The following summary was compiled from end-of-semester student evaluations of courses I taught at Franklin and Marshall and the University of Virginia.  (Penn State Altoona does not elicit written evaluative comments from students.)  The French department forms for both schools are quite detailed and elicit open-ended feedback on classroom materials as well as instructor performance.  I include excerpts that apply directly to my teaching style and methods.   

1. I convey enthusiasm for my subject matter and get students excited about learning French : Students often write that my courses motivate them to continue in French or renew their interest in French language, literature and culture.

"[The progress I made was] amazing. I have never had as much enthusiasm about a language in my entire life."

"She got me a bit more interested in languages- since I've never liked them very much."

"I felt very great, increased interest for the language."

"She had a super accent, knew a lot of history of words, and had a good knowledge of French culture."

"She made French very interesting."

"I fell in love with the French language."

"The professor was amazing and the subject material sparked everyone's delight and interest."

"[The instructor furthered your interest in the subject] to a great extent. Now I'm totally converted to loving 19th c."

"[The course] left me thinking about stuff that I will research on my own."

"She made me want to read a lot more French literature outside of class."

"You can tell immediately that Prof. Fay loves this language and her enthusiasm definitely made class enjoyable." 

2. I create an environment in which students are comfortable using their growing language skills: Many students, both novice and experienced French speakers, note that I put them at ease in the classroom and build their confidence.

"[The classroom atmosphere was] welcoming, warm, encouraging."

"The classroom atmosphere was very academic but fun (all at the same time.)"

"Mme Fay was always the one to have faith in you when you lost yours. She would constantly say that nothing was too hard in French and that we could do all things."

"She always encouraged us to share our thoughts. She seemed to welcome different viewpoints more than most teachers I've had but also critically examine them."

"She enjoyed having her views challenged.  She loved any questions/comments that would encourage debate.  Also, she was very patient in class with students who had trouble expressing themselves in French."

3. I make grammar and vocabulary interesting and engaging: Students consistently find my presentations effective and creative.

"[Grammar presentations and practice activities were] entertaining and never tedious. She frequently used games to review before quizzes which was extremely helpful."

"[" "] entertaining, helpful and easy to follow. She was very creative in using fun ways to help us learn new material."

"[" "] very creative and interesting. It allowed me to learn the concepts faster and easier."

"Mlle Fay is very organized and likes to have fun with boring grammar rules."

"Madame Fay always prepares extensive materials for every minute of class time.  She utilizes games and other teaching aids frequently.  While learning basic vocabulary and grammar, she has made the course fun. " 

"She had a wide variety of techniques ranging from encouraging class discussion to using videos when appropriate.  All of her lecturing was obviously well planned out and clear.  The progression of subject matter was very logical and clear."

4. I make myself available outside of class and show concern for the whole student: Students appreciate my accessibility and especially appreciate the one-on-one meetings I require during the first half of the course.

"She's one of the most approachable teachers I've had here."

"She met with us several times by appointment and then she was available any time I needed her."

"She was available on a daily basis. Very helpful to students."

"Not only available, but active in encouraging contact after class."

"Mme Fay was always available, whether it be at office times or whenever. She was always willing to lend a helping hand. She constantly met with students after class to make sure that they understood the material. She is great!"

"The teacher was available if you made the request which I did often. She was more than willing to help... not just to review concepts, but just to let you attempt speaking in French with her. It was fun working with C. Fay!"

5. I teach good writing skills and provide engaging topics for written assignments: Where the course evaluation asks in which area the students feel they have made the most progress, many fill in "writing." They also like the topics I assign to them.

"Writing process was excellent. Interesting topics and was helpful to have draft corrected before final turned in."

"They were interesting topics that were challenging to write on given the small amount of French that we knew."

"They started out easy and fun and creative and ended up needing analysis and lots of thought. I liked them."

"Madame Fay gave very insightful comments on assignments and offered more help than called for on every assignment. She went beyond the call of duty."

"When she looks at rough drafts she always has great ideas on how to improve them.  She definitely improved my writing not just French."

"I hadn't done literary analysis since AP English (4 years ago) and I felt that my analysis skills were revived-- and my ability to articulate my analyses in French were greatly helped by the writing assignments."

6. I teach helpful reading strategies and lead productive class discussions: Students appreciate the reading skills I teach in class and take interest in class discussion of the readings.

"[The way readings were treated was] deep and psychological. We really analyzed the works."

"We talked in detail about our readings and Mme Fay made sure that we all understood them."

"We discussed them in class and then she usually somehow included them in our compositions."

"We had some interesting helpful discussions."

"All readings were very interesting as were the exercises with them."

"Our essays were an excellent way to improve our writing skills.  We also read A LOT, which helped my reading comprehension."

7. I use new technology to maximize student interaction with subject material and to expose them to the current francophone world: Students feel they benefit from in-class viewing of video-clips, work with language software and web-based activities.

"Videos helped a lot -- we got to hear native speakers speak."

"The videos Mlle Fay showed us were really interesting because we got to hear real French people speak.

"The computer lab exercises were fun and interesting. They contributed to my understanding/appreciation of French culture and that of francophone countries."

"[The computer classroom] is very conducive to learning. It expands the normal textbook and allows us to view endless sources."

8. General Outstanding Comments:

"I've taken 4 years of Spanish, 1 year of Japanese and a semester of Italian before French 101.  I've never had a better language teacher."

"Madame Fay was an excellent French teacher and person. She really cares for her students and the language."

"I feel that I have learned more in this class than any other I have taken thus far. When friends registered for classes next semester I recommend Mlle Fay because I know that I have learned so much in this class."

"My instructor did a superb job in every aspect. In fact, I wish I could take her to my FREN 102 class; that's how impressed I was!"

"Madame Fay is a fabulous teacher! She teaches with so much enthusiasm. I can tell that she loves what she does. She is wonderful at teaching and easy to understand."

"Miss Fay was one of the best teachers I have had during my study of French. She was extremely enthusiastic and always well-prepared and available to help us."

"Mme Fay is one of the best teachers I have ever had. I rank her in the top 5 of them all."

"... the best prof I've had in French at UVA."

"I think Mlle Fay is very capable and excited about teaching. An asset to the dept."

"I've had Mme Fay last year as well. She is a very innovative teacher and has a unique teaching style. Unlike my other French teacher at UVa, Mme Fay will take the time to explain concepts and lessons thoroughly."

"I can honestly say that Carolyn has been the best French teacher I've had."

"This was the BEST French class I have ever taken. My understanding of the language has really improved dramatically."

Ms. Fay is a master teacher.

[from a graduate student] "Out of seven different language instructors I've had (all university level too) she is the best. Her pedagogical methods were superior. I've learned to be a better instructor from watching her in class. I hope I can be such an accomplished teacher."