Feedback

[VickyWD]

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I have been TAing for a few years now. After each semester, students fill out feedback forms in class and the results are given to us the following semester. Up to this point, all the feedback from studnets has been very good.
I had a student who had trouble last semester. I did my best to help but he wasn't interested in what I had to offer. I guess he also went to the professor when I wasn't around and was really upset about some comments I wrote on an essay (the professor described his reaction as innappropriate for the situation).

Anyway, I just read the feedback from him and it was a pretty nasty. He basically told the department that I should never teach a class again, I was rude to him, ...etc

At first I was upset because the comments were beyond what should be included in someone's evaluation and simply not true. I tried to think about and consider that maybe I had done something and this feedback could be helpful in my growth. But I really believe that he has his own problems and just decided to take it out on me, especially when I look back at all the feedback I've had in the past. This one is really out of left field.

So my question comes from what to do about it. I want to just forget about it and move on but this student is in another one of my classes. I'm not going to say anything to the student because the feedback is confidential (I know it was from him because it was obvious from his feedback), but I don't really want to put on a smile and pretend to be nice when he was truely awful in his evalution. Telling me that you don't like my teaching style is one thing but saying that I am a worthless teacher and should be fired immediately is just uncalled for (I was really nice to him). I thought about talking to the prof from the old class but I don't want to make a big deal out of it. I assume bad evals are a part of teaching. I'm thinking about going to my chair to discuss it. Ideas?

 

[cara susanna]

I dunno if others will agree, but I would just let it go. The comments are supposed to be anonymous for a reason, even if you can tell who it is.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I have been TAing for a few years now. After each semester, students fill out feedback forms in class and the results are given to us the following semester. Up to this point, all the feedback from studnets has been very good.
I had a student who had trouble last semester. I did my best to help but he wasn't interested in what I had to offer. I guess he also went to the professor when I wasn't around and was really upset about some comments I wrote on an essay (the professor described his reaction as innappropriate for the situation).

Anyway, I just read the feedback from him and it was a pretty nasty. He basically told the department that I should never teach a class again, I was rude to him, ...etc

At first I was upset because the comments were beyond what should be included in someone's evaluation and simply not true. I tried to think about and consider that maybe I had done something and this feedback could be helpful in my growth. But I really believe that he has his own problems and just decided to take it out on me, especially when I look back at all the feedback I've had in the past. This one is really out of left field.

So my question comes from what to do about it. I want to just forget about it and move on but this student is in another one of my classes. I'm not going to say anything to the student because the feedback is confidential (I know it was from him because it was obvious from his feedback), but I don't really want to put on a smile and pretend to be nice when he was truely awful in his evalution. Telling me that you don't like my teaching style is one thing but saying that I am a worthless teacher and should be fired immediately is just uncalled for (I was really nice to him). I thought about talking to the prof from the old class but I don't want to make a big deal out of it. I assume bad evals are a part of teaching. I'm thinking about going to my chair to discuss it. Ideas?

I'd probably discuss it with the former professor before the chair and then take it from there. Also, if you have a faculty member who's assigned to be the "mentor" for TAs/grad student instructors, definitely talk with him/her about it. You could also let the professor of the current class (assuming you're the TA rather than instructor) know that the student took issue with you beforehand, essentially as a CYA in case he files yet another inappropriate complaint.

That being said, if he's in your class again, obviously he really didn't have much of an issue with your teaching style.

Departments know that despite the fact that undergrads are legally adults (and the vast majority are great and truly want to learn), not all of them act like it. I can guarantee yours isn't the first such outlandish feedback form they've seen, and odds are they'll recognize it as such.

 

[thepug]

College undergrads resemble clinical subjects more so than normals. Fun fact.

 

[Pragma]

I have been TAing for a few years now. After each semester, students fill out feedback forms in class and the results are given to us the following semester. Up to this point, all the feedback from studnets has been very good.
I had a student who had trouble last semester. I did my best to help but he wasn't interested in what I had to offer. I guess he also went to the professor when I wasn't around and was really upset about some comments I wrote on an essay (the professor described his reaction as innappropriate for the situation).

Anyway, I just read the feedback from him and it was a pretty nasty. He basically told the department that I should never teach a class again, I was rude to him, ...etc

At first I was upset because the comments were beyond what should be included in someone's evaluation and simply not true. I tried to think about and consider that maybe I had done something and this feedback could be helpful in my growth. But I really believe that he has his own problems and just decided to take it out on me, especially when I look back at all the feedback I've had in the past. This one is really out of left field.

So my question comes from what to do about it. I want to just forget about it and move on but this student is in another one of my classes. I'm not going to say anything to the student because the feedback is confidential (I know it was from him because it was obvious from his feedback), but I don't really want to put on a smile and pretend to be nice when he was truely awful in his evalution. Telling me that you don't like my teaching style is one thing but saying that I am a worthless teacher and should be fired immediately is just uncalled for (I was really nice to him). I thought about talking to the prof from the old class but I don't want to make a big deal out of it. I assume bad evals are a part of teaching. I'm thinking about going to my chair to discuss it. Ideas?

Won't be the last time if you continue to teach for long enough.

I understand your concern, as I personally enjoy teaching quite a bit and hate it when there isn't a good "fit" with a student or when I deal with difficult students.

I would NOT confront the student. You can't take that back and it will ruin the integrity of the evaluation process.

You can talk to the main prof or your chair if it is serious enough to warrant it. It doesn't sound that way to me yet, but if you have a nice chair and want to express your concerns, it isn't a bad idea. I recommend getting institution-specific advice from others who are in your boat.

When I get a student like that, I placate a little but if it crosses a threshold, I hold a meeting with them and discuss their concerns, and remind them of what is required to succeed. Usually you can nip these things in the bud if you treat them with respect up front. It shouldn't be that way, but that is how higher education operates.

 

[deuce22]

I agree. If there is anything inappropriate in the feedback i would report it. This is most likely a pattern of behavior that needs to be addressed, but you shouldn't be the one to confront the student. I would go to the Dean of Students at your institution and file a report.

Academic contrapower harassment (including student incivility, bullying, aggression, and sexual harassment) has become a rampant issue at all levels of education. Your reaction is the same as most new instructors, but I'm sure it was not your fault. Talking with other faculty members in your department will most likely confirm this. The best remedy is to stop the student before it gets worse, via the proper channels, and make sure that you don't do anything to reciprocate the student's disrespectful behavior.

 

[Marissa4usa]

I have been in a very similar situation. My overall evaluations were pretty good but I had student who essentially hated my guts. To this day, I am not quite clear, why.

If I was in your place and had to deal with that student again, I would do the following things:

• Do not confront the student -that'd be inappropriate on your part and it's unlikely any good is going to come out of this
• Talk to the prof of the class. Don't make a big deal but mention that this student had a particular issue with you so that it doesn't come out of the blue if the student approaches the professor
• Do not treat the student any differently than others, however, I would keep record of all your interactions
• Any communication that is not directly related to what is going in the classroom at that very moment, should happen via email and I would cc the prof (and let the prof know that you'll be doing that)

 

[xiaoma]

I have been in a very similar situation. My overall evaluations were pretty good but I had student who essentially hated my guts. To this day, I am not quite clear, why.

If I was in your place and had to deal with that student again, I would do the following things:

• Do not confront the student -that'd be inappropriate on your part and it's unlikely any good is going to come out of this
• Talk to the prof of the class. Don't make a big deal but mention that this student had a particular issue with you so that it doesn't come out of the blue if the student approaches the professor
• Do not treat the student any differently than others, however, I would keep record of all your interactions
• Any communication that is not directly related to what is going in the classroom at that very moment, should happen via email and I would cc the prof (and let the prof know that you'll be doing that)

Good stuff. I agree.

 

[Ollie123]

Wow, you all have much more mature undergraduates than we apparently do here in FL.

I'm shocked you haven't gotten a bad eval before - that says a lot, though I think the "brunt" of dislike is usually directed at the instructor.

Everyone gets some bad ones. I was just at the meeting of the National Institute for Teaching of Psychology...a conference dedicated to teaching. Many of the attendees have won university-wide or national teaching awards. They have a public reading of funny and/or ridiculous evals from students.

Maybe its worth asking other students about it, but I can't imagine this being worth bringing to your dept chair. If a third of your evals had something like "Makes racist remarks in class" than yes, that would need to be addressed. "You suck at teaching" when most are positive is probably just sour grapes from a petulant child who is upset you didn't give them an A just for showing up, don't worry about it. Chances are if you only got one bad eval - you are doing better than the dept chair is. The only folks I know of who get universally positive evals are the ones who give everyone an A and/or are otherwise pushovers and let students walk all over them.

 

[Psychadelic2012]

Be the bigger person. Also, be glad that you aren't in a situation that I was in years back--a vocational school situation where an adult (i.e., middle-aged) student said things like that about me, went to the administration, and the administration called me into a meeting to tell me that they thought I was great but that they needed to remediate me somehow (on paper) based on the student's comments alone. Yikes. If administration supports you, you're golden, IMO.

 

[KillerDiller]

I received my first overtly negative feedback from a student this semester as well (I'm a course instructor). It stung, but I saw no need to bring it up with the department chair. The chances of anyone being worried about a single student spouting off on the course review are slim to none. Mention it to the current prof you are TAing for just to pre-emptively address any new situation that may arise; otherwise, just move on. Treat the student like you would any other. Chances are, he will be looking to minimize his interactions with you anyway.