User navigating the home page of ratemyteachers.com. Photo illustration by SHAI NIELSON

Some people know from a young age that they want to help others. A few of these people become teachers who wish to inspire their students and make their students’ school experience one they will cherish. Though there may be one thing these teachers didn’t expect: students anonymously posting comments on a public website called Rate My Teachers.

Rate My Teachers is a website where any student in high school, middle school or elementary school can find any one of their teachers and post a comment concerning their opinion of that teacher.

“I think teachers should read their comments. Sure, some of them are mean spirited or overly critical. Some might even be a little embarrassing (a few of mine are), but I think it’s important for people to know how they are perceived,” physics teacher Mr. Matt Yamamoto said. “So some things should be taken to heart, and some with a grain of salt.”

On the website’s “Guidelines” page, it specifically says to users, “Be honest and objective in your assessment of a teacher/professor.” But are all students really following this rule?

“Since (Rate My Teachers) is a voluntary website, one has to remember that if somebody is going to go on to comment about (a teacher), they probably either have a very positive or very negative perception of (that teacher),” Yamamoto said. “And they most likely are basing their comment on a recent experience as opposed to a thoughtful reflection on the whole year.”

Not all teachers are as accepting of the website.

“(The site) is useless and ridiculous,” language arts teacher Mrs. Kimberly Karver said. “I would hope my students have the intellectual ability to evaluate this Web page and make a compassionate decision not to visit it nor post on it, even if their comments are positive.”

Karver wonders why students don’t post their names with their comments, which may seem like it has an obvious answer, yet even the website has a “guideline” about this.

The website warns to “leave off your name, initials, pseudo name, or any sort of identifying mark when posting” a comment.

But even when no name is posted with a comment, teachers can sometimes distinguish who the student is.

“Based on the day and the tone of each comment I have a pretty good idea of who most people are. Most comments seem to go up after a particular interaction with a student, good or bad,” Yamamoto said.

With most of the comments pertaining to teaching style, do the harsher comments ever affect a teacher?

“The comments on that web page do not affect my teaching, because I chose not to read them,” Karver said. “I decided to become a teacher to inspire and encourage thought. I decided to become a teacher to mentor students and help them realize their potential. I decided to become a teacher because I enjoy learning and want to grow as a person. I did not decide to become a teacher to win a popularity contest.”

Others see it as valuable feedback rather than a sign of popularity.

“I don’t see anything bad about the site. It just makes me aware of what a few students focus on. Perception is important,” Yamamoto said.

Even students rely on perception when it comes to Rate My Teachers.

“I think a lot of people use (the website) to vent when they are frustrated with a teacher, but if there are enough comments about the same issue then maybe I would (trust the comments),” Eric Yount said.

One thing for teachers to think about is if students even use the website.

“I think (the website) is a good idea. When the administration does teacher evaluations, they don’t talk to students which I think is key for evaluating teachers,” Yount said. “But I (would) probably not (use the website) because I see my teachers enough to know what they are like anyways.”

Karver had a little food for thought for students who do post comments online.

“My challenge to students who rate the teachers on that website is: what if there was a page RateMyStudents.com? Would you like to have your name on a public page where teachers can anonymously rate your performance and personality? Not only that, anyone, anywhere, could see the comments about you and you would have zero recourse,” Karver said.

Whether a student is bashing on his/her teachers relentlessly or genuinely posting helpful comments, Karver suggests to remember the words of Mother Theresa; “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

By SHAI NIELSON