Do you think Professors add comments to their own RateMyProfessor page?

Question

Like there's this 1 professor at my college who has tons of bad reviews but then there's 1 review that says all nice things. I'm thikning she wrote that one herself.
My Q is, do you think profs write a review for themselves with all positive comments. AND if you are a prof, do you look at your ratemyprofessor reviews or write a review yourself?

Answer 1

I used to look at the RateMyProfessor reviews when I first began teaching at a new university. I stopped after my first year there. I got much more valuable feedback from course evaluations.

(When I saw a lot of comments on RMP saying "this class is too hard," I took it as a compliment.)

Most of my colleagues don't read them at all, and never have. (I asked.)

I doubt that the vast majority of professors would stoop to posting their own comments. If one did, that would be sad, and evidence of their own insecurity.

The professors I know go to http://rateyourstudents.blogspot.com instead. ;)

Answer 2

I don't think professors add to comments to the page. It could be that one student just felt bad for the professor and decided to add a comment in her favor. I know sometimes if I felt a professor was treated unfairly on that site I'd try to write a positive comment about him/her/the class. I think it's pretty hard to have a professor who is universally hated or loved.

I think professors do go on there occasionally out of curiosity, just to see what people are saying. I'm fairly sure they take it with a grain of salt.

Besides, RMP is more of a site for people to rant or rave. As Prof. X says, the only thing that really matters to the prof and the school would be the course evaluations.