KNOWING about that 'bad' teacher...

AmyRN303, BSN, RN · Apr 4, 2014

I'd take it with a grain of salt. The teachers who actually get reviewed on those type of sites are not usually reviewed by the students that appreciated them, they're usually the ones ticked off about their grade. There's always more than one side to every story. I wouldn't sweat it based on anonymous reviews. I had a fabulous teacher about whom I'd heard nightmare stories firsthand from previous students. My takeaway? She was upfront about the amount of work required and those complaining students just didn't make an effort and whined about failing when they didn't show up prepared. I showed up, did the work, and did really well. Put blinders on as far as teacher reviews go, and make your own opinion when the time comes.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Apr 4, 2014

Opinions are just that - opinions. They are not fact. I am appalled at the "whiner culture" that prevails in college these days. Because, of course - if I don't do very well in a class it must be the teacher's fault. Nursing education has always had a very high attrition rate due to many factors. Very few students have an accurate idea of how difficult it is or how much work it will take on their part to be successful. They generally hit 'the wall' with Statistics, Chemistry or A&P. The next big hurdle is adapting to Nursing classes which require a completely different way of thinking.

My personal opinion? We need to set the bar higher on the front end to ensure that pre-nursing students have the ability to succeed. NCLEX pass rates are declining across the country as nursing education has turned into a profit-making enterprise - and enormous marketing hype to convince everyone that they 'deserve' to be a nurse if they fork over enough tuition money.

If you have the intellectual horsepower and exert an appropriate degree of effort, you will be fine. Don't buy into the hysteria.

OCNRN63, RN · Apr 4, 2014

Worry about what you have in front of you. For all you know, that teacher may not be teaching the course by the time you get to it.. People are always quick to complain about someone who they didn't like, but not so quick to compliment when they had a good experience.

Folkeye · Apr 4, 2014

Yeah, I do try to take one day at a time. Considering the first time I was in college, a good 13 years ago at least) I didn't do very well. Even in things I was good at. Just wasn't interested in being there. I blamed some teachers a the time, but realized it wasn't them, just myself. Have lots of regrets on the could've-would've-should've but it's in the past. I want a future and I'm ready to be there.

I'm expecting the OMG workload for the big pre-req classes. Thankfully I think the Chemistry is a hurdle I'm going to get over, with a good grade even.

sharpeimom · Apr 4, 2014

Don't rely too much on the ratemyprofessors.com site because frequently the students base their ratings almost entirely on what grade they received. My husband has had a rating through the years that has ranged from 4.3 to 4.8 and his overall ratings have been excellent with a very few absolutely terrible ones powered by anger over a grade.

Examples from my husband's page:

Dr. ___ is easily the best professor I have ever had in college. The amount of knowledge this man has is unbelievable. He just may be the most intelligent man I know. Take him for every class possible.

The teacher is fair and understanding, but i did not learn from this class at all. Ineffective assessment of learning.

Same class but you wouldn't know it!

There are some legitimately poor profs teaching but students don't always have the tools to make that judgment. I'm not trying to be rude or condescending, but it's true. Obviously a teacher who prefers to teach one gender over the other is very wrong, as is the elitist

who decides it's her job to weed out all the students she decides aren't nursing student material. She should not be teaching anyone.

The profs who come to the conclusion that single moms aren't fit to be nurses, (I have known a couple) shouldn't be allowed to teach anyone. There will always be those %^$# profs and instructors who boast about "only giving 3 A's per class, the ones who brag about allowing NO makeup exams whatever the reason, the ones who are so proud because they still teach just like they did twenty five years ago and if the students can't follow along, tough luck. They aren't exemplary or even good nice people, but that doesn't automatically mean they're lousy teachers. Okay, most of them are but not every single one. If you absolutely positively must take a totally unreasonable, impossible, mean, nasty, unhelpful person because no one else teaches the course, there are still ways to pass it with an "A" or even a "B." It takes a LOT of dedication, self restraint when you feel as though you must say something or you'll explode, finding yourself a tutor and/or a study group/study buddy, making a lot of office hour appointments when you'd rather be

anywhere else, having your department chairs review disputed tests and papers as needed, taking meticulous notes, and utilizing the learning center as needed. The biggest things? Don't allow yourself to be bullied and keep telling yourself that it isn't going to last

I would report bullying and unfair treatment, but after the course is over.

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Apr 4, 2014

My thoughts on rate my professor; the ones who are dissatisfied are the ones more likely to go on that site. The ones who did well generally do not go on there and rave about how great the professor was. I have never given a review on that site and have been happy with all of my professors. I know a few that just go on to complain about the ones they don't like and don't put anything about the ones they do. Many people come out of high school and expect their professors to be just like their high school teachers and have a heart attack when they realize college is nothing like the babysitting that goes on in high school.

For example today in my Psych class we were going over our final project. My professor is a little flaky and just needed her to clarify some things. Most people were going crazy because it didn't spell out word for word what was needed. Some things just need to be inferred that now you are in college and these things are basic. People were not comprehending. I finally had to get up and explain the paper word for word to people or we were never getting out of there. I honestly would not read too much into it. I have found that if you show up for class, pay attention, and do the work you should be fine. It's the people who don't do the work that have the problems and then claim it's the professor's fault.

pmabraham, BSN, RN · Apr 4, 2014

Good day:

I've taken classes with professors rated very poorly on ratemyprofessor only to find out they were among the very best professors I've had at college. Tou do need to take the rating with a grain of salt. I've seen too many cases where students blame the professor for the student's own attitudes, lack of effort, etc... as if they expect the professor to spoon feed them an education.

Thank you.

SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP · Apr 4, 2014

I had an experience with a professor who had nothing but horrible reviews on that site. He ended up being one of my favorites. As stated above, more people will complain than leave compliments. I try to make sure to leave excellent feedback on instructors I particularly enjoyed. Do your best and be one of the students that teacher likes :)

sharpeimom · Apr 5, 2014

Before I became a nurse, I was an editor for a very large advertising company in a major city. The requisite degree was English writing combined with journalism. I had a writing professor that nearly everyone else adored. I couldn't stand him and he seemed to take every possible chance o make my life unbearable. He was tougher on me when I turned in an assignment, gave me a lower grade for a better written paper than he did some other students. He did that to three of us. Three of us who always got "A's" on writing assignments no matter which prof we took. We graduated and all thought he was a complete orifice. A real ...uh... shortness of breath.

Time passed. I was back at my alma mater studying nursing and happened to run into old you-know-who. He came up to me and asked if I remembered him. I felt like saying, "Are you kidding me?" He told me the reason he was so hard on me was because I had

a "special and unusual" writing ability and that he wanted me to develop it to the fullest. My reaction? I didn't say it aloud, but what I

wanted to say was that treating me like a human being might have produced the same end result. But it wouldn't have, because I really pushed myself to show him that I was too a skilled writer! Son of a gun! The old reprobate was doing hi job after all!

GoodnessFlows · Apr 5, 2014

You should always view the reviews with a critical eye. For me, the site has been close to what I've experienced. I use it all the time, and do my best to weed through the comments to get an overall sense of the professor. Oftentimes, I find it quite simple to identify the disgruntled student post, because they post multiple times, but try to pass off each post as if they are from a different person. I have been pretty lucky, because I've had amazing teachers, and I have given positive reviews on the site for each one of them. Unfortunately, there will be a professor that you must take, regardless of their poor reputation, and the best thing to do is to block out what you've heard/read, and walk in with a great attitude. You may find that you see something positive. Either way, they will be with you for a short 3 to 4 months and then you can move on. Good luck.

loriangel14, RN · Apr 5, 2014

Usually the people that complain about a teacher are just unhappy because they didn't do well in the class and are looking for someone to blame.I did have a teacher that was rigid, demanding and and was on us every minute. She was also the best teacher I ever had. She made us reach beyond "just good enough" and challenged us to be the best we could be. If you got a "well done" from her you knew you had really earned it.