I hate getting class reviews back. If they were just suggestions for how to improve the way I teach or how to make the material more interesting, that would be fine. Profs can use those. And many of the reviews are just that, relatively benign.
But when students use anonymous reviews to insult you personally, or blame you for things that they never told you they were having trouble with or that you have no control over, it’s extremely upsetting. It feels like being bullied. Okay, I get that people need to vent when a class doesn’t thrill them or they’re not getting a fantastic grade. But ripping on your professor is a really shitty way to go about it. I mean, I’ve been a student too not all that long ago, and even if I hated a class, I’d never say some of the things that my students said, anonymous or not.
I wish students would remember that their teachers are only human. We’ve got the same feelings and anxieties. And we certainly couldn’t get away with talking about our students the way they seem to think it’s okay to anonymously talk to us.
…I need some antacids now. And maybe tea.
