"We were given a lot of freedom in expressing our ideas both in discussion and papers, but Dr. Calkins made it very clear what was expected of us."
"The small group discussion format of the class made it very easy to have strong analysis of the works we read. Dr. Calkins was very knowledgeable about all of our readings yet didn't answer ALL questions so we could think about the possible answers ourselves."
"The structure of the class is awesome, great for out of the box thinking and self-accountable thought."
"Dr. Calkins is a thorough and encouraging instructor. His insistence on group work validates and colors our reading through discussion and heartfelt debate."
"I would recommend Dr. Calkins to anyone who wants a real challenge."
"Dr. Calkins is very helpful and supportive when it comes to our papers."
"It was the most demanding but engaging english course i've taken."
"Every essay was helpful since we got feedback on how to improve our writing."
"Very organized. Expectations are very clear."
"All assignments were valuable. These were hard assignments, but excellent exercises. I learned from these difficult assignments."
"The instructor did a very good job making assignments clear by handing out a paper each time for an assignment that explained exactly what he was looking for."
"He was candid and spoke openly & honestly to our class."
"He made clear-cut comments about my papers, what he liked, what he wanted to see more of and what he thought I should improve on. That helped me, as a writer, understand where my strengths were."
"I can't recall a time he answered a question of anyone's completely and clearly."
"I feel he taught the class inappropriately for its level (100) would not excite students back into the Humanities Prog."
"Less complicated readings or help more effectively on assigned reading."
"Reduce hectic pace of essay assignments."
"Give more feedback. Be more patient. Try to be more helpful and easier to ask for help."