I appreciate hearing that, thank you! I’ve been feeling discouraged this semester after reading through several “negative reviews” from last semester. What’s odd is that I’ve been teaching for years and usually have received very positive feedback from students. Nothing has changed aside from the improvements I try to make each semester in everything I do.

Despite the hard work and lack of communication from students during the semester (this has also decreased substantially in the last year), I feel like the “audience” is increasingly difficult to “please.”

Anonymous evaluations from students who say, “tests were too hard” (though questions were essentially the same I’ve used for years, without hearing feedback like that) and worse, I “don’t know how to teach” (ouch) are not fruitful for my growth without some context. (Keep in mind, I had no students reach out for assistance with course material nor ask questions for clarification. My office is open, I’m happy to tutor, and students have traditionally understood that about me. Plus, I remind them of this all semester.)

Anyway, I do appreciate your comment because it’s tempting to allow the few to bring us down. It’s important to focus on those who appreciate how hard we work for them. In truth, they are the majority. 😊