May 4, 2026

Student evaluations are a common method for measuring teaching effectiveness in higher education. Many institutions use standardized forms at the end of courses, and the scores significantly impact faculty promotions, tenure, and merit reviews. While student feedback offers valuable insights, relying heavily on these evaluations can lead to inaccurate or unfair assessments of faculty performance….

Some students hesitate to articulate their thoughts, not due to a lack of ideas, but out of fear that their opinions might be incorrect. In my introductory music class, students are tasked with writing about unfamiliar compositions from day one. This unfamiliarity often results in self-censorship. They listen, form impressions, and even find words to…