Should students grade teachers?

[Neptupid]

Here's another debate if the first one wasn't your cup of tea.


Should students be allowed to grade teachers?

It seems like a dream come true for many students to write anonymous grades about their teachers for them to see. However, would it really result in a change? How could employers ensure the results are listened to?

When I first thought about this debate I figured it would be a great service for the education system. However, I'm starting to believe a system like this may become ineffective quickly and even if it does stick around may even offend teachers. These teachers are most likely passionate about their subject and attended university in that subject (Not all teachers are passionate about their subject unfortunately) Plus teachers are already observed and test scores already reflect on their academic impact. So how helpful would a students opinion be? Would an age range on the grading be needed due to immature students?

So what do you think? Would a student to teacher grading system work?

Feel free to fight against my opinion, I love a good ol' debate.

[lawrawrrr]

Grade no but feedback yes!!! In any job I believe you should get feedback from the people you work most closely with. In schools and colleges thats the kids!

Those feedback sheets (the serious ones anyway) could be incorporated into annual appraisals where the teacher sets goals based on that feedback and their performance is measured against that. That's how it's (supposed to) work where I am!


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[FlyingJesus]

Not a fan of the idea myself, it would basically encourage teachers to be lenient and "cool" rather than good at their jobs. Let's be honest, most kids are idiots and think the idea of ruining someone's life just for being a person of authority is a real hoot :P

I believe there are rating systems (albeit unofficial) for university professors but obviously by that stage people tend to be a bit more understanding about how the world works... a bit

Oh RIP didn't see that this was a copy thread

[Alkaz]

Yeah feedback is good and like Laura said it would be good for annual appraisals. We do a similar thing where I work, in a totally different sector and it works wonderfully.

I think that the idea of 'grading' teachers would be a novelty to start off with a few taking it seriously but I imagine the majority wouldn't. Students would use any minor indiscretion against the teachers, which could end up having a profound impact on their career all because of that time in year 7 when they shouted at you. They're there to do their job and in most instances wouldn't be there if they were incapable of doing their job.

I could see it causing all manner of issues, imagine a grade C teacher trying to teach grade A students :l

[cammiee.]

I think giving feedback is good, and let's the teachers know what they need to improve on. As mentioned, I don't think grading is the best because this won't help teachers in any way, apart from disvalue them and make them feel like they're not doing a good enough job.

[despect]

Like others have said feedback is good and I think from my experience quite a few teachers would benefit a lot from it!

[Jarkie]

In concept it sounds great, in reality not so great.

Knowing students, should the professor give them a mark they do not wish they will get revenge and mark them down. I see this all the time when I have to review lecture feedback. Keeping it simple by allowing students to feedback on the teachings is the best way to help develop the learning requirements of said course.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Absolutely not. The classroom is not a democracy nor should it be.

The very fact CHILDREN are being asked to 'grade' their teacher goes to show how far respect for authority in schools has collapsed. The class results in examinations and marking in books will do the grading needed to assess teachers, not a popularity contest.

[Bloop]

I don't think students will be able to give objective grades to teachers, simply because teachers aren't here to make friends! It would be a very flawed system if students are allowed to grade teachers because not every teacher appeals or works for every student, and for that may become "bad" in certain students' books when they are really not, & sometimes the "best" teachers aren't exactly the most popular.

Feedback is great but considering the many years of education I've been through (and the many "feedback" I've given!), generally it's done in quite a slipshod way and/or taken with a grain of salt as not many teachers really take that seriously as an avenue for improvement, at least from what I've seen/know of. It really is such a convoluted system and its effectiveness is ultimately up to the school to decide how much they want to enforce it

[peteyt]

Absolutely not. The classroom is not a democracy nor should it be.

The very fact CHILDREN are being asked to 'grade' their teacher goes to show how far respect for authority in schools has collapsed. The class results in examinations and marking in books will do the grading needed to assess teachers, not a popularity contest.Im late to this. To be honest dont really visit here anymore. I get the whole respect part and i can imagine most children would leave childish feedback. However in university definitely. I had some bad lecturers at uni one even got fired i believe. If your paying and not getting your moneys worth then really there should be a system allowing you to give feedback/complain.

Hell even in school we had bad teachers. Ours was a technology college yet that was a joke as all the other schools where more up to date. I was/am interested in it but school/six form put me off it as all we did was design. I spent a lot of time teaching my it teacher

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[-:Undertaker:-]

Im late to this. To be honest dont really visit here anymore. I get the whole respect part and i can imagine most children would leave childish feedback. However in university definitely. I had some bad lecturers at uni one even got fired i believe. If your paying and not getting your moneys worth then really there should be a system allowing you to give feedback/complain.

Hell even in school we had bad teachers. Ours was a technology college yet that was a joke as all the other schools where more up to date. I was/am interested in it but school/six form put me off it as all we did was design. I spent a lot of time teaching my it teacher

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In University though I saw pressure applied to a lecturer which ended up dulling down his lessons to the extent he was afraid to speak. He was a Philosophy lecturer and apparently some in the class had complained about him talking about situations/scenarios like death, rape, sex etc - and as a result he was told to water down his lessons. I felt so sorry for him, especially as the majority of the class (including me) were supportive of him. A vocal minority essentially bullying a teacher, and I remember something similar in Primary school too.

[LUCPIX]

As the dudes above said, the feedback scheme definitely sounds fairer, because a system of "grades" assigns an unnecessary level of seriousness to the whole thing, as if, if the teacher is not good enough, they will be fired, or something. And whatever teachers do (especially anything that makes them look "bossy") would be cause for the more easily-irritated students to give a lower grade to them, anyway

[JACKTARD]

Teachers are held accountable by other means. Frequent observations, quality assurances of books, results each year etc etc. If a teacher wasn't doing right by the students then they wouldn't last long in their job.

Ultimately, teachers are out to get the best out of their students whether it makes them popular or not, it's all about long term gain rather than what they want to do in that moment.

[Reality]

Absolutely not. The classroom is not a democracy nor should it be.

The very fact CHILDREN are being asked to 'grade' their teacher goes to show how far respect for authority in schools has collapsed. The class results in examinations and marking in books will do the grading needed to assess teachers, not a popularity contest.


In University though I saw pressure applied to a lecturer which ended up dulling down his lessons to the extent he was afraid to speak. He was a Philosophy lecturer and apparently some in the class had complained about him talking about situations/scenarios like death, rape, sex etc - and as a result he was told to water down his lessons. I felt so sorry for him, especially as the majority of the class (including me) were supportive of him. A vocal minority essentially bullying a teacher, and I remember something similar in Primary school too.

I totally agree with these statements (sorry for bumping if this has seen it's sell-by date on this thread).

Quote 1: The academic classroom shouldn't be a democracy, it's an environment for a professional to hand-down and support the educaction of the uneducated. Asking a student to grade a professional on their commitment to their teaching, their overall presence in the room, etc etc is totally I would say... barbaric.

Quote 2: I see this all the time at university especially during our liaison committee meetings, staff and lecturers are being pressured to do beyond amazing in order to maintain the highest levels possible in terms of teaching and in turn, keeping the standards in high turnout in 2:1s +. This situation you state, is something that fairly recently happened within the US with a lecturer using the correct historical terminology during his lectureres, where then the students started walking out and later protesting against the lecture and lecturer like-wise, because of the "racist" and "discriminatory" behaviour and terminology used by said lecturer. Not too mention, this same lecturer had taught the same unit for multiple-multiple years since starting at the given University in the US. It just goes to show how sensitive and over-privalliged today's soceity is.

Like laura has said, a feedback system is far better than grading a professional. You're there to be graded, they've seen through their education and been graded all the way throughout it, and to then turn the tables and grade those professional's would be directly damaging and hurtful to not only their career but also their livelihood.