Despite what it might sound like to some people from my writing about teaching on my web page, I'm far from the world's greatest teacher. In fact, I'm extremely inconsistent. I think that there are times when if I'm not the world's worst math teacher, I'm certainly a contender. And I believe that there are other times when the students who say that I'm the best in the department are not far wrong.
It requires an enormous amount of energy for me to stand up in front of a classroom and perform. Anyone who has ever been a professional performer -- whether a musician, actor, or speech-maker, will know what I'm talking about. What really made me aware of this was seeing Good Morning, Vietnam a number of years ago. There is the famous scene when Adrian Kronhauer, played by Robin Williams, shows up at the radio station at 5 A.M. for his first day. He looks totally bedraggled, barely conscious, and when the sargeant asks him, ``Could you say something funny, sir,'' he moans, ``I doubt it.'' But a few minutes later, when the second hand of the clock shows that it's exactly 5 AM, he belts out into the microphone, ``GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM.''
A few days after seeing this film, I was walking out of the classroom after a calculus class and felt the usual total sense of deflation, near collapse, and I suddenly realized that when I teach, I do exactly what that film showed Kronhauer as doing.
A few years ago, when I was paying attention to my weight a lot, I discovered that on days when I teach, I lose about five pounds between the morning and the evening, presumably through perspiration.
But there are times, sometimes whole semesters, when I get so pissed off at this university, and at classes of students who sit there like zombies except for occasionally asking, ``Is this going to be on the test?'' and am so disgusted with the life I have here in Hawaii that I can't create that kind of energy. There are times when I can barely bring myself to set foot on this campus, much less put any effort into my teaching.
(Actually, for me, a bigger enemy to my teaching well than apathy is often ambition. Especially in a course I haven't taught very often vefore, I have lots of plans for what I want to do and assign problems designed to give students some real insight and teach them how to think. But then it very quickly becomes clear that this is not what most of my students want at all. They come into my office saying, "We can't figure out how to do this problem; there are not examples like it in the text at all." In a few cases, when the students seems reasonably intelligent and I believe that s/he has a real interest in learning, I will then ask them some questions to help them see how to think about the problem and send them away again. But in most cases, when I can see that the student resents this, or doesn't seem intelligent enough to figure out anything for himself, I'll just tell him the answer. And then I get totally depressed and realize that I'm wasting my life trying to give students something they don't even want and in many cases just give up on the course and come into class every day and go through the motions.)
Then there are other times when I look back on a semester I've just
finished and just have to say, in all modesty, ``Damn, I'm good!''
Strangely enough, though, when I read the teaching evaluations at the end
of the course, they seem about the same in either case. When I think
I've done a completely abominible job of teaching a course, students for
the most part will write, ``He seems pretty much okay'' (which certainly
makes me wonder about their standard of comparison), and when on the
other hand I think I've done an outstanding job, they'll also write,
``Yeah, he was pretty good.'' In almost every case, though, there will
be a certain number of students who think I'm absolutely fantastic and a
certain number of others who think I should be fired immediately.
One pattern that is fairly consistent is that students who are looking
for explanations of the ideas underlying a particular area of mathematics
will generally consider me a good teacher,
whereas those who want purely to be taught the mechanics
(``Just show me how to get the answer'') will not.
Of course what teaching evaluations really show, for the most part, is
whether students like the instructor or not. I guess I'm lucky enough to
be a fairly likeable guy, so that mostly students will say good things
about me even when my teaching is really shitty.
It also has to be noted that teaching evaluations are a scam since
they're given on the last day of instruction. By then, most of the
students who really hate my guts have either dropped the course or have
at least stopped coming to class.
Obviously what follows constitutes only a small sample
of the teaching evaluations I've received over many years.
I've tried to make this sample somewhat representative,
but I've mostly chosen comments that are articulate and informative
and tried to cut down a repetitions,
and for that reason there are fewer negative comments shown
than positive ones.
(In particular, I've left out many many comments
complaining that I'm unorganized and unprepared for class.)
Being a prospective teacher, I not only learned a lot about the subject,
I learned a lot about being a teacher.
I like your style. ...
By far one of the best teachers I ever had.
[Math 232 (Calculus 4), Fall 87]
Prof. Lady has a very good way in teaching
mathematics/calculus.
I have enjoyed learning from him.
If the occasion presents itself in the future
I would take another class(es) from him.
Dr. Lady was very personable in his teaching.
He did not treat us as `peons' like many (especially math)
teachers do at this university.
Was interested in whether or not the students
understood the concepts being taught.
Interacted well with the students.
Did not simply lecture, but actually taught...
[Math 232, Fall 87]
I do not see that much strength in him.
From beginning of the semester,
this is the first time that I've seen
an instructor who makes mistakes on first day.
It's Math 404 class, but he comes in and says,
"Welcome to Math 403."
From that moment, I knew that he wasn't going to be any good
as an instructor. ...
[Math 404, Spring, 1987]
I enjoyed the class.
Dr. Lady is a fine instructor --- in fact, one of the best I've had ---
very articulate.
I appreciate the introduction to the topic
which was given at the beginning.
Many math instructors neglect this.
They may talk about the course
(the book, chapters to be covered, grading policy, office hours, etc )
then start lecturing without thoroughly introducing (motivating)
the subject.
[Math 421 (Topology), Spring 88]
One of the reasons why I took more than one class from Prof. Lady
is because I am comfortable with the way he approaches math.
I enjoy the privilege of being given an overview of the course
and being told EXACTLY what to expect.
I think every single teacher in the math dept
should give overviews of their course in FULL detail.
I believe this was a reasonable class in the things it covered. ...
[Math 232 (Calculus 4), Spring, 1993]
... Lady has a special way of thinking that is strange sometimes,
but I also know that I don't think like everyone else either.
I feel that he enjoys math
but more importantly wants to spread appreciation, understanding
and the usefulness of math.
I have already got tired of old instructors who don't seem to care
about teaching.
Lady isn't one of them.
[Math 301 (Discrete Math), Fall 88]
Although he understood the material really well,
his lecture was kind of unorganized
& presentation was confusing.
[Math 301, Fall 88]
He seems never prepare for class.
He tried to make up examples in class,
thus he made a lot of mistakes
and took too much time to explane
same thing again and again.
At the beginning of the class
he said he didn't know what and how to teach.
I think he still doesn't know how to explane clearly.
[Math 301, Fall 88]
*GREAT* Teacher very knowledgeable very practical and able to relate
subject to almost anything.
Very good about what is expected on exams.
Even very entertaining at times.
Comical making the subject more interesting
always looked forward to his jokes.
Answers questions straight forwardly.
I would want to take ANY future math course from you Mr. Lee.
[Math 206 (Calculus 2), Fall, 1996]
The instructor explained things very well.
He explained why this derivative is this
and how it's related to integrals.
I like the way he show us how the dervative came about,
not just telling us to memorize it.
I like the way he tries to challenge the students in class,
even though most didn't see it that way.
[Math 206, Fall, 1996]
His teaching style is very unique.
I have never been instructed in such a way before this.
Although it may seem awkward at first,
his teaching style best illustrates
one where knowing what is to be learned before hand
would greatly be of help to us (students.
[Math 206 (Calculus 2), Fall, 1996]
Dr. Lady has a very interesting way of instructing this course.
His teaching style may be appealing to some
as may not be for others.
I really enjoyed this class.
I feel this way because of how straight to the point
things were taught.
[Math 206, Fall, 1996]
I personally didn't understand his lectures
because it was mostly proofs rather than problems.
I suggest doing more problems in class to help us.
[Math 206, Fall, 1996]
I think this professor is one of the worst I've ever had.
He doesn't care if anyone passes, or fails, or even learns anything
(which I thought was something teachers should be interested in).
He tells everyone he hopes some people fail and others pass.
Could this present any bias when grading tests
(especially where partial points are given)?
[Math 206, Fall, 1996]
Mr. Lady's (hehehe) attitude towards teaching
is VERY different from most other professors I have had.
He is very pessimistic and condescending towards the class in general.
Not motivating.
I think that this teacher know a lot about math.
However I don't think he's all that great of a teacher.
He seems prepared for class yet he mumble a lot of junk
throughout class.
U be lazy or what?
Because he doesn't assign homework.
Maybe by his teaching style he should
then we as student will know 1, how to do problem of the lesson
and 2, how he wants us to do it, and 3 come to class more often.
I didn't come much cause all his lesson were theory why know it
I just want to know how fo do a problem
that way I can do other
theory follows problem
well that's just my opinion.
ciao!
[Math 206 (Calculus 2), Fall, 1996]
Professor Lady has been trying to educate the students
rather than just to traing the students
to solve certain types of problems,
which is very much appreciated,
because every student comes to university for education.
[Math 301 (Discrete Math), Fall, 1996]
I thoroughly enjoyed the material we covered in this class.
I didn't know what to expect,
and was pleasantly surprised.
I feel I have gained the ability from this course
to approach problems from more than one direction.
Instructor should be more organized for lectures.
More preparations should be made prior to class.
Instructor should find better ways to explain subject.
Method does not have to be the simplest,
but should be more direct and to the point.
[Math 301, Fall, 1996]
Prof Lady is a teacher of enthusiasm.
He not only demonstrate his interest in math
but he also try to get the students
to be interest w/ him.
... After having you (Prof Lady)
for two semesters,
my interest or point of view for math have changed.
It no longer become a subject w/ boredom.
It had become interesting.
Continue your enthusiasm. ...
[Math 311 (Linear Algebra), Spring 92]
Instructor does not seem enthused about teaching the course,
thus lectures do not seem to help.
Really does not teach:
"If you know it fine, if you don't that too bad."
Thought lectures could have been more concise and understandable. ...
[Math 301 (Discrete Math), Fall 89]
... I like the way the instructor works out problems,
and simpler than the book's examples.
Hard problem turn out to be
easier writing in his style.
Instructor's logic is sure and vivid.
[Math 301, Fall 89]
Dr. Lady lacks ability (& credibility) as a math instructor.
A math instructor who can't add or subtract
& who has problems with fractions
is at best comical.
(Like Woody Allen giving body-building tips.)
... Any learning that went on in this class
was in spite of Dr. Lady, not because of him. ...
As for `constructive criticism' for the course in the future.
Fire Dr. Lady. I'm sure there's a janitor somewhere
that could do a much better job of teaching.
[Math 311, Spring 92]
Prof. is not well prepared for class, makes too many mistakes,
does not appear to understand the subject matter enough.
Although the prof. does seem somewhat concerned with the class
& the students, he is generally too careless & incompetent
to teach a university level class.
Overall, this class was very frustrating
& I feel I have not learned the material well enough to advance
to other classes even though I expect to get a B.
This class was almost a complete waste of 1 semester of class.
[Math 232 (Calculus 4), Spring, 1997]
This instructor has a really bad attitude.
First of all, he seems to not know what he is talking about.
Whenever he does the problems on the board,
he always get it wrong.
Even when he is explaining the material,
he tells us that he can't even understand it himself,
so I don't know how he expect us to understand it
if he can't even understand it himself.
Second, when he gets mad because he can't figure out the answer
for a problem, he swears very loud.
He uses the word fuck, damn, shit.. etc.
On the midterms, the whole class did really bad
(more than half the class flunked).
I don't think the problem is the student,
I think he is the problem.
His style of teaching is very poor
and he doesn't explain the material very well.
[Math 232, Spring, 1997]
The instructor has a very effective way of explaining the material in class.
[Math 232, Spring, 1997]
Strenth:
Excellent instructor!!
Clear and very helpful on giving detailed instructions
on what is/not important to learn.
I believe Mr. Lady has an effective course,
because of its focus on responsibility
(he uses the word "proficiency ").
I wish I had more teachers like him.
[Math 205 (Calculus 1), Fall, 1993]
I think that in all practicalness,
this is the most down to earth math class
I've ever taken. ...
[Math 232, Fall 87]
I believe that he needs to become more organized.
I became confused in his class he he is teaching.
He needs to choose good examples
of what we are learning
so he does not lose the class.
Basically, he needs to be more organized.
Have enjoyed this class, and feel I have learned
quite a bit.
Do not change a thing!
[Math 206 (Calculus 2), Spring, 1997]
He explained abstract items in a way that was easily understood.
I think the instructor should write a textbook.
Actually, I just had that thought today.
He knows why and how, and thats what I like.
He puts an equation on the board
and shows how he got it.
[Math 206 (Calculus 2), Spring, 1997]
To begin with, the course was hard
but Dr. Lady had a hard time
trying to explain the concepts.
He tried to do too many things intuitively.
He tried to understand where the class was coming from,
but still had a hard time explaining things clearly.
He should have done more examples completely
instead of just trying to intuitively explain it.
[Math 443 (Differential Geometry), Spring 89]
I've heard that Prof. Lady is not a very good instructor
(for other courses) but I thought he was a very good instructor
for Number Theory.
He is very knowledgeable and most importantly
he is very easy to approach when you have problems.
I may not be doing as well as I would like
but it is of no reflection of Prof. Lady's instruction.
[Math 420 (Number Theory), Fall 87]
Instructor gives us credit for having some intelligence
and treats us like adults. ...
[Math 231, Fall 91]
I really like math but the teachers so far
have been in their own private world, you are no exception.
A teacher once told me all math teachers are loons
now I believe it.
There are so many criticisms I can reiterate,
but the one I like to mention.
Don't put your students to sleep.
One time you were talking and I want to respond,
`You all don't understand the work,
that why you did so bad' (or something to that effect),
I wanted to respond as,
your the one who killed it for us,
through either boring us or making the tests hard.
[Math 231 (Calculus 3), Fall 91]
He is very weak in teaching this course.
He is very unclear on the material he's teaching in class.
He spends too much time showing the wrong way
instead of the right way.
He makes me feel inferior.
I hope he doesn't teach this course again.
HE'S TERRIBLE! Worst Math teacher I ever had.
[Math 231, Spring, 1994]
Dr. Lady is the worst instructor in any subject
I have ever taken.
And this is coming from someone who has been in school 21 years.
He continually instills absolutely no confidence in the students.
... Dr. Lady compromises learning of the material
by the students in order to plow through an overwhelming amount
of material.
... Either students don't take the time to write
proper evaluations or the math department [has sorted]
these out. That is the only explanation
I can think of that someone like Dr. Lady
should still be allowed to teach
at any institution that cares any bit about
their reputation as a good learning institution.
[Math 231 (Calculus 3), Fall 91]
Professor Lady has taught me basically nothing.
Everything I learned I learned from the book.
He is not much of a teacher
in the way of being able to explain the material.
[Math 206 (Calculus 2), Spring 92]
In my opinion, Dr. Lady is a very good instructor.
He treats his students as mature individuals;
not making it a requirement to learn but rather one's
perogative.
Others may view this attitude toward teaching
in a negative sense; (not caring about students),
I however feel that Dr. Lady not only cares about his students
learning calculus but also learning to be responsible adults.
This is an important part of the college experience. ...
[Math 206, Spring 92]
He challenged us to think and to understand in our own way.
He was willing to discuss anytime we had questions
about homework or grades or tests. ...
[Math 111 (for Elementary Ed majors), Fall 89]
... His method of teaching is different.
At times good and at times bad. ...
But I enjoyed this class and would recommend it.
Class was fun, enjoyable, and always exciting.
A class in which you look forward in coming to.
[Math 111, Fall 89]
``The instructor really got along with all of us. For this course
it made it easier to work. I felt like he knew each one of us
and was willing to work with us.
This made the student-teacher relationship better
and it made me feel better about coming to class.''
[Math 111, Fall, 1988]
``This class was very good because it taught the students
to think of questions themselves and work with
other students to get answers.
Professor Lady was very helpful in trying to get us
to get the answers ourselves
and he had excellent command of the subject material.''
[Math 111, Fall, 1988]
The way in which this course was conducted
was pretty good because we were allowed to work on our own,
at our own pace. ... [Math 111, Fall, 1991]
The instructor was very encouraging.
He made you feel good about yourself.
... He explained things well,
it was easy for me to understand. ...
[Math 111 (for Elementary Ed majors), Fall, 1991]
He is not able to motivate his students very well.
Does not help his students in the learning process.
He is not very prepared.
He did not make Math 111 very interesting to me.
[Math 111, Fall, 1991]
That strength that Dr. Lady has
is in his knowledge of the subject.
He really understands his material & tries
to share as much of his knowledge on the subject
to his students.
He is also very enthusiastic about his work,
sometimes he wants to share so much with us,
but there's just not enough time.
The instructor had designed the course
in a way so the students could be exposed
to the fundamental concepts and techniques
involved in linear algebra. ...
I think Dr. Lady introduced the subject
in great detail and in depth
with the aim of making his students aware
of the ideas, theories and abstractions involved.
His method of repetitive reference to the fundamentals
serve well in hammering home the point he is trying to make.
He doesn't rush through the materials
with accelerated haste.
I think, his intention is to have everyone understand
the materials in proper. ...
[Math 311 (Linear Algebra), Spring 92]
Teacher is very knowledgeable in this field.
His goal to teach us how to prove
is a very good and needed goal.
To often other teachers don't go in depth
when teaching a subject. ...
[Math 311, Spring 92]
It seems like he knows what he is talking about
but can't get his message across. ...
I would not recommend anyone to take a course from him. ...
[Math 311, Spring, 1992]
``He has the ability to explain difficult concepts
in detail, informally, and in a positive manner.
He seems very willing to help students get the
grades they deserve, too. This class was extremely
difficult for me to learn as well as for him to teach,
and knowing the students weren't happy
with their grades or the class made everyone frustrated.
I feel regardless of these negative aspects, and the
fact that he uses a lot of ``intuitive'' thinking --
he is a fair grader and a good teacher.
I think there were many outside factors affecting
the outcome of this class.''
[Math 443 (Differential Geometry), Spring, 1989]
``The instructor was not clear in explaining at times.
However he did simplify the theorems so that
we can understand them better.
I think that was good.'' [Math 443, Spring, 1989]
... But overall I think meaning was tried to get at
and that is what I like,
a class that tells the meaning of concepts or materials.
[Math 443, Spring 1989]
First of all, it was really understanding of him
to try and do his best so most if not all students
in this class can understand the materials and pass it.
But this class is already difficult and it just got worse
since this is his first time to teach it.
I think that's unfortunate for us who is in his class.
I don't know how this class would have turned out
if another instructor had taught it.
[Math 443 (Differential Geometry), Spring, 1989]
Professor Lady explained the material covered in detail.
Although sometimes he went overboard & gave too much information
(went above our heads so understanding was difficult).
But other than that he was the best
that I've learned from in the dept.
He really explains the material well.
[Math 231 (Calculus 3), Spring, 1994]
Instructor gives us credit for having some intelligence
and treats us like adults. [Math 231, Fall, 1991]
Instructor knows the materials well.
He is enthusiastic in teaching to those who want to learn!
The material is given in an informal fashion
that enable the student (ME)
to see how he got there.
You waste too much time during lecture trying to explain how to pass
your course.
You waste time because you only wind up insulting the class.
Instead of constructive criticism you wind up doing just the opposite.
As Mr. Lady kept commenting,
he will only teach us what we need to learn and nothing more.
I believe he did a good job at accomplishing that,
but I don't believe he is right.
His constant generalizations about us,
his students, were (most of the time) negative.
Maybe he has a reason for that but I didn't like it.
I think that instead of motivating the class
he brought us all down -- this is true for me.
Besides his comments about his students
and our reasons for taking his course --
overall he was a good teacher.
[Math 205 (Calculus 1), Fall, 1993]
Sometimes he tends to stray a little off course when lecturing,
but overall he presents the material well.
Also, his tests really see if you know the theory
instead of whether you can apply this theory
to some ridiculously obscure problem.
Very honest and straightforward instructor.
[Math 232, Spring, 1993]
Dr. Lady seems as though he really knows the material.
It's just his attitude on teaching that SUCKS!
He said, ``I really want to fail you all ...''
Most lectures were boring and did not produce results!
The only reason I had to stay in this class
was because of scheduling!
I basically learned the course on my own.
Grading was basically tough, with obscure questions.
Professor Lady's performance is severely disenchanting
to we who would like to learn.
It was always a downer when he called us ``stupid'' etc.
His job performance should be evaluated thoroughly!
--- Disgruntled Student.
[Math 232, Spring, 1993]
He knows the material well enough that his students can learn something.
The only problem is that he should put more emphasis on
how to conduct a LECTURE.
Why? Because the STUDENTS don't understand what he explained previously.
I recommend that he should try to EXPLAIN things CHRONOLOGICALLY.
MAHALO!
[Math 232 (Calculus 4), Spring, 1993]
I felt the professor knew his material well.
The problem was that I had a hard time understanding
the way he conveyed it.
I feel this instructor has a unique and helpful approach to teaching.
He is clear in his explanations and thorough when need be.
Unlike other math profs, he keeps an open mind
and teaches students at a student level.
He has a warm attitude and is very approachable.
This class could not have been better taught.
The university should have more teachers w/ his approach.
It helps the student to try harder & better understand the material.
[Math 231 (Calculus 3), Fall, 1992]
I thought that he wasn't able to present the material to the students
as well as a instructor should be able to.
Overall, the class was okay.
Sometimes he did ramble about material that did not concern the class.
He also mumbled sometimes.
Grading was fair but his tests were kind of hard.
[Math 205, Fall, 1993]
Appeared at the beginning of the semester to want to be teaching
in an upper level Math class,
rather than this level.
This appeared to distract him,
and perhaps give explanations or teach at a higher caliber.
This was hard at first, especially on new freshmen
(just got out of high school)
and possibly discouraging.
As the semester progressed, easier to understand
(perhaps we reached middle ground).
Easy to approach, and ask questions.
Could have moved slower on some problems.
[Math 205 (Calculus 1), Fall, 1993]
Professor Lady tends to teach only theory, and very little application.
But it is the applications that he tests us on.
He should concentrate on actual problems in class.
... I think that Dr. Lady posses a very unusual and great characteristic
that many university professors lack.
He is more concerned about students and what they will learn
from the class.
It is very refreshing to know
that there are still professors like this around.
[Math 420 (Number Theory), Fall, 1993]
The approach that you took,
wanting students to learn how to write proofs,
was right on the money.
So many professors want to make the course &
exams as hard as they see fit,
then exams average scores of 40 - 50 pt.
I don't feel that learning occurs in these situations.
You were strict in grading but yet very fair and consistent.
Prof. Lady is a very good instructor,
who is very helpful to the students.
He is also very good in explaining proofs.
His homework assignments are very relevent
and helpful in learning the material.
He is one of the most helpful and caring instructors
I have ever had.
[Math 420, Fall, 1993]
Prof. Lady had an extremely lucid style and was very inspiring
and thought-provoking when he attempted to reveal a bit more
mathematics off-the-beaten-track of the course
such as his comments on research
and the statement of the conjecture by S. Lang
that an irrational has infinitely many 1's in its decimal expansion.
Unfortunately, the mixture of students in this class
did not give Prof. Lady an opportunity
for one to observe his full capacity.
I feel that Prof. Lady would be an interesting graduate instructor though.
[Math 420, Fall, 1993]
I have never been so insulted in a class at UH.
We may not be the smartest students but contrary to popular belief,
we do try hard.
You are extremely arrogant.
Do I really care that graduate school for you
was a lot harder than it is now or that you scored well
on a national exam?
All semester I have been humiliated.
This is the worst math class I have taken here.
[Math 420 (Number Theory), Fall, 1993]
The teacher provides very clear and readily understandable ways
to understand some of mathematics more difficult concepts.
However he is so good at explaining in class
that I have not once been prompted to open my book or
prepare for class (including exams) in any way.
Perhaps some, though limited, bookwork
would be helpful to push students less interested in rigorous mathematics
to learn technique as well as technique.
All in all one of the best instructors I've ever had.
[Math 231, Spring, 1994]
This class was somehow different from other classes
I had previously. I can't exactly say that the class
was good or bad because not many stuff were oriented.
However, I thought that Prof Lady should make the subject matter
more interesting so that the students
won't get too bored!
[Math 206 (Calculus 2), Fall, 1994]
One bad thing is he degrades us by saying things like
"in this course if you are not competant of the material
I will try my best to fail you!"
On the other hand, he knows his material and teaches it logically.
He makes many easy mistakes like forgets the sign
on some problems.
Writes messy.
However he is a overall good Professor and I like him.
[Math 206, Fall, 1994]
The instructor is very directy and to the point.
I really like that because it helps the students to focus
on what is important.
[Math 206, Fall, 1994]
He showed mastery in math. Ability to teach was good.
Sometimes he would lecture on theory and things
that were not really relevant for this course,
would be good if your major was math.
Often made mistakes on board.
[Math 206, Fall, 1994]
He is easy to understand
but he is sometimes cynical in attitude.
It's hard to explain;
it's like he could care less whether we fail or not.
He actually admitted to that!
I know that they are not expected to "baby" us,
but his attitude made it seem like he was unapproachable.
When I needed help, I was afraid to ask
because I felt that he didn't care about his students.
I was even afraid to ask questions in class.
[Math 206, Fall, 1994]
Dr Lady is a good instructor. He is straight forward
and teaches the material in an easily understandable manner.
I have enjoyed his class and I would recommend it to other.
He is also very helpful outside of class time.
During his office hours he is very helpful and nice.
[Math 311 (Linear Algebra), Fall, 1994]
The instructor is always willing to help the student
& I found his "glossary's" the most useful
since the books definitions are very difficult to understand.
I found that the way he related the course to pictures
& everyday life made it most interesting.
I thought it would be a difficult class
but the way he taught it made it a lot easier to understand.
[Math 311, Fall, 1994]
Instructor should have more examples
to back up theorems.
Also do examples on calculation.
Over all class was O.K.,
most of the time it may be difficult.
[Math 311 (Linear Algebra), Fall, 1994]
Good instructor.
Brings fresh perspectives to calculus
and how it fits in the world.
Needs to organize the course into a defined ordered course of subject
so the student always knows where he's at.
Also should assign homework so the student is accountable.
It's too easy to slack off.
[Math 205 (Calculus 1), Spring, 1995]
Nice guy. But he wasn't very "together."
Was rather amusing.
[Math 205, Spring, 1995]
Should be more organized, clear and concise.
(Often I was confused.)
[Math 205, Spring, 1995]
Lady is a prof who doesn't go through much material
but it is fine because he goes through it in-depth.
[Math 311 (Linear Algebra), Spring, 1995]
I was disappointed that so much of the theoretical aspects
of Linear Algebra were emphasized.
It seeems that a more balanced approach
with equal amounts of calculations
(i.e. applications of the ideas of linear algebra)
with the theory would make this course easier to digest.
Course material should not be covered so quickly
in a short period of time.
Sections should be not overemphasized or underemphasized.
Perhaps calculations & proofs should both be counted for homework,
instead of just proofs.
I was taken aback during the first one or two class
periods by his comments concerning his not caring(?)
or our ignorance not bothering him.
As time past I understood what he was really saying
which I take to mean,
"I'm here to teach you.
If you choose not to learn, it will not change my life."
The manner in which he sometimes speaks
seems to contradict his actual caring about his student's success.
[Math 205 (Calculus 1), Fall, 1993]
In spite of this he manages to present the material
in a semi-understandable way.
[Math 206, Fall, 1996]
Prof. Lady's comments helped me tremendously
in deciphering a lot of what was stated in the textbook.
I thought the HW problems were excellent,
and appreciated how exams were reflective of solutions discussed in class.
Great semester!!
[Math 301, Fall, 1996]
Weakness:
I wish that the homework could have had be turned in....
[Math 232, Spring, 1997]
... He is also understanding and very enthusiastic
in his teachings.
He knows his stuff and always does his best
in teaching his students.
[Math 206 (Calculus 2), Spring, 1997]
His board work sometimes confused students
due to careless error
but that was minor.
[Math 206 (Calculus 2), Spring, 1997]
I don't seem to find any weaknesses in him.
[Math 111, Fall 91]
There is only one drawback.
He tends to repeat himself often
only because he feels bad about giving low grades.
He feels that it is his duty to lecture on ``How to prepare'' for tests.
In a way that's great,
but why repeat it if most of the students don't want to hear it?
[Math 232 (Calculus 4), Spring, 1993]
Too much time was wasted on proofs of theorems
and as a result you ended up rushing through the material for Chap. 18.
The test results prove it,
the sections that should have been covered with more clarity were not.
As an instructor you know your material
but lack the motivation and ability to explain it to the students.
Seek improvement.
[Math 232, Spring, 1993]
I did not like his attitude on teaching.
He said he didn't care about us,
and that if we all failed he didn't mind.
It's hard to learn or be motivated when you get no positive feedback.
He did show some compassion at the end.
Overall I found this course difficult.
I find it unfair
how your grade can depend on the teacher you get.
A C in this class could be a B in another class.
[Math 232, Spring, 1993]
Lecture were not organized,
would write all over the board in an unorganized manner.
Some example that he did in class, he made mistakes on.
How can you learn if the instructor can't complete problems?
With a little improvement on these areas
he can become a good instructor.
Tests are very good and relavant to material.
[Math 231, Fall, 1992]
He also tends to assume that none of us
actually wants to learn the material.
I think that the fact that we're in the class
in the first place makes this assumption unnecessary.
The time he spends telling us
"This is something you should learn, if you care,
but if you just want to pass you probably won't learn it"
could be better spent teaching us.
I think he should assume that we actually wan
to learn more about calculus,
and not that we simply want to pass the course.
After all, that's why we're here, isn't it?
[Math 205, Fall 1993]
The exams were fair, in that if students studied as they should,
one could obtain at least a B or C.
HW assignments were hard & yet
this is where I learned the most,
but too many assignments.
[Math 420, Fall, 1993]
I strongly feel that this course should have been classified
as a writing intensive course
instead of what it was classified as.
[Math 311, Spring, 1995]
The handouts with examples of sample proofs were good,
but the amount of proofs needed to be known
in a specific amount of time should be lessened or simplified.
[Math 311, Spring, 1995]