I have decided to publish my course evaluation comments from this semester’s students. They evaluated the two grad courses I taught, one on multicultural education and the other on transracial adoption and family diversity. It’s always interesting to see how student resistance manifests itself, often in negative comments. But each semester I seem to be getting better as an instructor and communicator. So, for what it’s worth, I’ll let my students speak for themselves:
Graduate Course: “Education in a Pluralistic Society”
(19 students, 12 responses to survey)
1. What did you like most about this course?
* I liked the small class size, only 19 students. The nature of this class necessarily led to dialogue between the participants, so we sat in a circle so we could see each other when we interacted. We did some fun activities during the class and also watched some videos that really opened my eyes to some of the issues that are facing students of color. I enjoyed the evening we had with [guest speaker] while he shared his life story and about how he is coping with his disability. He is an incredible young man.
* That ideas were presented in an open minded way allowing different perspectives to be presented.
* Material that was related to current events. The communication style of Dr. Raible. His ability to pause and wait for feedback and comments was particularly keen. He understands adult learning styles and knew how to work with different styles of student communication preferences.
* Different perspectives
* The professor! John was amazing. I couldn’t imagine discussing these types of issues with anyone more experienced, qualified, or inspirational. I enjoyed the way he engaged all of us as students, working together in small groups or as large discussions. He did a great job with differing instructional techniques, such as film, readings, and discussion, and he truly challenged us to think for ourselves and explore our own learning with open ended assignments.
* student participation; variety with partner, small group and whole group discussion; guest speakers; case studies; videos; role plays; sharing portfolios
* open and thoughtful discussions and a safe environment to discuss a difficult topic
* I loved everything about this class. John Raible is an asset to the university and one of the most engaging, knowledgeable instructors I’ve ever had in my entire life. Thank you, John I will never forget what I learned in this class.
* the class promoted open, thought-provoking discussions that could help encourage future activism. in other words, the material learned will be applicable in my future role as a teacher.
* The one-on-one communication and how I learned and changed from that
2. What did you like least about this course?
* the repetition of the same discussion over and over.
* little if anything was negative. Some of the supporting media was a bit dated but that is a budget issue for the university and the rarity and specificity of what was presented in the older media was relevant and more than appropriate.
* There needs to be a methods section of this class too, and John needs to teach it. Go 861B [the number for an imagined follow-up to this class, 861]
* The reading responses which made you respond based on your personal response to reading, video, or classroom discussion. I don’t enjoy talking about personal issues.
* N/A
* students seemed to hold back on controversial topics, not much variety in presentations
* Personally not being a teacher, I did not have as many direct ways to think about applying the material as some of my fellow students, however this criticism is in no way a reflection of the professor or course. I learned so much in this course and any student could, an aspiring teacher or not.
* Lack of communication with instructor
* The fact that it is needed, meaning I wish that racism was over and done and we didn’t need to learn how to deal with it.
3. What other comments do you have about this course?
* I dreaded doing the portfolio and all the various parts involved in it, but I really enjoyed working on it once I got started. Thank you, Dr. Raible, you really opened my eyes on these issues and I now see them in a whole new light.
* The instructor comes from a diverse background. He was able to present material in a manner that had the student gaining new perceptive of issues that he may not have thought about.
* Great course, I have recommended it to everyone
* I really enjoyed this course because I learned so much about my student needs and myself as a teacher
* The professor was very encouraging and accepting. The course has motivated me to become more of an activist.
* I hope Dr. Raible has tenure. He is a solid asset to the department and the University. I would actively look to take other classes that he may have. I also appreciate his vulnerability in speaking so personally about his life experiences. He is very genuine and authentic as a person and as an professor.
* Class was more emotionally challenging than academically challenging (values and perceptions), class content was very relevant and theory was tied to practical application in classroom I appreciated problem-solving pedagogy and openness to no easy answers.
• I took 3 grad level courses this semester and I truly looked forward to the content and discussions led by John each week – this was my favorite class this semester.
Graduate Course: “Identities in Transition: Family Diversity, Adoption, Culture, and Schooling”
(8 students, 3 responses to survey)
1. What did you like most about this course?
* I appreciate Dr. Raible’s willingness to be provocative and to tell us vulnerable, personal things about how adoption has affected his life. He is certainly an expert in his field.
* John is so passionate and knowledgeable about all the information in the class. It challenged me to think about tough but important issues I would not have otherwise chosen to do so. Blindness and ignorance is bliss…until you realize that is actually a poor way to approach serious topics and issues. The way John handled touchy situations between students was remarkable. He is a talented professor and I feel lucky to have been influenced by him. Also, the assignments were appropriate and allowed for personal growth. Great class, great professor.
2. What did you like least about this course?
* I think students might not have felt comfortable voicing things that they were thinking through. As a result, most of the talking was done by him and two vocal students. Dr. Raible is very clear in his beliefs, and since he mentioned in class that he doesn’t like some people in the adoption community whose beliefs differ from his, I worried that he would judge me for holding differing beliefs. I also thought he sometimes assumed none of us knew anything about multiculturalism because we were white
3. What other comments do you have about this course?
* Fewer movies might be nice. We might have been able to have deeper, more probing discussions if we had the time (and if more of the students had felt comfortable talking.)
* I will highly recommend John as a professor to other students.
