Your Career: Anxious about reading your course evaluations?

How to take advantage of the most useful feedback from students, and put their most hurtful critiques into proper context. ADVERTISEMENT [Your Career Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. You can now read The Chronicle on [Apple News]( [Flipboard]( and [Google News](. How to take advantage of the most useful feedback from students, and put their most hurtful critiques into proper context Even the most seasoned professors find it stressful and confusing at times to read evaluations from not-always-kind undergraduates. The same course can prompt comments so contradictory that they sound as if they are describing two very different instructors (“The course was so interesting I never skipped” versus “Every class meeting was a snore-fest”). Scathing comments can get stuck in your head in a way that good reviews don’t. You focus inordinately on negative remarks rather than positive ones, even when the latter far outweigh the former. That said, bad reviews can sometimes offer important insights. Solution: Divide the negative remarks into two categories: legitimate constructive criticisms to reflect on (“You should be more adept with Canvas”) and irritants to be ignored (personal attacks, misrepresentations, incivilities). Of course, some comments straddle both categories, with constructive feedback embedded in an unsavory package. (“You stink at giving feedback. Feedback should be private, not public.”) The key is to isolate the substantive part of the criticism and then try to understand why it was said. Chances are, you already know your deficiencies. Consider negative comments as fodder for further professional development. Continue reading:"[Measuring Up: How to Manage Those Dreaded Course Evaluations]( by Jane S. Halonen and Dana S. Dunn Share your suggestions for the newsletter with Denise Magner, an editor at The Chronicle, at denise.magner@chronicle.com. 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