for possible future use.
The process helps to take the emotion and worry out of reading the evaluations and losing time. All told, I spend about 15 minutes / class, derive some benefit from the process, and don’t waste my time.
