Image from Spring 2014 teacher course evaluation
The comments below are from anonymous student-course evaluations.
Honors Composition
I learned significantly more than I have in other English classes. The instructor gave very interesting lessons and prompted the class to really care about learning. She was also very approachable.
This class had absolutely no busywork. Every assignment we did was vital to the skills we were learning. . . . . Very challenging, but worth the challenge.
She TED talked us while preparing us to TED talk. She's a meta-TEDer.
Very effective. I have trouble focusing and this is my 3rd class in a row for the day but I was always focused and paying attention because she was very engaging . . . . She was very relatable and helpful.
Very good. It is the reason we go to college, to learn how to evaluate sources and develop our own ideas on the world . . . . It challenged pupils to develop a voice and encouraged them to make it heard. Interactive, exciting.
I had to push myself--something rare for freshman level classes. The material was presented in a dynamic fashion that was interesting, relaxed, and overall quite effective. . . . . I loved the group workshops we had where we would go over 2nd drafts in groups of 3-4 and her outside of classes.
Her teaching was always very effective. I can't imagine where my writing would be had I learned these skills in high school.
Excellent. Ms. Wendler encouraged me to always do my best work and strive for success. If I ever fell behind, she made sure to talk to me and keep me moving forward. I was always motivated to try my hardest.
She is one of the most, if not the most, effective instructors I have ever had.
This course was incredible. We learned English strategies in effective ways that we could relate to. In addition, everything we learned will be practical in future classes and in the "real world." The instructor was extremely effective. She went out of her way to find dynamic ways to explain concepts to us through multiple strategies.
Most effective and practical English course I have ever taken!
This was a very good course. It was challenging, yet doable. Rachael spends a lot of time outside of class helping us.
Rachael is an excellent teacher who understands how college students think. Her assignments are never just busywork and I can always see how they relate to the unit.
This is one of the best classes I've ever taken. I learned so much from Ms. Wendler and I always wanted to come to class because it was interesting . . . I would recommend Ms. Wendler to everyone.
Very easy to understand, flexible, encouraging, and entertaining. . . . . Class environment was fantastic. A challenging, but reasonable course.
She loves what she does and that shows and makes us want to go to class.
Ms. Wendler always appears eager to teach her students, and she provided many opportunities to help improve our writing. She also seemed to want to have this course be applicable to many disciplines, not just English.
Overall, this was an amazing course. I was inspired to push my writing to a much higher level of excellence.
Rachael was an absolute joy to work with. She is very responsive and obviously cares about students. She wants us to learn and and challenge ourselves, which is very refreshing . . . . One of the best courses I have ever taken.
Rachael was engaging, funny, relevant, and helpful.
I feel I have learned more in this class than I have since middle school. Her enthusiasm is contagious and not only is it applicable to writing, but the rest of our lives.
I despise English courses in general. However, this was definitely one of the better English courses I've taken, primarily due to Rachael. Rachael is an excellent teacher who doesn't hesitate to make sure every single student is at their best.
One of the best classes I have taken at the UA and perhaps the best English class I have ever taken. I learned so many things that will actually help me in the future.
I felt challenged and supported throughout the class. Beyond that I appreciated the effort Rachael put into every class as well as her enthusiasm, which made her class one of my favorites at UA. She establishes personal connections with her students and supports them outside of class as well.
I now enjoy writing. Enough said.
This is my last semester of college, I wish I would've had more instructors like Rachael.
This class had absolutely no busywork. Every assignment we did was vital to the skills we were learning. . . . . Very challenging, but worth the challenge.
She TED talked us while preparing us to TED talk. She's a meta-TEDer.
Very effective. I have trouble focusing and this is my 3rd class in a row for the day but I was always focused and paying attention because she was very engaging . . . . She was very relatable and helpful.
Very good. It is the reason we go to college, to learn how to evaluate sources and develop our own ideas on the world . . . . It challenged pupils to develop a voice and encouraged them to make it heard. Interactive, exciting.
I had to push myself--something rare for freshman level classes. The material was presented in a dynamic fashion that was interesting, relaxed, and overall quite effective. . . . . I loved the group workshops we had where we would go over 2nd drafts in groups of 3-4 and her outside of classes.
Her teaching was always very effective. I can't imagine where my writing would be had I learned these skills in high school.
Excellent. Ms. Wendler encouraged me to always do my best work and strive for success. If I ever fell behind, she made sure to talk to me and keep me moving forward. I was always motivated to try my hardest.
She is one of the most, if not the most, effective instructors I have ever had.
This course was incredible. We learned English strategies in effective ways that we could relate to. In addition, everything we learned will be practical in future classes and in the "real world." The instructor was extremely effective. She went out of her way to find dynamic ways to explain concepts to us through multiple strategies.
Most effective and practical English course I have ever taken!
This was a very good course. It was challenging, yet doable. Rachael spends a lot of time outside of class helping us.
Rachael is an excellent teacher who understands how college students think. Her assignments are never just busywork and I can always see how they relate to the unit.
This is one of the best classes I've ever taken. I learned so much from Ms. Wendler and I always wanted to come to class because it was interesting . . . I would recommend Ms. Wendler to everyone.
Very easy to understand, flexible, encouraging, and entertaining. . . . . Class environment was fantastic. A challenging, but reasonable course.
She loves what she does and that shows and makes us want to go to class.
Ms. Wendler always appears eager to teach her students, and she provided many opportunities to help improve our writing. She also seemed to want to have this course be applicable to many disciplines, not just English.
Overall, this was an amazing course. I was inspired to push my writing to a much higher level of excellence.
Rachael was an absolute joy to work with. She is very responsive and obviously cares about students. She wants us to learn and and challenge ourselves, which is very refreshing . . . . One of the best courses I have ever taken.
Rachael was engaging, funny, relevant, and helpful.
I feel I have learned more in this class than I have since middle school. Her enthusiasm is contagious and not only is it applicable to writing, but the rest of our lives.
I despise English courses in general. However, this was definitely one of the better English courses I've taken, primarily due to Rachael. Rachael is an excellent teacher who doesn't hesitate to make sure every single student is at their best.
One of the best classes I have taken at the UA and perhaps the best English class I have ever taken. I learned so many things that will actually help me in the future.
I felt challenged and supported throughout the class. Beyond that I appreciated the effort Rachael put into every class as well as her enthusiasm, which made her class one of my favorites at UA. She establishes personal connections with her students and supports them outside of class as well.
I now enjoy writing. Enough said.
This is my last semester of college, I wish I would've had more instructors like Rachael.
Business Writing
Rachael provided very useful life-long skills. This course has helped me prepare for the post graduate life, especially for the professional world. The professor presents engaging and creative powerpoints to catch our attention.
Very useful, especially as you enter the workplace. Great info on resumes and professional emails. Fun and super creative. Uses real varied ideas to facilitate learning. Very helpful especially for college students.
This course has taught me a lot about how to write more concise as opposed to academically.
Wendler always went the extra mile to make sure we understood the material and in a fun, engaging manner.
Good teacher. Gave great feedback and really wanted everyone to do well.
Rachael clearly explained concepts and provided helpful feedback.
This class is great! I learned a lot. She is very helpful, gives us examples for every assignment.
This class was the most helpful class I have taken in college. Rachael was great.
Excellent experience and always learned something in class.
Great course and great prep for the real world.
I really liked that I learned a great amount in this class. Everything I learned will be very useful in my future.
My overall experience was wonderful in class. I learned how to work as a group over the duration of an entire semester instead of a week or two. This helped to build my communication skills. Also, I feel more confident in my business writing after this course.
Despite the heavy load of course work, this class is an excellent elective to take.
I enjoyed this course because it allowed me to work with a different type of writing style. I now feel confident in my business writing and this course will help me in the professional field.
She connects to you through her words in a way that catches your attention. Love this teacher!
She works really hard to help everyone. She would meet with us outside of class and I could tell that she really cared.
Her teaching style is very interactive; she provides many examples of what we are working on and then has us do something in class to practice. She is also very good about being available during class time and office hours if you have questions. She seems to be passionate about teaching writing and very knowledgable on the topic.
Enjoyed the relaxed environment of the class, received good feedback from Rachael when I had questions about assignments and could tell she truly cared and wanted us to learn.
I LOVED Rachael! She is a very kind, intelligent, and wonderful teacher. She is easy to communicate with and is always there for her students. She is the kind of teacher who wants each of her students to excel and she helps you through each step of the way.
Greatest course I've ever taken with great tie to future life.
She was a wonderful instructor and always made sure to clarify any questions I had . There was not a single lecture that I didn't find useful and helpful not only in coursework for the class, but also in my internship.
I think that this should be a required course for English majors to take, because it is the only course that has prepared me for any type of professional life post college.
Very useful, especially as you enter the workplace. Great info on resumes and professional emails. Fun and super creative. Uses real varied ideas to facilitate learning. Very helpful especially for college students.
This course has taught me a lot about how to write more concise as opposed to academically.
Wendler always went the extra mile to make sure we understood the material and in a fun, engaging manner.
Good teacher. Gave great feedback and really wanted everyone to do well.
Rachael clearly explained concepts and provided helpful feedback.
This class is great! I learned a lot. She is very helpful, gives us examples for every assignment.
This class was the most helpful class I have taken in college. Rachael was great.
Excellent experience and always learned something in class.
Great course and great prep for the real world.
I really liked that I learned a great amount in this class. Everything I learned will be very useful in my future.
My overall experience was wonderful in class. I learned how to work as a group over the duration of an entire semester instead of a week or two. This helped to build my communication skills. Also, I feel more confident in my business writing after this course.
Despite the heavy load of course work, this class is an excellent elective to take.
I enjoyed this course because it allowed me to work with a different type of writing style. I now feel confident in my business writing and this course will help me in the professional field.
She connects to you through her words in a way that catches your attention. Love this teacher!
She works really hard to help everyone. She would meet with us outside of class and I could tell that she really cared.
Her teaching style is very interactive; she provides many examples of what we are working on and then has us do something in class to practice. She is also very good about being available during class time and office hours if you have questions. She seems to be passionate about teaching writing and very knowledgable on the topic.
Enjoyed the relaxed environment of the class, received good feedback from Rachael when I had questions about assignments and could tell she truly cared and wanted us to learn.
I LOVED Rachael! She is a very kind, intelligent, and wonderful teacher. She is easy to communicate with and is always there for her students. She is the kind of teacher who wants each of her students to excel and she helps you through each step of the way.
Greatest course I've ever taken with great tie to future life.
She was a wonderful instructor and always made sure to clarify any questions I had . There was not a single lecture that I didn't find useful and helpful not only in coursework for the class, but also in my internship.
I think that this should be a required course for English majors to take, because it is the only course that has prepared me for any type of professional life post college.
First Year Composition
She was extremely helpful and explained stuff really well. She also talked to us like she was on our level, which made it easier to ask questions.
Teacher one of the best. I clearly understood everything that she said and have learned the most in this class than any other one. She is really good at teaching and providing clear examples.
I liked that we did things that related to real life instead of just writing essays to write them.
She does a good job explaining the assignment and always available if I need help.
I love Rachael. I think she's very personable and helpful. . . . . It was my favorite class.
She is very dedicated and knows what she is doing. I think she goes beyond most other instructors.
She uses different methods and even asked us what we thought that she should change.
The beginning of the semester I was an average writer. I am now a creative writer and I actually learned how to tie in my life through writing.
The lessons were very valuable to anyone who will ever have to write another essay (so every freshman, basically). Lessons were thoughtful and interesting and very informative. Always explained well, used contexts which us students could relate to, always answered any questions and gave very good feedback.
Ms. Wendler is passionate about English and has interesting lesson plans. I enjoyed coming to class and appreciated the help she offered on improving papers.
The feedback during workshops was the most helpful I have ever received.
I think the in-class activities were very fun and helpful. The one I remember the most is thesis dating. It helped me determine what my thesis should be and it was fun as well.
She commented a lot on our work and spent time working with us individually to improve our writing and even attitudes toward our writing.
Treated and talked to us like adults. Very helpful and fun. Was actually happy to come to class. Good essay selections, great teacher. Best I've ever had.
I learned so much about my own writing and where I struggle. I learned for the first time the power of revisions and workshops.
This teacher did an excellent job in teaching us what to do and more importantly she explained to us why we were doing what we did.
I liked the creative teaching tools that we used to learn new ideas.
This is a great instructor, and she makes an exceptional effort to get to know each student. I know she loves her job and I love learning from her!
Very organized and well thought out. Good teacher, easy to understand. Goes out of her way to help.
Ms. Wendler was an AMAZING teacher! She always made learning the new things fun and hands on in order for us to really understand. The material learned will be useful for my other classes as well.
Very clear instructor, pushes students.
Really helped to understand how we can use writing to do bigger things. Great and thorough teacher.
I don't like English. But this teacher was excellent and I loved going to English because of her.
Teacher one of the best. I clearly understood everything that she said and have learned the most in this class than any other one. She is really good at teaching and providing clear examples.
I liked that we did things that related to real life instead of just writing essays to write them.
She does a good job explaining the assignment and always available if I need help.
I love Rachael. I think she's very personable and helpful. . . . . It was my favorite class.
She is very dedicated and knows what she is doing. I think she goes beyond most other instructors.
She uses different methods and even asked us what we thought that she should change.
The beginning of the semester I was an average writer. I am now a creative writer and I actually learned how to tie in my life through writing.
The lessons were very valuable to anyone who will ever have to write another essay (so every freshman, basically). Lessons were thoughtful and interesting and very informative. Always explained well, used contexts which us students could relate to, always answered any questions and gave very good feedback.
Ms. Wendler is passionate about English and has interesting lesson plans. I enjoyed coming to class and appreciated the help she offered on improving papers.
The feedback during workshops was the most helpful I have ever received.
I think the in-class activities were very fun and helpful. The one I remember the most is thesis dating. It helped me determine what my thesis should be and it was fun as well.
She commented a lot on our work and spent time working with us individually to improve our writing and even attitudes toward our writing.
Treated and talked to us like adults. Very helpful and fun. Was actually happy to come to class. Good essay selections, great teacher. Best I've ever had.
I learned so much about my own writing and where I struggle. I learned for the first time the power of revisions and workshops.
This teacher did an excellent job in teaching us what to do and more importantly she explained to us why we were doing what we did.
I liked the creative teaching tools that we used to learn new ideas.
This is a great instructor, and she makes an exceptional effort to get to know each student. I know she loves her job and I love learning from her!
Very organized and well thought out. Good teacher, easy to understand. Goes out of her way to help.
Ms. Wendler was an AMAZING teacher! She always made learning the new things fun and hands on in order for us to really understand. The material learned will be useful for my other classes as well.
Very clear instructor, pushes students.
Really helped to understand how we can use writing to do bigger things. Great and thorough teacher.
I don't like English. But this teacher was excellent and I loved going to English because of her.