|
STUDENT EVALUATIONS
Prof. Maryann Overstreet received an Excellence in Teaching Award, 2000 2001 Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching University of Hawai`i, Manoa First-year German German 101 "I have taken a language every semester for the past six years and Professor Overstreet is by far the best language instructor I've ever had. I've enjoyed this class a great deal and hope to have Professor Overstreet as my language instructor again, soon. It's been a pleasure to share a classroom with Professor Overstreet. I plan to pursue German to the 300 level because of the excellent experience I've had with Professor Overstreet." "To date my favorite professor in college! Very enthusiastic about everyone learning German and keeping everyone up to speed! Also played no favoritism for certain students. Always well-prepared and ready with different activities, which made the class fun. Also, the interaction between students as well as the professor helped everyone learn the information more quickly. Thanks!" "Maryann is an incredible teacher who strives to make the German language accessible to all of us. Class is consistently entertaining, but always instructional. Her efforts are wholly commendable on the highest level of language instruction. With foreign language classes, the instructor is key, and Maryann fulfills her role with style, energy and enthusiasm. Two thumbs up!" "Maryann is very enthusiastic and this rubs off on the students. Enthusiasm makes it very easy to learn the course material. She is always very well-organized. The exam material was covered well in class and exams graded fairly. Maryann is the most exciting professor I have had at U.H. She makes it so we students want to come to class and learn." "She is the most competent, upbeat instructor that I've ever had in a language class. I really enjoy her teaching style-particularly her ability to engage even the most withdrawn student and get them interested. I also like that she always speaks in German and expects the same from us. This, to me, is the most effective teaching tool. Her use of word games and class speaking exercises also teach me a lot more than any textbook could." "I feel that I was very lucky to have Prof. Overstreet for my 1st semester German class. Her experience with the language was obviously extensive. Everything was put very straightforward and she left us doubting very little. I can't really remember one thing which would allow me to say something disagreeable about her and the class." "She has a lot of energy that she brings to class every day.
Without it, I would probably be sleeping in class everyday (I don't
do mornings). She makes the class very fun and enjoyable. "Very energetic, friendly and helpful. She has creative ways of teaching that keep us awake and interested. I had more fun in this class than any other class I've taken. Ms. Overstreet makes the language easier to understand." "Very inspiring way of teaching. She does worry about the individual and his or her success in this class. She doesn't let anyone hide and not be involved with the lesson for the particular day. She has done a lot to help me understand and catch up when I was out for some time, and with complete sincerity, she is an excellent instructor." "Maryann is very organized. It is very obvious she takes time in preparing class lessons. Maryann is also kind. I have taken other language classes (4 semesters of Japanese) but this one was so much more enjoyable! In addition to being a great professor, the way she held class helped me in the learning process. This class is organized, structured, and fun (yes, class was fun!!)" "Very enthusiastic! The instructor's main quality was her enthusiasm. She really was excited about the material and this was conveyed to her students. Classes were enjoyable and not a "drag" as some language courses tend to be. She also had great ways and ideas for the class to apply the language. She was very creative and made the whole experience much more than simple grammar memorization. She was fair, patient, and overall, an excellent instructor." "Maryann is a great teacher. I like her approach to the class. She provides an enthusiastic atmosphere in which to participate. She is a happy person and makes class fun. Class is always structured in a very well outlined manner and the homework assignments always complement lecture. Maryann is always delighted to help after hours and encourages us to visit. I always enjoy class. In class we have to talk to each other a lot and that is the best way to learn for me. Compared to other language instructors I'd give her an A+. I wish I could take her next semester for 102 and the following semesters at the 200 level."
German 102 "Maryann is an excellent instructor. She made each class interesting and fun. Her outstanding personality is what really helps to learn a language and makes it easier. I wish every teacher could be like Maryann." "On day one, I was confused. On day two, I thought to myself that maybe this was for the best (Maryann speaking primarily in German from day one). By the middle of the semester I was convinced of it. Here I was picking up German fairly easily and having fun, too! And I owe it all to Maryann's teaching style. When she comes across a new word when speaking to us, she takes time to act it out, to mime it, or point to it to make us understand. And she has so much energy. Her class is great fun." "I've really enjoyed her class. She is well prepared and makes German easier and fun to learn. She is always available if you have problems with understanding the language. I've taken German before, I've had a total of four teachers, but Maryann is clearly the best instructor I've had. She is an excellent teacher. I've truly enjoyed having her teach me German." "Very entertaining. Well organized. Funny. Really wakes you up in the morning." "The instructor is energetic and approachable. She allows for some individual creativity in the class- I believe to help the students apply what is learned and to allow them to have fun with it. I should say that there is structure when needed for the grammatical material, and her knowledge of the subject helps to understand idiomatic phrases which don't translate or you'd be embarrassed to say. For example, Ich bin heiß does not mean I am hot in German." "She was very good. I really enjoyed this class. She is one of the best teachers I've had." Second-year German German 201 "Maryann is an excellent instructor. She was able to guide the class through difficult areas of German grammar and usage. She is particularly good at controlling the class which has some challenging intellects. Her command of the German language is extremely vast. She is able to understand even obscure vocabulary used by students in their assignments. She is always willing to go over problems that her students are encountering. I am glad to be having her as an instructor again next semester." "Ms. Overstreet is a very dedicated and caring instructor who is fully competent in the German language. Her interest in our learning and commitment to our success as students is complemented by her understanding of the course material. Ms. Overstreet is truly a professor who makes class sessions worth attending. She is always well-prepared, punctual and enthusiastic. Ms. Overstreet's enthusiasm towards the German language promotes interest in the course material, the German culture and the people in general. It is my assertion that if all instructors were committed to teaching to the same degree as Ms. Overstreet, students would truly excel at in academics." "Professor Overstreet brings a lot of energy, vitality, and positiveness to class-consistently. I admire this because teaching a foreign language at this level requires a great deal of patience and self-sacrifice. She clearly has masterful command of her subject and excellent pedagogical methodology. She was able to pace the class well and keep to the schedule of her syllabus in spite of a diverse array of students at various levels of oral skills in the language. She was very accessible and helpful, inside and outside of the class." "I've taken German since high school and I've learned more this semester than all the other years. Maryann goes at a pace that fits all the material in but still allows the student to understand. If you don't understand she is super patient and will work individually with you. She really made this a comfortable and effective classroom." "The instructor was outstanding. She showed genuine concern over the students' progress. She was very clear about instructions. The class was also fun and interesting." "Maryann Overstreet keeps the class upbeat and enjoyable as well as a place of learning. She is able to see each student's individual weakness and tries to strengthen it. She is always looking for way to improve her class and likes the feedback from students." "This class is very well-organized. She presents the material in a very comprehensive and easy-to-understand manner, and is very explicit when introducing new topics, and stresses proper pronunciation. Her tests cover all aspects of learning during the specified period and are well within the scope of all. This professor is doing very well and should be commended for her ability." "She was very helpful and understanding. She made class enjoyable as well. I didn't dread coming to class. She didn't "pick on" anyone, either. Often, language teachers like to pick on people when they have problems." "Maryann Overstreet has all of the qualities that I look for in an excellent instructor. She is always available for questions, extra time on any particular thing, and extended office hours. No questions are dumb questions and she doesn't make students look bad if someone asks a question that on the surface appears dumb." "She is an excellent instructor. She brings excitement and fun to learning German. Instead of teaching strictly from the text, she supplements our learning through videos, interesting/humorous stories with German dialogue and games (pictionary). I want her to be my instructor, DEFINITELY next semester!" "Maryann is very helpful and full of new and great ideas. Her classes are never boring. She interacts well with all the students. She is friendly and down-to-earth which helps her relate well to the students. She is an exceptional instructor." "Dr. Overstreet is an excellent teacher. She is always well-prepared to teach and speaks very good German. She tries to keep us working hard. And I have learned A LOT just in the few weeks of this course. My German grammar has improved tremendously." "Maryann is very patient, helpful, and knowledgeable about the topics at hand. She has given her own time in helping students overcome difficult aspects of the course. Her approach to teaching this course makes one feel comfortable and encouraged to learn. She has made the class atmosphere a friendly and supportive one, thus making the students more accepting of the curriculum and encouraging teamwork and cohesiveness among the class." "Overstreet is an excellent teacher. She shows great enthusiasm for the course. She's very informative-lots of handouts, homework, etc. She's very helpful, not intimidating." "She planned the class so that it was fun AND we learned the material!" "Professor Overstreet is fun, extremely well-organized, helpful, and adaptable." "Prof. Overstreet is very enthusiastic about the material, takes time to explain harder subjects, is very approachable for questions, knows more than enough to teach this course, and made coming to class enjoyable."
German 202 "'If only one instructor makes a difference, the whole experience of college was worth it.' I read this somewhere (I don't remember where) and I believe it. Maryann Overstreet has been that person. I'm just sorry there are too few of her kind around. Caring, professional, fun, interesting, are just some of the descriptive words that come to mind when I think about her. I'll miss her style." "Professor Overstreet is very dedicated and is quite simply a great educator. She always makes the topics discussed in class interesting and always takes the time to explain the material thoroughly. I have learned a lot from Professor Overstreet because she's made the extra effort to address my questions regarding German grammar and pronunciation. As a student who has taken many classes at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, I can honestly assert that Maryann Overstreet is one of the most dedicated, enthusiastic and interesting professors. Maryann is a true asset to the University and the German department in particular. Professor Overstreet consistently makes me want to strive to be a better student and to take advantage of the opportunities to learn which I have been blessed with. On behalf of our German 202 class, thank you for a tremendous semester, Professor Overstreet." "Maryann is extremely competent. Her mastery of German is excellent but she excels most distinctively as a teacher. She makes the lessons interesting and innovative. She is able to communicate the complex and confusing aspects of the German language very effectively, and I would highly recommend her as a teacher to others." "I enjoy learning German from Maryann because she makes it interesting and fun! The class is never boring! The activities for each day are well planned. It is great that the class is always in German. There is very little English spoken which forces you to listen carefully to the grammar. The lessons and activities are enjoyable. I am glad and fortunate to have had her as my instructor! She's great!" "I feel that Dr. Overstreet is an excellent German instructor. She is very helpful and encouraging. She made this class so much more enjoyable than I had expected it to be. I feel that her concentration on the speaking aspect of the language is great. All other aspects of Dr. Overstreet are also only positive. I feel that the course was well-organized and challenging without being overwhelming. The content of the course improves and challenges the existing capabilities of every student. I feel that the instructor really made this class what it is and that she should definitely be recognized for her excellence." "What a great instructor!! She was very energetic and enthusiastic which made each German class a lot of fun. She was very creative in incorporating topics being learned with fun activities. She spoke very clearly and with expression so even if the word or phrase was initially not understood, she made it possible to understand what was being said (without using English!). She was very easy to get along with and overall she made 202 fun learning. Although my German requirement is finished, I would definitely take another one of her German classes because she is a great teacher!" "I felt that she was an excellent instructor. She not only made sure that the material was learned, but made sure we enjoyed it as well. In fact, I felt that Maryann was the best instructor I had all semester. She's excited about what she does and it really shows." "Maryann seems to really enjoy what she does. She is always
very enthusiastic and never seems to have a bad day. Her demeanor
makes it very easy to get motivated, even when you're feeling down
or tired. This is my fourth semester of German and my fourth instructor.
"The instructor is very helpful and gives attention to every student. She presents material in several different ways so that everyone can understand it. She makes the material fun to learn. The course is fun and challenging. I think that the German (with no English spoken) format is very helpful." "Maryann has been the most effective foreign language teacher I have ever had. After three years of Spanish in high school and Spanish and Japanese in college, I think I've had enough experience to know what it takes to be a helpful foreign language instructor. I was hooked after German 101-I only needed 101-102 to fulfill my Hawaii-Loa requirements, but I have continued because of Maryann's enthusiasm and grasp of the essential grammar. I am now planning to continue to 305-306 and 211-212 and hopefully go on for a certificate. She is such an asset to the department- It really takes something special to be a good foreign language professor. She has never once intimidated a student, been condescending, brushed us off when seeking answers, and has only encouraged us." "Maryann is an excellent instructor. She makes the class very interesting, while still requiring work from us. She forces us to learn and be prepared, but in a fun way. She is very motivating, always accessible to her students. I have had three German professors/teachers, and she has been the best. Maryann develops both our speaking and writing abilities. Many profs gauge how much homework to give by how much they can handle with their workload. Maryann does not!" "My instructor this year was excellent. From the first day she made me feel comfortable about speaking in German which I hated to do. Everyday we had interesting exercises to do involving speaking with other classmates. She was firm about deadlines, but made sure we weren't overwhelmed. She was always prepared and very enthusiastic. I will recommend her to anyone who is thinking about taking German. The reading material was really good too." "The instructor was terrific! She always was energetic and really tried to make the class fun. She took the time to think up new, interesting activities that also helped me to learn a lot. Assignments and tests were always graded fairly and returned promptly. I really enjoyed her class and would love to have her as a teacher again." "The instructor was very helpful. She had a well-planned syllabus and followed it to the tee. Her exams were fair. At least she was out to test our knowledge and not try to trick us. I would recommend this class because of these qualities and her enthusiasm in class." "A+. Give her a raise!"
Third-year German German 305 "She is always well-prepared for class. She has her lessons planned well in advance and always keeps us informed. She is an outstanding instructor. Her "hand-on" approach to classes makes them fun, interesting and very applicable to learning the language. She is a real asset to the German program." "Professor Overstreet is well-prepared and takes an interest in each students' progress. She's creative in planning class activities. Her pleasant and friendly attitude makes class a positive experience." "This is the second semester I've had Professor Overstreet as an instructor. I enjoy her class because she's well-organized, friendly, approachable, and makes herself available when we need help. She's very understanding and caring which makes you want to come to class." "Maryann explained the grammar concepts clearly, and always made sure the class understood. She is also always in a good mood, and that spreads to the rest of the class. She made learning German fun."
German 203 (Now listed as German 301) "Professor Overstreet is excellent-very clear, easy to understand what she's trying to get across. Well thought-out lessons and material. She's knowledgeable about German phonetics-impressive knowledge of German. Great teacher!" "She constantly possesses an upbeat attitude, which prevents the class from being boring. In turn, there is a positive response from the students. Dr. Overstreet also displays patience, understanding, and sincerity." "This was my third German course with her. Her enthusiasm
and original ideas have brought me back. Plus, I'm astounded at
her patience and tolerance for students with limited ability and
industry. She's very masterful of her subject and consistently helpful
and accessible." EL 681-D Topics in Language: Social Perspectives "She is superb! Extremely sharp, intelligent. She knows the subject material in and out. Prof. Overstreet always comes to class very well prepared. This is a very good quality. Prof. Overstreet is the most selfless teacher that I've ever had. She's always willing to help students and never hesitates to spend time with individual students to go over material the taught. The way she structures and teaches the class is very student-centered. I really appreciate her teaching method. Other teachers can learn from her method." "I think that Dr. Overstreet is an excellent instructor. She was very knowledgeable in the subject area. It was quite impressive. She also had a very fun and refreshing disposition. She did a great job of keeping my interest in the subject area. When I first arrived at the class and heard what the course entailed I found it very daunting but she really helped to ease my discomfort. Also her great sense of humor was quite refreshing. I'd recommend her as an instructor to anyone." "Prof. Overstreet has a wide range of knowledge in the area of sociolinguistics. It was a joy to take a class with someone with such knowledge plus passion and enthusiasm for the topic. I must say her enthusiasm rubbed off on me. She is very good at communicating information clearly and in an organized fashion. Excellent job!" "The instructor is excellent because she is very knowledgeable about the subject she teaches. She was very kind and understanding towards the students. She was very clear in explaining her ideas. She was always asking questions and happy to answer any questions." "The instructor was always well-informed and prepared before every class. She was very energetic, even when the class was not. She was also very cooperative when it came to preparing for tests (i.e., giving our papers a once over)." Professor Overstreet:
|