by Jenine J. Ikeler
assistant photography editor
All college students are guilty of trying to find all the dirt on a professor before they register for their class.
Are they nice? Do they grade hard? How much work is involved? Do they take attendance?
Questions like these are on the minds of so many young scholars’ weeks before registering for next semester. They can finally be answered. TeacherRatings.com is a website whose goals are to aid students in organizing a schedule by compiling survey results on opinions of professors’ teaching style. TeacherRatings.com grades in three specific areas easiness, friendliness and clarity of the class.
The easiness is said to be the most controversial of the three categories. TeacherRatings.com believes that many students decide what class to take based on the difficulty of the teacher. The friendliness category rates the teacher’s friendliness and approachability. The clarity category answers the questions of whether or not the professor makes clear presentations and if he/she is using class time effectively.
John Swapceinski and Ping Wu, two graduates of San Jose University, designed TeacherRatings.com.
“There are students who want to take easy classes, and we cater to them,” said Swapceinski.
Tim Melly, assistant professor of English at Miami University, said he believes it will be debilitating for some instructors to see themselves criticized in a public forum.
“TeacherRatings.com is a great idea. There has been a few times, where I have had to sit through a teacher from hell. I wish I knew about them beforehand,” business administration major Brian Nerney said.
“It is unfair to the teacher because it ruins their reputation as an educator. However, I feel that it would be ideal for first-year students who are registering for classes,” junior Maureen Kelly said.
Swapceinski compares TeacherRatings.com to constructive criticism in public education.
“As far the benefits go, I think the biggest one is that, by using our website, students can potentially avoid unfair teachers, the kind of teacher that can make a student lose confidence in his or her ability to succeed,” he said.
Log on and register Cabrini. This way you can compliment the great professors you’ve had, or warn other students about your bad experiences. TeacherRatings.com feels strongly that this will bring accountability to higher education and give you the ability to make wiser choices when planning your education.
