Today I received my student evaluations from my Critical Thinking class. Usually, my evaluations results are very high. But this time, they were a bit sub-par. I am trying to figure our why that is the case. This particular class was unlike any I have taught in the past. The students, with the exception of a maybe four, were difficult and combative. This class consisted of the abuse student and the two students who were having trouble with English.
So, is it me or them? I am not so arrogant to think that I am the greatest thing since sliced bread. But, I have to wonder after receiving such high praise, why my numbers have dropped.
I usually perform an autopsy of what worked or did not work at the end of each semester, regardless of my evaluation scores. I believe that I can always improve something. Often, what works with one group of students does not necessarily work with the next semester’s group. So I guess I have some thinking to do.
Update: I ran into the DI this morning and mentioned my concern regarding my evals. She thought that they were fine and I should not be concerned. But she also brushed me off in order to have a discussion with the comptuer tech dude.
But I can't help it. Maybe it's the perfectionist in me. Am I crazy?
About Me
- Seeking Solace
- I am a college professor who is fumbling through the chaos of academia, rheumatoid arthritis, working on my PhD and just being a 40 something woman. I used to be a lawyer, which made me a snarky little person. I have a wonderful Husband and a German Shepherd named Junior. They help keep me sane.
Paws to Consider
My Sister's Keeper
6 comments:
One of the issues that I have with such evaluations is that once in a while you, for whatever reason, just get a problem class. That makes you look bad. You could put the best instructor in the country in that class, and they'd fare not much better. But, that doesn't make your ratings any higher. I just about always get very high ratings, but once in a while I, too, get one of those classes.
Yeah, like astroprof said--your situation just proves that classroom dynamics can be idiosyncratic, and sometimes you'll get a bad set.
ss: Oh I just love those teaching evaluations. I agree with astroprof and ianqui- sometimes you just get a bad group. I have taught the same class the same way and gotten VERY different evaluations- and the worse ones were when I had students who were mostly inept! I wouldn't over-analyze them, if I were you. You can really drive yourself crazy with those things...
I hated that about evals too - sometimes you get the classes that just click - everything gels. And (thankfully, less frequently), sometimes you get the local chapter of "stinkers of the world unite".
I'd be beating myself up too, but I bet there really isn't that much you'll find you'd do differently once you do your post-mortem (especially knowing you as I do - I doubt you had your nice face on for your 11AM class and your b*tch face on for the 1PM [?? on times]. You're a fairness freak - no matter how you felt about each class, it wouldn't be like you to treat them differently)
Sometimes a class can perpetuate a feedback loop that has things out of control... I had that happen last spring with two classes on exactly the same material. One class was fantastic, the other had a negaitive asshat who was also a loudmouth complainer. He set a negative tone from the start and things went sour from there. That class ended up with lower test scores and a higher drop rate than the other one. Their evaluations were also less than good.
Don't worry about one class too much. Think about how you could handle a less well-prepared group in the future and take this class as a learning experience. I'm sure they got a lot out of the class, even though they actually had to do some work (gasp, sigh, eyeroll!).
Thanks everyone for your comments. I feel a little better about the situation!!!
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