What Educators Are Saying

These are evaluations of my teaching written by peers and supervisors. I’ve tried to leave them unedited, while removing identifying information wherever necessary and correcting grammar to match.

  • When I came into your class I sat down next to one of your students who, though he was taking a break, was very eager to show me some of the work he had been doing in class – he brought up a program that you had shown them how to create and explained how he could plug in a set of numbers and a solution and the computer would compute what combination of those numbers added, subtracted , multiplied, and divided- would equal the solution- he plugged in numbers and enthusiastically explained to me how it all worked- toward the end of your class you gave an explanation to the class for how the program worked- you used the overhead and explained clearly so the students who were behind could catch up – I was very impressed with the caliber and number of questions asked by your students- they are clearly engaged by the subject and by your teaching- you handled all of the questions well and answered them thoroughly- the class certainly enjoyed dissecting the old computers- they crowded around you and listened intently to your explanations- you have a good relationship with your students even when you have to enact some discipline- I heard you ask for a student’s attention, which the student quickly gave you – you were also quick to lock up the computers so the students would pay attention to your lecture- all around great work.
  • You have a wonderful rapport with your students and strong classroom management skills. During the course of the Turing machine exercise, both you and your TA… circulated through the room individually addressing students’ needs and progress. You also increased comprehension by noting everyday objects that use the ideas [students are] working on, such as odometers and clocks. Additionally, you made the students aware that in this particular exercise, there were multiple different solutions.The wiki project provides your students the opportunity to solidify their understanding of concepts and how they connect to one another. The students were notably excited about this project, and seemed to have a sense of empowerment as a result.You also continuously pointed out something in the students’ work and then asked them to explain it to you. When students gave incorrect answers, you talked them through the process and got them to figure out what went wrong. The fact that they invariably worked through the problems shows how much you have taught them, not only about Computer Science, but also about critical thought and problem solving.
  • The apparently stellar conference presentation I gave yesterday wouldn’t have been possible without the encouragement, support, and learning experiences you’ve given me. I mean that. I got tons of congratulations yesterday, and really that’s the community’s way of thanking you for investing in me. I’m just the guy who happen to be standing in front of the room that day. But you and my other teachers and mentors–you’re the reason I’m able to do what I do.