Teacher ratings

[Thrillhouse]

Anyone ever read teacherratings.com ? It is a useful site where students can rate their professors. Its useful if you need to take a class but know nothing about that professor. There aren't too many professors rated but still a good tool. Also, anyone know of any other websites like this?

[GmuTeke]

Our school does that for every teacher on a local GMU site. It's kinda sorta usefull, but has the following problems.

1. A good chunk of GMU faculty is part time, most of them migrating in and out of the school, it's a pretty decent chance your 101 class is being by someone brand new to the university, and thus has no background to check.

2. Another decent sized chunk is tenured faculty, who short of massive criminal allegations or gross neglect, aren't going anywhere.

3. Many proffessors have peridically voiced their disaproval (often tenured faculty) over the merits of teacher evals, how they could simply buy studen'ts aproval with higher grades, how they don't reflect accurately classroom progress etc.

All in all, it's ok, but word of mouth from fellow students always seems to be a much more accurate judge of teaching style and ability.

[Thrillhouse]

Originally posted by GmuTeke
All in all, it's ok, but word of mouth from fellow students always seems to be a much more accurate judge of teaching style and ability.

I get your point but if the ratings aren't considered word of mouth from students, than what is? Someone can only tell you so much about a prof and chances are people you know haven't had the prof before.