North Texas Daily

My favorite time during the semester is when SPOT evaluations open up.

This is not only because I cherish the opportunity to call out certain professors on their downfalls, but also because they deserve to know what they were doing right.

RateMyProfessors.com is the perfect website for students to use before signing up for a course because it allows them the opportunity to see what other students have to say about a class or professor. Sometimes you’re tipped off that the textbook isn’t necessary or that the professor has poor communication skills.

RateMyProfessor has saved me at least 20 times already for summer and fall registration for 2018. If we the students have this sort of tell-all guide about professors, why can’t they receive as much information for themselves?

Our professors should not have to offer extra credit for an 80 percent SPOT response rate —every student should complete the survey, regardless of extra credit bribes. It is important for professors to know what is and isn’t working with their methods of teaching. Maybe they talk too fast, or move too slow. Maybe the assignments are not useful tools for practicing the material.

Professors are pretty intelligent, but they are not mind readers. If you care about helping out the students who come after you, you should express your opinions to the professors through the SPOT evaluations.

At the end of the day, our professors are only human. They have the same emotions that we do. Some of them are not even professors — they’re teaching fellows on their journey to “professorhood.”

They need encouragement, just like the rest of us. My English professor has taught me more over the last two semesters than I was ever willing to learn in my entire life. I’ve only ever liked writing creatively, but she has shown me that research papers and analytical essays don’t have to be such scary beasts. She and all the other professors like her deserve to hear about the impact they have with their students.

A lot of times the only students motivated enough to respond are those with an ax to grind, which can skew the overall interpretation of how well a professor is received.

It’s important to respond to these SPOT evaluations because it gives a voice to every student. This is the only truly open forum in which we can say whatever we wish without fear of persecution. Every comment we make will be read by that professor and will be taken into account for their future courses — the good, bad and downright truthful.

Featured Image: Illustration by Austin Banzon