RateMyProfessors.com is a platform that gives students a method to anonymously review and grade their teachers based on their performance and gives those teachers the ability to browse the feedback made by their students. The site is the number one college professor review website, containing 694 Elgin Community College professors. The average rating for professors at ECC is 3.89 out of five.

The site allows you to rate a teacher based on how they grade, the amount of homework given, whether or not they give extra credit, and if the textbook is actually used. One can even rate the attractiveness of the professor, anonymously of course.

Rachael Stewart is a professor of English II and has been a full-time educator for a total of twenty years.  Stewart has built up quite the reputation based on her performance as an educator, consistently reviewed on the site as, “one of the best teachers at ECC.” Stewart has seen that the most effective way to impact and educate her students is to focus on each student’s abilities individually. This gives the student constructive criticism that applies to them personally and allows them to make a deeper correction and a broader improvement.

“If I can sit next to somebody at a computer screen or sit next to them with their manuscript and we can look at their individual sentences and paragraphs, that’s very concrete learning,” Stewart said. “If I’m standing up in front of the classroom lecturing them on comma splices, that’s very abstract learning.”

Stewart emphasizes the best way to help a student improve is to identify what is motivating them and that will make them want to do better.

“I develop as much as a personal connection with my students as I can, so I know how I can best work with them,” Stewart said.

Stewart hasn’t taken a look at the website for some time, but she is aware of her students using the site.

“According to them (her students), the site is useful.  I think students who feel strongly about a teacher, either negatively or positively, tend to be the ones who take the time to comment,” Stewart said.

James Dittus is a professor of communication studies at ECC. Dittus believes in challenging his students in his speech classes. His philosophy is that by challenging his students he is better preparing them for success in their future. For these various reasons, Dittus is rated on the website as a “tough grader” and his classes being “lecture heavy”. While these might seem to be negative aspects to some students, Dittus believes that by pushing his students while also providing assistance to them along the way, he is best helping them develop necessary skills they will need in their future classes and career.

According to Dittus, he does not tend to pay attention to the reviews on the Rate my professor website, but he does see why websites like this might be appealing to some students.

“There are lots of tools out there to help students make choices about their education and if that’s a tool they want to use that is ultimately up to them,” Dittus said.

While Dittus recognizes that some students will choose to use the website when choosing teachers and classes he also recommends taking the rating with a grain of salt.

“Firstly you’re only getting the personal thoughts of a small number of people, and secondly everyone is different. What works for one student might not particularly work well for others,” Dittus said.

Dittus recommends instead of using teacher rating website like Rate my professor, students should either contact the professor they are considering directly and ask them what their classes are like. Students can also look for opinions from like-minded peers and other faculty members and hear what they have to say about a certain class or professor.

Miroslav Rezac is a professor of Chemistry II and has been a full-time instructor for fifteen years. On the site, Rezac is known to add a touch of humor to his lectures, adding engagement with the students, and keeping the lectures interesting.  He is described as, “an incredible man and teacher.” Rezac tunes his lectures for each new semester. After getting familiar with the new set of students, Rezac morphs certain aspects of his lectures in order to find the best way to motivate and inform the students.  

“If I’ve learned one thing, it’s there is no cookie-cutter approach. What works for someone doesn’t work for others,” Rezac said.

Rezac does read the comments that are posted on the website, but some of the reviews tend to be complaints about things beyond his control.

“I do listen to the feedback, but some of the things say ‘this class is too long,’ well there is nothing I can do about that,” Rezac said. “Occasionally you do have a very disgruntled reply or comment where it’s clear the student did not enjoy and was not comfortable in the class.  Most of those don’t list anything particularly specific so it’s just well, I have to try and see if I can do better the next time.”