A good relationship between students and teachers is vital in order for the student to achieve his or her full potential in the class and for the student to learn the curriculum needed. The student must be engaged in the class and willing to receive the information necessary in order to succeed. Also, they must be willing to put effort into the class and commit to the course load. However, this can all be very difficult if not downright impossible if the teacher does not help create a good environment for the student to do these things. If a teacher does not convey the information clearly to the student, or if the learning environment is not one that enables learning, the student may find him or herself behind in class unable to retain information, or they may be unwilling to contribute any effort into the class. On the flip side, if a teacher creates a positive learning environment, they may find their students more engaged in class, and willing to complete their work and assignments resulting in a variety of positives including better retention of knowledge, the ability to remain focused in class, and an overall enjoyable class. The latter situation is what all students hope for but not what all students achieve. Unfortunately, a vast number of students are unable to change their predicament and must struggle with this circumstance for an entire academic year. This situation leads to an important question: If teachers are able to grade the academic performance of their students, should students be able to grade their teachers’ ability to run a class?

I feel that the answer to this question should be “yes.” This is because a student’s education is essential and a key factor to their success in the future and one should not have to jeopardize their success due to the subpar teaching of a teacher. A student should be able to convey their opinions about how a class is run to either that teacher or the people that are in charge of that teacher and be able to hope for better results. Students should have the opportunity to convey that their teacher should “assert more authority in class” or “show more enthusiasm” for instance, and hope that their teacher would alter that teaching habits for the betterment of the class. The teacher, should not feel discouraged and stubborn upon receiving this information but should try to adjust and help their students in any way that they can. This can lead to an improved class atmosphere and better grades among the students. I feel that the students should be able to submit their feeling about a class, anonymously, possibly by telling a third party to convey their emotions to the intended teacher. This would prevent the possibility of having the teacher penalize the student in any way if the teacher does not take kindly to the student’s constructive criticism. Also, if the teacher does decide to punish or penalize a student for doing this, that teacher should either be put on probation, suspended, or fired. If the teacher does decide to use the received suggestions and adapt to them, this would most definitely result in an improved relationship between that teacher and their students, especially if the students reached a consensus with their opinions. Also, the students may find that the teacher is grateful for hearing the students’ opinions and welcomes their ideas. This interaction can greatly improve the teacher’s class both presently and for future classes.

In essence, I feel that students should be able to inform and “grade” their teachers based on the way they both run a class, and convey the information needed to be learned in the class. I also believe that teachers should be aware of how their students perceive their teaching styles and their overall class. This is because the information needed to be learned in the class can impact a student’s academic career both at the time of enrollment in the class, to further along in the future of that student’s academic career. By doing this, the teacher received beneficial information as to how they should run their class, and the student benefit from the adaptations the teacher makes in the class, resulting in a win-win situation for both parties.