Here it is: The good, the bad, and the ugly! I want to address some of the comments you may have heard about this class.
T OR F:
1. This instructor expects a lot from her students. T [But no more than any good instructor, at any good university, teaching any good English course.]
2. This instructor can seem tough at first. T [Many students find that this class particularly is more challenging in the beginning and eases up in the end.]
3. The content of this course is largely geared to the interests of the instructor. T [As true with most English classes, but the overwhelming majority of the material covered is from the textbook. The one exception is written by an author that is covered in the text.]
4. The subject matter discussed is often considered "controversial" by some students. T [This is a college class, and you can expect to openly discuss such topics as love, sex, and sexuality as it applies to the course material.]
5. This instructor is mean and critical. F [Yes, I do critique my students' writing because that is my job, but no, I am not "mean". Theoretically, you are supposed to be here to learn, which means that you always have room for improvement. Critique should never be taken personally.]
6. The instructor gives grades based on if you agree with her opinions. F [Absolutely false. See me if you want names of those who can quickly dismiss this notion :)]
7. The instructor is rude to her students. F [I actually love my students and teaching. However, I do have a strange sense of humor and am sarcastic by nature, which some students misinterpret.]
8. You can't pass this class. F [The overwhelming majority of my students not only pass my class, but they normally do better in the end than they had expected. I challenge my students, but if they do all of the assigned work and try their hardest, they excel in the end. It is VERY rare that a student who has come to class regularly and turned in all assignments will fail... VERY RARE.]
9. The instructor is passionate about literature. T [Yes, I am. I don't expect everyone to be as enthusiastic as I am, but I appreciate an effort.]
10. The instructor is personal about her life. T [I often discuss how I relate the literature to my life in hopes that my students will also apply the literature to their own lives.]
11. The instructor teaches from the web notes. T [The majority of the lectures comes from the website. I have heard students say that this is "boring"; however, the only reason I created the websites in the first place was on the recommendation of my former students who said that it was too hard to keep up with notetaking and that it would be easier to follow notes from an online format. I guess I can't make everyone happy. 50 minutes is simply not long enough to have adequate discussion AND lecture on each work, so I DO MY BEST.]
12. The instructor does not even have a syllabus. F [The syllabus is clearly posted on the first page of the website. It is up to students to print it out if they wish.]
13. The assignments for this class are unclear. F [All assignments are clearly spelled out on the website. It is up to students to print them out and look them over multiple times-- just hearing the directions verbally from me once in class is not enough.]
14. The instructor looks at you like you are dumb when you are confused about an assingment. ?? [This may unintentionally happen... but only when I have repeated the answer to said question multiple times and have it clearly posted on the website. Some students do NOT pay attention in class or bother to access their assignments from the website, and this is frustrating. When this happens, you might be able to read some perplexment on my face, admittedly. However, normally, I go ABOVE AND BEYOND to answer any questions my students may have, including setting up a NING in order to answer questions and respond to comments every single day, even on non-class days!]
15. You will not learn anything in this class. F [When I see students say this on the course evals, I automatically dismiss the comment. There is NO WAY you can sit in this class each week and not learn SOMETHING. If that is the case, then I think that says more about the student than the instructor ;]
16. This instructor is unapproachable. F [I leave open communication to my students, but it is up to them to use it. The NING is there for you to express your ideas, thoughts, concerns, etc., and I am always available via email. I may come across to certain students this way, but it is not intentional. I truly want the best for each of my students.]
I care deeply about the "success" of each of my students, but please remember that success isn't always measured by a letter grade. The almighty "A" should be reserved for the students who achieve the highest standards of excellence in any particular course. Students all too often become frustrated by their grades, but the focus should remain on working hard, completing all assignments and on time, taking advantage of help when it is offered, putting the time and effort into the writing process and studying, reading all assignments, and attending class. If you do this, then you will succeed.
1. This instructor expects a lot from her students. T [But no more than any good instructor, at any good university, teaching any good English course.]
2. This instructor can seem tough at first. T [Many students find that this class particularly is more challenging in the beginning and eases up in the end.]
3. The content of this course is largely geared to the interests of the instructor. T [As true with most English classes, but the overwhelming majority of the material covered is from the textbook. The one exception is written by an author that is covered in the text.]
4. The subject matter discussed is often considered "controversial" by some students. T [This is a college class, and you can expect to openly discuss such topics as love, sex, and sexuality as it applies to the course material.]
5. This instructor is mean and critical. F [Yes, I do critique my students' writing because that is my job, but no, I am not "mean". Theoretically, you are supposed to be here to learn, which means that you always have room for improvement. Critique should never be taken personally.]
6. The instructor gives grades based on if you agree with her opinions. F [Absolutely false. See me if you want names of those who can quickly dismiss this notion :)]
7. The instructor is rude to her students. F [I actually love my students and teaching. However, I do have a strange sense of humor and am sarcastic by nature, which some students misinterpret.]
8. You can't pass this class. F [The overwhelming majority of my students not only pass my class, but they normally do better in the end than they had expected. I challenge my students, but if they do all of the assigned work and try their hardest, they excel in the end. It is VERY rare that a student who has come to class regularly and turned in all assignments will fail... VERY RARE.]
9. The instructor is passionate about literature. T [Yes, I am. I don't expect everyone to be as enthusiastic as I am, but I appreciate an effort.]
10. The instructor is personal about her life. T [I often discuss how I relate the literature to my life in hopes that my students will also apply the literature to their own lives.]
11. The instructor teaches from the web notes. T [The majority of the lectures comes from the website. I have heard students say that this is "boring"; however, the only reason I created the websites in the first place was on the recommendation of my former students who said that it was too hard to keep up with notetaking and that it would be easier to follow notes from an online format. I guess I can't make everyone happy. 50 minutes is simply not long enough to have adequate discussion AND lecture on each work, so I DO MY BEST.]
12. The instructor does not even have a syllabus. F [The syllabus is clearly posted on the first page of the website. It is up to students to print it out if they wish.]
13. The assignments for this class are unclear. F [All assignments are clearly spelled out on the website. It is up to students to print them out and look them over multiple times-- just hearing the directions verbally from me once in class is not enough.]
14. The instructor looks at you like you are dumb when you are confused about an assingment. ?? [This may unintentionally happen... but only when I have repeated the answer to said question multiple times and have it clearly posted on the website. Some students do NOT pay attention in class or bother to access their assignments from the website, and this is frustrating. When this happens, you might be able to read some perplexment on my face, admittedly. However, normally, I go ABOVE AND BEYOND to answer any questions my students may have, including setting up a NING in order to answer questions and respond to comments every single day, even on non-class days!]
15. You will not learn anything in this class. F [When I see students say this on the course evals, I automatically dismiss the comment. There is NO WAY you can sit in this class each week and not learn SOMETHING. If that is the case, then I think that says more about the student than the instructor ;]
16. This instructor is unapproachable. F [I leave open communication to my students, but it is up to them to use it. The NING is there for you to express your ideas, thoughts, concerns, etc., and I am always available via email. I may come across to certain students this way, but it is not intentional. I truly want the best for each of my students.]
I care deeply about the "success" of each of my students, but please remember that success isn't always measured by a letter grade. The almighty "A" should be reserved for the students who achieve the highest standards of excellence in any particular course. Students all too often become frustrated by their grades, but the focus should remain on working hard, completing all assignments and on time, taking advantage of help when it is offered, putting the time and effort into the writing process and studying, reading all assignments, and attending class. If you do this, then you will succeed.
