Debate: Students evaluating the teachers?

Is it convenient that students evaluate teachers' performance? Is it objective and truthful? Do you agree with it? Are you scared of being evaluated by your own students?

I can share to you that it has become a common institutional practice of my school delivering satisfaction surveys among the students, so they can evaluate the performance of every teacher. We are evaluated in different aspects: personal presentation, knowledge of the subject, classroom management, time management, etc.

For me, it is essential to know what is the opinion of my students in relation with my work, because they are the ones receiving all I produce and do as a teacher.

Though, I agree with this kind of evaluation, sometimes I wonder if it is objective or not, if the student hates or not so they can evaluate me with less mark, if just one bad experience is generating adversion against me, and many different factors that can affect this kind of evaluation. But I think, this can be just a small percentage.

The important thing, is that we give the students the chance to evaluate us, in different aspects, so they can express their own ideas and opinions. And I am sure, most of the times, they are right in many of their thoughts.

And what about you? do your students evaluate you? do you have a personal template of evaluation that you share with your students? What is your opinion about these kind of tests?