Student Reviews

I just got my student reviews for my last class that I taught. My reviews have improved, I am not sure if it is because I have lightened up on them or because my teaching has improved. I would like to think that it is the latter.

One response that irked me was a student who wrote about how the class was not helpful and beneath them, and regarding my teaching they expected me to be more "experienced" and were nervous taking classes from someone "just out of college". More experienced than what? I have had my undergraduate degree for five years, my graduate for over one year, and have been working in my field for five years. At what point am I considered "experienced"?

I know I have to take this with a grain of salt as many online students are returning to college and are sometimes 10 -20 years older than me, however I think regardless there needs to be a level of respect given to your teachers regardless of age/race/gender. I don't want to sound whiny, like I am stomping my feet, :) as I understand it is hard for some people to learn from someone so much younger than them. However I have the degree in what they are studying, they will get more out of the experience if they don't discount me. Is there anything I can do to overcome this?