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I just got back my students' teacher/course evaluations, and I had to share. For my English 362 (Foundations of Technical Writing) courses, my average numbers ranged from 4.53 to 4.89 - one of my best semesters yet! (A 4.0 is "agree" and 5.0 is "strongly agree" with the variety of evaluation points.) The Department Chair told me last year that these numbers are unprecedented for a 300-level course, which makes it feel even better.
English 362 is required for dozens of majors, so almost everyone enrolled has to take it rather than chooses to take it; for example: "I have been suggesting that people take this course with McKitterick even though I hate English," and "I have been putting off this course until my last semester because I don't care for English courses. Chris made it very interesting and applicable," to give you an idea of the attitude many of my students bring to bear. Other nice comments: "One of the most engaging instructors I've ever had, and he seemed to not only have a vested interest in your learning but also interest in you as a person," and "McKitterick is one of the best English professors and professors in general I've had at KU." Lots more like this, some a bit blush-worthy. This is the kind of thing that makes teaching worthwhile - and in a semester when I didn't feel that I was shining at 100% due to countless job-related stresses.
The "Science, Techology, and Society: Examining the Future Through a Science-Fiction Lens" course (English 507) that I co-teach with Physics Professor Philip Baringer is not required (though it's apparently now a recommended course in some majors), so it's not surprising that the scores were even higher. Ratings ranged from 4.63 to (drum roll) a perfect 5.0 - and several 4.9s (only one person marking "Agree"). Oddly, feedback was much briefer for this course, but we got comments such as this gem: "My favorite class of my college experience."
Oh, and last semester, I got this one: "And he's sexy." That one made me smile, too.
Hooray for student evaluations! This is what keeps us doing our kick-ass best semester after semester.
Chris
English 362 is required for dozens of majors, so almost everyone enrolled has to take it rather than chooses to take it; for example: "I have been suggesting that people take this course with McKitterick even though I hate English," and "I have been putting off this course until my last semester because I don't care for English courses. Chris made it very interesting and applicable," to give you an idea of the attitude many of my students bring to bear. Other nice comments: "One of the most engaging instructors I've ever had, and he seemed to not only have a vested interest in your learning but also interest in you as a person," and "McKitterick is one of the best English professors and professors in general I've had at KU." Lots more like this, some a bit blush-worthy. This is the kind of thing that makes teaching worthwhile - and in a semester when I didn't feel that I was shining at 100% due to countless job-related stresses.
The "Science, Techology, and Society: Examining the Future Through a Science-Fiction Lens" course (English 507) that I co-teach with Physics Professor Philip Baringer is not required (though it's apparently now a recommended course in some majors), so it's not surprising that the scores were even higher. Ratings ranged from 4.63 to (drum roll) a perfect 5.0 - and several 4.9s (only one person marking "Agree"). Oddly, feedback was much briefer for this course, but we got comments such as this gem: "My favorite class of my college experience."
Oh, and last semester, I got this one: "And he's sexy." That one made me smile, too.
Hooray for student evaluations! This is what keeps us doing our kick-ass best semester after semester.
Chris
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Well done, sir.
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And yet you have to fight for your life every year. Surviving academia must be a lot like playing Calvinball.
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Yeah, it drives me a little bit crazy to hear the administrative offices hemming and hawing over whether or not they should keep "the most useful course I've taken in my entire college career," to quote another. *sigh* It sucks to teach actual, practical courses; threatens those whose courses only interest a select few, I suspect.
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(Hey, I'm just saying what we're all thinking -wink-)
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Wow, I want to enroll in your next course now!
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