In lieu of a final exam, I asked my students last semester (Fall 2006) to describe their learning achievement and experience in the course. While this assignment was not completed anonymously, the students were guaranteed an automatic A for following the guidelines and granted serious consideration of their suggestion of a participation grade, as long as they argue their case convincingly (and honestly). I have provided the questions I asked in italics.

1. We have used a variety of techniques this semester to analyze a variety of literary texts and genres. I would like you to discuss one analytical approach or discussion of a stylistic device that taught you best to interpret literature independently. I am thinking here of historical, biographical, feminist, Marxist, etc. approaches to literature or of such stylistic devices as nomenclature, imagery, personification, theme, etc. or genre/period classifications like local color, naturalism, Romanticism, the sonnet, short story etc. (chronicle, epistle, apocalyptic writing, prophecy etc.). In your answer, please use at least one literary text we read this semester to demonstrate your understanding and application of the interpretative tool of your choice.

2. I would like you to take 10 minutes to reflect on the course and your contribution to it. What did you bring to the table that helped us learn about literary analysis this semester? Did your presentations illuminate an important aspect of interpretative query? Please discuss your contribution to the course in the context of one literary text that we discussed this semester, and explain in no more than 2-5 sentences what grade you believe you should be awarded for your participation in and contribution to the class.

The student responses that follow are from three different courses, English 108: Introduction to Literature, Humanities 335: The Bible as Literature, and English 199: Freshman Composition and Introduction to Literature for Honors Students, all from Fall 2006. The Honors course was only asked to respond to prompt #2. The majority of the 108 students submitted their responses via email, while only a few of the Honors and Humanities students trusted the internet; most of them opted to hand-deliver their papers, which is why I have fewer available records of their reactions. top

Student A (English 108)

1. Throughout the semester we have discussed many forms of stylistic devices that have allowed us to better analyze the pieces of literature we have studied. Among all the approaches, my favorites would have to be personification and imagery.
Personification is a figure of speech in which non-living objects or ideas are given human qualities. This is hugely important in literature when authors are trying to give a feeling or an emotion certain realness. For example, in the poem On a Drop of Dew by Andrew Marvell, there are many personifications about dew on a rose. The author makes a continuous connection to nature, which gives this dew a life. Marvell talks about its life, stating “Scarce touching where it lies, But gazing back upon the skies, Shines with a mournful light, Like its own tear” (Marvell 480). Later he says “Restless it rolls unsecure, trembling lest it grow impure” (Marvell 480). Words like “restless” and “trembling” makes the dew into more of a human form, with feelings and sensations. Through personification, Marvel is able to make the dew come alive, standing out to the reader and drawing them into the story.
Imagery is another significant method of literature. Imagery is used to describe something in detail, explaining different aspects of a room, or pointing out the features of someone’s appearance. Imagery appeals to all five senses, and draws the reader into a story or poem. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses excellent imagery in his story Young Goodman Brown. “On he flew, among the black pines, brandishing his staff with frenzied gestures, now giving went to an inspiration of horrid blasphemy, and now shouting forth such laughter, as set all the echoes of the forest laughing like demons around him.” (Hawthorne 203). His descriptions of the forest, the trees and the individual allow the reader to picture a dark wood, eerie and sinister.     
Both personification and imagery really add to pieces of literature like those mentioned above. Not only do they draw the reader into the work, they allow them to actually feel, smell, hear, see, and even taste what is happening. Both are very essential to make a story come alive.

2. As it suggested on the rubric, I spent roughly ten minutes contemplating the English 108 course I took this semester. In those ten minutes, I dozed off once, remembered a few phone calls I had to make, and replied to an email from my mom. But in the last few moments during that period of time, I seriously reflected on my contribution to the class.        
First, I considered the first presentation I made in the class. Although it was a group presentation, I was still slightly nervous, wondering if this teacher would appreciate my thoughts on Oedipus the King, or dismiss them as pathetic freshman opinions. However, looking back on the presentation, I believe that I was thorough and articulate in my explanation of Sophocles and other such subjects.
My second presentation was I was significantly less tense, and was actually pleased with the short talk I gave about John Lennon and Paul McCartney. I thought it was especially grand because the story behind “Eleanor Rigby” was quite intriguing and even mystifying.
But all in all, looking back, I realized something. I didn’t give to the class nearly as much as I got out of it. I spent my time in the class listening to discussions and debates, taking in the works we were studying, and absorbing the information. From that class I have taken a great deal of knowledge about literature that I would not have known otherwise. Although I was not often vocally active, I was a committed listener, and gave my input when felt necessary. For these reasons, I believe I deserve an A……for Alex. top

Student B (English 108)

1. Approaching literature using an analytical approach can open up our understanding a great deal.  Often times we simply miss chunks of information that the author intended to be received.  This can be most clearly seen when an author lived in a moderate to distinctly different culture due to the lapse of time. Historically approaching literature we are able to better place the work within its own culture and more accurately see it the way its original readers understood it. While I do not think that the historical approach is all that is necessary to understand a text in its entirety I believe it opens up the most general and understanding that is possible; starting with the general and working towards the more exact is like starting with a birds eye view to get in the whole picture before you confuse yourself with details that are better understood within their context. Then we can use other approaches like the biographical approach, which helps us understand a particular work based off of what we know about the author. One such work is The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. In this case we come to understand that the frustrating rest cure is a very frustrating and ineffective treatment; the power of this short work however likely stems largely from the fact that Gilman herself was administered the rest cure as treatment just like her character in her story.

2. I believe my contribution to the course helped facilitate an effective and thought provoking atmosphere. I asked questions that I felt would lead to interesting discussions. In my group presentations I helped my group find good articles and gave what I felt was an enlightened speech on how C.S. Lewis’s Screwtape Letters is viewed by non-Christians. I contributed in the discussions about the Screwtape Letters as often as I felt it was appropriate for me to do so; I disputed the Catholic/Protestant argument concerning the Screwtape Letters. I worked hard to stay with the class both by preparing for classes and by paying attention in class both to lectures and to student presentations. I’m not sure that I can honestly determine what grade I “should” be rewarded, but if I must name a letter then my conscience would be most pleased with a B. top

Student C (English 108)

1. Discovering the true meaning of a literary text can be difficult at times, especially if we don’t have the author’s interpretation at our disposal. The analytical approach that I used this semester that allowed me to interpret literary texts most efficiently was the use of historical information. By simply knowing what was going on in the time the text was written helped me to analyze different literary texts that we read. Understanding the cultural values and symbols of the time in which the text was written proved to be an integral part of the analyzing process. We can’t always know the historical context of different texts so outside research should be used to gain a better understanding of the meaning.
In John Milton’s “On the Late Massacre in Piedmont” the meaning can be hard to interpret without knowledge of the happenings of the time he wrote the poem. We can use historical evidence to decipher the meaning of the poem. When exploring the historical meaning of Milton’s sonnet further, we can see how angry and sad he is by the slaughter of the Waldensian sect. More historical research shows that the Waldensians were persecuted for their views that included their consideration that the knowledge of the Scripture should be accessible to all. They also allowed women to preach. The Catholic Church was tyrannical according to Milton who was a Protestant. He believed that the Church had lost its way, although he was not sure if they had ever found their way. Without historical evidence the true meaning of Milton’s poem would be difficult to interpret.

2. In a course like English 108 it is important to have read the texts that were assigned. I
think that it is important to hold the class accountable for the readings because active discussion is the best way to learn about literary texts. I was prepared for class discussions 99% of the time and my participation in the class reflected my preparedness. Many times it seemed as if I was one of the handful of people who actually read the texts assigned in a given day. My presentation of John Milton provided the class with biographical information that should have allowed for easier interpretation of his poems. Informing the class that he was a Protestant and that he detested the Catholic Church helped the class when interpreting “On the Late Massacre in Piedmont”. During our discussion on “The Secret Sharer” I was one of a few students who carried the discussion. I would say that I deserve an A for my participation grade. I was always present in class and active in the discussion. In times of silence my participation helped get the class back on track. I am not saying that I carried the class, but I participated more than 90% of the students. I believe only a few individuals, such as Jenny Custer deserve an A+ for their participation. (P.S.: I am excited to be in your Shakespeare course next semester. I love the energy you bring to the classroom.  Thanks.) top

Student D (English 108)

1. Throughout this semester we have learned a variety of approaches for understanding the texts that we have read. Each approach is good in its own right, but the one that serves me best is looking at a given piece of literature from a historical point of view, or understanding the history of the time and of the author. In May Angelou's "Africa" knowing some kind of history about slavery, which most people do, will help to understand this poem. Also, knowing something about the author herself will take you even further in this poem. Angelou has been a civil rights activist and a womans rights activists for some time and both of those characteristics are evident in her poem. Knowing these two things really helped me with the imagery in the poem, and it gave me a better understanding of the poem.

2. I think that I brought a different point of view than most of my fellow classmates because I view things in a different way due to my different upbringing. Like when we presented on Hamlet I brought to the attention of the class something that I had just recently been learning which is the Shakespeare authorship controversy and most were not even aware that such a controversy existed. Overall I think I contributed to the class with alternative view points than the majority. I feel that as far as participation, contribution and comprehension of the concepts and materials are concerned I deserve a B, but due to my own personal problems this semester I do not think that I did as well as I could have and should have and because of that I think I deserve a C. top

Student E (English 108)

1.  Through out the short story The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, voice is a stylistic choice by the author that enhances the story.  Because this piece is written in the first person, the reader is limited by only knowing the immediate thoughts of the main character, an unnamed young wife who is suffering from physical and mental illness.  The main character’s voice in the story reflects that of a diary—she divulges her inner thoughts and feelings to the reader, but to no one else.  The story begins with the woman concerned about her “nervous condition” (317).  When she and her husband John move into a temporary apartment, the wallpaper appalls her: “One of those sprawling flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin” (317).  Knowing that her nervous condition may worsen if she is depressed, she confesses to the reader that she must ignore the wallpaper in order to recover from her physical illness and survive until they move out.  Despite her efforts, she becomes obsessed with the yellow wallpaper; the main character does not say this, but the reader discerns this from her thoughts and actions: “I’m getting really fond of the room in spite of the wallpaper.  Perhaps because of the wallpaper.  It dwells in my mind so!” (320). 
As she continues to live in the apartment, she gradually becomes fascinated with the paper.  Her husband John does not realize that, though her physical condition is improving, her mental condition is rapidly declining.  Her obsession with the yellow wallpaper and the alleged shapes or creatures hidden behind the pattern causes her “nervous condition” to escalate to that of full-blown insanity.  Though the reader knows that she is afraid of her husband, John is unaware of this change in mental state.  Gilman’s use of the main character’s first person voice allows the reader the fully appreciate and experience the feelings of the main character, but still understand the confusion that her husband John feels at her mental disintegration.  In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper uses voice to create smart and creepy short story that is both depressing and powerful to the reader. 

2.  Throughout this semester, I have actively participated in class discussions by contributing to the discussion, actively listening, and respectfully attending every class.  Though I did not volunteer to speak at every opportunity, I did complete all the reading assignments.  By not always saying something, I had the opportunity to sit back and truly listen to the discussion and formulate educated and thoughtful comments, rather than blurting out random remarks.  Being female and Catholic, I found that I had a different perspective on many of the poems, especially chivalric and religious poems and stories.  Because of my background, I felt that my experiences aided in what I was able to contribute during discussions.  The two presentations, one group project on Hamlet and a related article on guilt and shame and a presentation on Maya Angelou, were both informational and interesting.  These both allowed other students in the class to learn more about the context of the works we read.  For these reasons, among others, I feel that you should mark my participation grade with at least an A- for my active, thoughtful, and respectful participation in class discussions.  Thank you. top

Student F (English 108)

1. One type of stylistic device that best taught me to interpret literature independently was personification. Personification was that word that I had always heard of, but never truly understood and once I came to am understanding of the meaning it was much easier to also interpret poetry and some short stories. An example of how personification helped me interpret poetry better is the poem by Andrew Marvell “On a Drop of Dew.” This was the poem that was on the first test and although I had read it before I hadn’t really understood what it was about. On the test there was also a question about personification and once I put two and two together, everything clicked and I was able to decipher the poem. Seeing the flower in the poem related to the human soul I was able to see the deeper meaning and therefore interpret the poem correctly.

2. In reflecting on my participation in class, I can remember constantly taking part but the instance that sticks out most is my contribution during the discussion on The Lottery. When discussing The Lottery I brought in the thought on how the story was a commentary on social morality in that many of us today still continue to follow traditions where the original reason is no longer in existence. Things that many do today such as celebrating Christmas no longer really reflect the original reason that the holiday began. After all, where was Santa Claus when Christ was born? In this aspect I was able to show how this story was not only a social commentary on things of the past, but can be used to reevaluate our society today.
I also brought forth information in my presentation on Poe that would help other students interpret his work better. I talked a lot about his childhood, something that greatly affected his writing, and how a lot of his poetry reflected his depression. Poe was also a drug addict which could explain how he thought up the crazy scenarios that he did. I also talked about his love life, something that shows up often in his work. By understanding a bit a Poe’s past, it becomes much easier to understand the message that he was attempting to send in his poetry.
Finally for the participation part of the class I believe I deserve an A- because I always prepared for class and unless I wasn’t feeling well, I tried to give information that I thought would be helpful for the rest of the class. The reason that I did not say that I should get an A is because toward the end of semester I didn’t speak up as much in class, mostly because I was tired and getting burned out. None-the-less, I really did try to contribute in class to not only better my understanding, but also to shed light for others on how they may interpret the reading in a new way. top

Student G (English 108)

1.  The foremost skill that I gleaned from this semester in English 108 was the ability to truly analyze poetry and to find the deeper meaning that lies beyond the surface value in most poems.  The techniques that helped me to discover this were the symbolism found in the images presented and the forms of the poems themselves.            The poem “Design” by Robert Frost sticks out in my mind as a perfect example of how much can be presented when the images of a poem are analyzed. Frost paints crystal clear images of the “heal-all” plant upon which a white spider is holding a white moth. The powerful imagery comes through in the phrases like “dimpled spider, fat and white” holding the moth “like a white piece of rigid satin cloth” all on a “white heal all”. These images not only make the reader feel as if they are indeed present at this scene, but also incorporate some symbolism that add greater depth to the understanding of the poem. The description of the spider being “fat, white and dimpled” all conjure thoughts of innocence and purity, and even an infant-like state. He finds these “assorted characters of death and blight” to be conflicting and ironic tensions. The gruesomeness of the scene contrasted with the oddly all white ensemble leads to the deeper meaning of the poem where Frost speculates about what part fate and intelligent design play in our lives. The last line in the poem ties it all together and reveals why the author is repainting the picture of the moth, the plant and the spider; “What but design of darkness to appall? If design govern in a thing so small.”  The vivid images combined with the symbolism create a powerful query into the workings of the universe, a question that ties all of humanity together in that all have questioned the possibility of a higher power in control of fate.

2.  I believe that my group’s presentation on comparing Oedipus to the movie Minority Report brought some more insight to the story and presented a more contemporary view of it to our fellow students. I think that it helped many people to view the story in a modern setting and to fully digest the themes in a way that made it relevant to us. Also I think that in my author presentation of Leo Tolstoy I brought more insight into the story “The Death of Ivan Ilych”. I researched and presented about how Tolstoy was a Christian fundamentalist and like Ilych, was obsessed in his own life with the right way to live.
I absolutely loved the variety and topics of literature covered in this class and truly believe I put a great deal of thought and effort into all my papers, presentations, and class participation. I wasn’t always the first student with my hand in the air when discussing a text, but when I did contribute to discussion it was something I really felt strongly about and had thought over. I’d like to think that based on those qualifications I would receive an A in this class. top

Student H (Honors 199)

This semester, I feel like I brought a passion for English to the class that wasn't necessarily shared by everyone else, and I feel like this passion was especially ignited by The Alchemist.  As a literary studies major, I was captivated by what I found to be beautiful, intricate storytelling and tried to convey the inspiration that I got from the text to the rest of the class.  The Alchemist reiterated the importance of pursuing one's destiny at an important crossroads in my college career, and I truly enjoyed the novel.  I never missed a class session, was always enthusiastic about the material, and even attended a few of the extra credit movie nights and therefore, think I deserve an 'A' in this course for participation. top

Student I (Honors 199)

I believe that I have earned the full credit allotted for the participation portion of the class. Throughout the class, I have given my opinion and expressed ideas that I have accumulated from my life as a student and a reader of literature. Much like Santiago, I traveled through the class trying to find a thread that reached into every book and into every person. top

Student J (Honors 199)

English 199 has changed the way in which I look at literature. I have realized that there are often many subtle nuances within novels that may not seem obvious, but can lead to a greater understanding of the text. I have seen that understanding the history surrounding a novel often adds a great deal of depth. This understanding can give a great deal of insight into both the lives and actions of the characters. I feel that the technique which I learned will benefit me in the future to both comprehend and analyze literature. I believe that I am a great candidate for receiving an A for participation points. The reasons I deem myself worthy of this grade are trifold. First I always attempted to add to the conversation during class discussion. Second I always came prepared to class, whether that meant doing extra research or reading, I was almost always organized. Finally I am a very nice guy, and I could really use a good grade in this class. top

Student K (Humanities 335)

1. During this semester we used a lot of different ways of looking at the Bible as a piece of literature. I enjoyed them all, but one of my favorite and the most interesting things that we discussed was looking at psalms. While looking at this book, we paid close attention to the rhetorical and stylistic devices that were so evident when reading them. We noticed a common trend that was showing up when reading the psalms, this was parallelism. Parallelism is the use of identical or equal syntactic words in matching clauses or phrases. For example in psalm 29 it says, “The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon” (29:5). You notice the idea of parallelism repeated throughout the book of psalms. Another thing we noticed when reading the book of psalms was the use of metaphors. You can see metaphors in almost all the 150 psalms in the book. For example in Psalm 42, the poet refers to himself as a deer searching for flowing streams. These metaphors help make the psalms stronger and more powerful to the reader.

2. I thought that this course was one of my most interesting classes that I have taken throughout my college career. At first, I was expecting it to be hard considering it was a 300 level humanities course. Although, it was challenging I enjoyed what I was learning, so it was fun. Having taken a bible as literature course in high school I was able to compare the two courses. This course was much more interesting and really got me engaged into what were reading.
During the course I was able to provide me insight on the different pieces of the bible that we were studying. I was able to use my prior knowledge from my studies within my church, and from my previous bible as literature class. One particular example that I remember from when I felt like I was putting my insight into the material is when we broke down the book of Job and each group had a different chunck of it. I had written my final paper in my high school class about Job, and I was able to use this knowledge to help out my group members and also share with the class.
I believe that I should get an A in this course. I attending a majority of the classes and played an active role in the discussions. I put a lot of hard work into my exams and was able to get B’s and A’s on them. Also, I worked very hard on the papers that wrote the class and may use one of them for my junior writing portfolio. I think that an A represents the time and effort that I put into this class. top

Student L (Humanities 335)

1. Some of the techniques that we used that I liked the most were genre classification and class discussion, breaking up a book into parts. My favorite section that we did was on the wisdom writings. We used a type of genre classification when looking at the Psalms. We used Gunkel’s system that broke them up into genres such as hymns, thanksgiving, lamentations, and others. This helped me see the book in more of a concrete way. I could now see themes in the poems, which made the big book more manageable. I also liked how with Psalms we looked at the stylistic devices used in Hebrew poetry such as parallelism, imagery, and personification. This helped me appreciate the poems on another level.
What we did with the book of Job I believe was the best. We used the genera classification of not just wisdom writing, but also speculative wisdom. This was helpful because not only did we then look at the book for wisdom, but also we looked at in as a specific type and how it was different from the wisdom in proverbs. This really came in handy when interpreting the book and its aims as literature. In addition, we broke Job up into sections, which we then discussed in class. I like that because then I could see the progress of the story better, how it was organized, and made it easier interpreting since it was smaller sections. Then after we broke it up it was easier to put it back together for the ultimate meaning. I really enjoyed the wisdom section the most and I think some of the best in class talks were about it, and I think the way we went about looking at them with genres and breaking them up made it easier and more enjoyable.

2. I think one of the biggest things that I brought to the table in this class was an open mind. As a Christian I knew much of what we were going to talk about might upset me a little. However, I was still able to learn about the Bible in a new way, without compromising what I believe or putting down what others believed. I shared this open mindedness in class and in particular with others like Christian. I think I contributed the most to our discussion on Job. When we were going over it, I was also reading outside of class for my own enjoyment, so I knew it pretty well. I really understood the role of Jobs friends, Elihu, and Job himself and I shared my thoughts about it during our class discussion.
I believe I would deserve a B for my class participation. I came to class all the time and always had my books, and as far as I could see, was one of the few people who actually read. However, I did not talk that much in our class discussion. I could have contributed more there. That is why I believe I earned a B for participation.  top

Student M (Humanities 335)

1. In the book The Bible as Literature, I found the apocalyptic literature consideration (Chapter 10) of the Bible, combined with the class discussions (10/6/06, 10/9/06) to be the most helpful to create a meaningful framework in which to analyze the texts.  In addition, considering the historical context of the work or the historical reference to events also assists with understanding the texts.  Apocalyptic writings were prevalent in approximately the 3^rd century B.C.E. to 1^st century C.E. period.  Many of the writings were a response to the national crisis of the Babylonian Exile and the religious crisis associated with the Rome’s occupation of Israel.  A primary characteristic of apocalyptic writings in the Bible is the prophecy or foreshadowing about Israel’s freedom and the end of time.
The Book of Daniel combines both apocalyptic writing (prophetic) and wisdom writing (teaching).  The apocalyptic writing occurs in “Daniel’s visions” in chapters 7-12.  It is believed that the writer of Daniel composed the apocalyptic chapters during Antiochus IV Epiphanes’ control of Israel in 2^nd century B.C.E., not long after 167 B.C.E. when Jews were forced to participate in pagan rites or suffer death.  The writing was a response to a historical issue and national crisis.  Although the writing offered no human solution, it did prophesize that in returning to the root of their religion, people can be saved and that through God’s intervention the people of Israel will be helped. 
An example of prophecy concerning Israel is represented in Daniel’s vision during the first year that Darius the son of Ahasuerus ruled (9:1).  In a vision, Daniel is visited by the angel Gabriel who indicates, “Consider well the word, consider the vision: seventy times seven years are marked out for your people and your holy city; then rebellion will be stopped, sin brought to and end, iniquity expiated, everlasting right ushered in, vision and prophecy ratified, and the Most Holy Place anointed” (9:24).  The seventy times seven years represent the 490 years since the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C.E., which means that ~70 years are left as marked for Israelites to endure until the rebellion is brought to an end.  Through the narrative of Daniel’s visions, the writer of Daniel is attempting to comfort and encourage the people of his time, to inspire hope for their future.

2. As I have never read any Bible before, I was able to engage in the Bible as Literature course with an impartial view of the Bible.  In addition, as my personal theological views are agnostic, I was not concerned with proving or disproving theological elements within the text.  This non-theological focus helped me maintain and demonstrate an objective view of the texts.  I approached the texts simply as new works of literature to evaluate. As an English major, I was able to utilize some of the literary analysis skills that I am developing in order to interpret the texts.
After completing the assigned readings for the Book of Proverbs, I realized that they interested me perhaps more than other works covered up to that point in the semester.  Because of my interest, I made several reading notes concerning my observations and impressions of the various chapters that were assigned (Chapters 1-13 and 31).  These notes I brought to class and, upon reviewing them, I recognized that I had conducted my reading primarily with a feminine perspective.  As the Book of Proverbs is considered part of the Bible’s wisdom literature, I was pleased to note that wisdom was personified as “she” in the text, linking wisdom and women.  I contributed this observation during the open class discussion and supported my observation by referencing the first instance of it in the text, “She calls at the top of the bustling streets” (1:21).  In addition, during the discussion of Chapter 31 verse 10 (A good wife), I shared my observation that 31:10-31 largely reflects the patriarchal culture that is predominate in the Bible. 
I was able to engage in the lectures and contribute to the discussions, as I attended every class, completed most reading assignments, brought my Bible to each class and shared it with the instructor and classmates.  Because of my attendance and preparation, I believe my contribution and participation grade should be an A. top

In the fall of 2006, I taught three courses that were brand new for me:  English 108: Introduction to Literature, English 199: Freshman Composition and Introduction to Literature, and Humanities 335: The Bible as Literature. top

For Honors 199, two sets of evaluation sheets were handed out, one through the Honors College and one through the English Department. The questions provided by the Honors College were focused on the instructor’s contribution to the class and included such prompts as “The instructor was enthusiastic about the subject matter” (4.72), “The instructor appeared to have a thorough knowledge of the subject matter” (4.83), “The instructor’s interactions with the students” (4.56), and “The instructor encouraged active student engagement in class” (4.83), alongside less applicable ones for English studies, such as “In this course I was asked to memorize facts, ideas, or concepts” (1.63). The summary for “My overall rating for this instructor” was 4.33, the summary for “My overall rating for this course” was 4.11; and the cumulative average for this course was 3.99. More important to this course than the numbers—which seem to be at odds through the great variance that questions like the “memorization” one introduce—are the written comments provided by students. Under learning outcomes, students overall emphasized their newly acquired ability to historicize fiction and non-fiction as well as an overall improvement of their critical reading and writing skills. Some also mentioned an improvement in their verbal abilities to converse about literature and an improved comfort in discussing literature. The English department evaluations balanced out to a cumulative average of a 4.21 for the course, with a 4.34 for the “Overall rating of the course’s contribution to [the students’] learning” and a 4.61 for the “Overall rating of the instructor,” which, I believe, reflects the comfort they felt with me. We worked well together, and the quality of class discussions in this course certainly exceeded my expectations. top

Overall, I believe, the course helped lessen beginner’s anxieties and showed the students that one does not have to be an expert to read and understand literature. In regards to the material taught and the ways in which it was taught, students remarked that the material I had chosen (we read Dostoevsky, C. S. Lewis, Truman Capote, Max Frisch, Paolo Coelho, Dan Brown, Erik Larsson and J. K. Rowlings, the last one at the students’ special request during dead week) were intriguing; the majority of the students found the texts appropriate to the course and enjoyed class discussions. One student commented that s/he “liked the structure. It was a good balance of her teaching us and us teaching each other.” This is probably the comment that best sums up my teaching goals and overall philosophy. I believe in facilitating discussion; I do not believe in forcing (or enforcing) it. While I am always there and ready to lecture, I much prefer not to and instead inspire the students to get involved enough to run discussion for me and (more importantly) for themselves and in the ways in which they would like to direct it. I want to know what it is that intrigues them and then help them discover ways to get at those meanings and levels of interpretation. In a student-centered classroom, I like to aid rather than direct exploration. 199 was the perfect scenario for what I do best: nudge a tad and listen a lot. top

For Humanities 335, the summary for the “Overall rating for this course’s contribution to [the students’] learning” was 4.33, the “Overall rating for the instructor” was 4.52, and the cumulative average for the course as a whole was 4.30. A few other ratings that stick out are a 4.71 under “intellectually stimulating,” a 4.67 for the promotion of a “respectful attitude in class” by the instructor, and a 4.57 and 4.55 for “different perspectives” and critical thinking respectively. I have to admit that I am pleased by these rating as much as they surprise me. Teaching the Bible as Literature terrified me! At the same time though, I have always wanted to teach it. I tried taking it once as an undergraduate but then had to drop out because of a family emergency. And both in my dissertation and my Ph.D. qualifying exams, I spent quite a bit of time talking about the impact of biblical translation on the intellectual culture of early modern Europe. In other words, the Bible has always fascinated me as a historical and cultural artifact, and I did want to discuss its importance in an academic setting and in an intellectually inquisitive manner. My major worry was that I would be able to choose an approach that would not alienate my students, that would not offend their beliefs, and that did not create tension within the classroom. top

Surprisingly, Humanities became my favorite course yet. . I was teaching literature after all, not religion, not faith. Beliefs and knowledge did not figure into the course. History, archeology, and anthropology did. Literature was the artifact within which these fields of critical inquiry met; literature had preserved culture; and literature I could teach—no worries there. What was the most amazing for me about this course though were the students; they were interested, open-minded, and inquisitive. They seemed fascinated with what I had to teach them about a text they thought they knew so well from day one, in turn giving me the confidence to do the best I could to keep them captivated. We clicked. I could see in their eyes that they were intrigued and despite my ever-returning self-doubts and constant questioning whether I knew enough to teach this course, the comment that showed up on my evaluations for this course the most was that I “really knew” what I was talking about, that I demonstrated a “great (one student called it “extreme”) knowledge of the topic,” that my competence and confidence “made the subject come alive.” The things you can do with applying literary theory to a text as complex and intriguing as the Bible made me remember why I am in this business. Literature rocks! Teaching the Bible was an amazing experience, one that I asked Alex Hammond to be allowed to indulge in again in the spring. top

For English 108, the summary for the “Overall rating for the course’s contribution to [the students’] learning” was 4.34, the “Overall rating for the instructor” was a 4.47, and the cumulative average for the course was a 4.23. Other ratings that seem relevant measure intellectual stimulation and the promotion of mutual respect in the classroom equally at 4.5 and critical thinking at 4.65. Now if I said earlier that I was surprised at certain ratings, it would be an understatement to claim the same for these. I did not enjoy teaching this course. The class was too big, and the students, for too often, showed up to class without having done the reading. Group work was close to impossible and class discussion slow and typically involved the same 10 students. For the way I teach, this type of classroom setup is poison. I had to revise the way I teach to accommodate the different setting and the lack of enthusiasm my students brought to the class. top

Luckily, as mentioned earlier, literature rocks, and there was a great variety of it readily available for me to teach in 108. Introducing my students to poetry, drama, the novel, and the short story meant that there had to be a genre, something, anything that would appeal to them all and to each one individually—I just had to figure out what that was. I have to admit here that while I was willing to adjust my overall approach to teaching, I was not quite as willing to adjust my teaching goals. The students needed to participate in the learning experience; they simply needed to start caring and take responsibility for their learning achievements. Unable to get spontaneous interaction and discussion from the class as a whole, I decided that individual presentations would be the way to go in English 108. And that worked—better even than I expected. Each student had to take responsibility for at least one of the authors or historical periods we covered, introduce them, and initialize discussion. This, I think, broke the ice. While folks were still hesitant at times, they no longer remained quiet. They began doing the reading, they got involved in the texts, and they started to care about the people who created the literature, and the culture, society, and history that shaped it. top

From the student comments about the course, I gather that I appreciated the way I re-designed that course; collectively, they commended the ways in which I got them involved and guided them towards an active engagement with the literature. I was in doubt about my success in the course and uncomfortable with my commitment to the course throughout, however, and therefore asked my students to comment on their experience and learning achievements in a separate evaluation of my own design (which I then adopted for all of my courses that semester). A number of students mentioned that they liked “the energy” that I bring to the classroom and the “relaxed way” in which I lead discussion and inspire conversation. Ultimately, I think, I came to realize that the difficulties of 108 lie not in the individual students and their preparedness for the course but in the sheer number of them. Literature is something private made public that needs privacy to be rediscovered, analyzed, and internalized. Having to do that with 50 students at a time is simply not conducive to a good learning or teaching experience, and it is asking a lot of both the students and the teacher. At the same time though, I believe, that I can do a better job teaching this course—now that I know what I can expect and what I have to do to make class work. Written assignments for a class of this size will always be a problem, however, not just in the teaching of writing but also in the process of evaluating the students’ written work, especially when the instructor is teaching two other courses alongside 108. Next time around, I would ask them to complete fewer assignments and instead concentrate on essay tests, since those give them the same opportunity to explore the texts independently, yet would afford me a broader and more regular spreading of grading assignments. top