Selected Comments (Positive/Neutral/Negative) by Students

Departmental Evaluations

The following representative comments pertain to aspects of the course students are asked to respond to on departmental evaluation forms, including the instructor's knowledge of material, preparedness, and concern for students' needs; the intellectual level of the course; in-class discussions, writing and reading assignments; and students' assessments of how much their proficiency in thinking, reading, and writing has increased as a result of the course. Each comment should indicate by context the aspect being responded to.

These comments have been excerpted from evaluations for all sections of the course taught during the past school year.

Introductory Writing Program: Basic Writing (English 1013), Fall 1998          

His teaching techniques were very creative. [...] He suggested I go to the     
Writing Center for extra help on my assignments. [...] In general, the harder  
I worked the better grades I received. [Readings:] I don't read often so the   
more I read the greater my vocabulary becomes. Thus the faster I read.         

When we spoke about anything in class he always had examples and/or visuals   
to help us out.  He always covered whatever work we were assigned. [...] He    
pointed out the good points of our essays and showed us what needed work and   
how we could make it better. [...] Even though it's a basic writing class, he  
gives you the same work as other classes and pushes you to do what you are     
capable to do.                                                                 

Constructive criticism was offered to improve the quality of assignments.      
[...] Even though it's a basic course: topics transcended the remedial level.  
[Discussions:] Exciting, made class want to participate.                       

Peer review gives me a chance to see how my fellow classmates feel about my    
work. [Assignments:] They gave me the chance to express in writing what I      
learned from the readings.                                                     

[Instructor:] We never got out early and always discussed [issues with] the lecturer till    
the end. [Responses:] They pinpointed what part of writing I had to work on.   
[...] He would keep students after class and talk with them. [...] The         
readings weren't stimulating but they had meaning. [...] Find more             
entertaining readings.                                                         

[Intellectual level:] Well, the instructor made the process a[n] easy one, or  
not difficult, but still made it clear that he took this process serious[ly],  
such as papers. I really enjoyed them and learned a lot through them.          
[Ability to read and think improved?] Most def, Mr. Cassell has made me look   
at readings in a whole different perspective.                                  

[The instructor was] always on time & usually prepared with not only standard  
lesson plans but very creative ones as well. [...] The textbook should stay    
but an additional one is needed to illustrarte grammatical, vocabulary, and    
other basic elements of writing.                                               

Conferences about papers was extremely helpful. [Peer Review:] Very, very,     
very helpful.                                                                  

The readings selected weren't dry or boring. Some of them pertained to         
teenagers today, which made them easier to read. [...] I liked how the         
environment is laid back and almost entertaining.                              

[Instructor:] I never fell asleep in this class. [Intellectual Level:] The     
material in this class was not intellectual.  I felt like it was a high        
school course. [...] All basic writing courses should have teachers like       
Kevin Cassell.                                                                 

He always had his handouts ready for us.  He returned our papers when he said  
he would.  But he was sometimes a few minutes late for class. [...] He wrote   
on our essays what needed improvement.  He saw us for help and returned all    
our phone calls. [Proficiency:] In writing, yes. I know how to make my essays  
longer & better w/out simply adding on.  I know how to write good sentences    
w/better verbs.  He taught us little things that helped a lot.                 

The class discussions were excellent and very knowledgeable. [...] My ability  
to think has improved by far, I realize now that any "thing" can be            
interperated [sic] in many ways.                                               

I liked the assignments because we were given a broad topic and then used our  
own ideas to expand on.                                                        

[What liked most about class?] I guess I liked my peers the best and           
teacher-student relationship because no one is left behind in anything  in     
this class.                                                                    

I hope I have Mr. Cassell for middler year writing!

Back