“She listens well, she respects everyone, and she brings out the best in her students. I was disappointed when I found out I’d still have to take English in college, but now I’m really glad I did. I had a lot of fun in this course, and the writing I did I plan to keep and reflect on.”
Student Reflection
Teaching Awards
- Spring 2018: Purdue University English Department Excellence in Teaching, Honorable Mention
- Spring 2018: Purdue University English Department’s Quintillian Award: Awarded to the top 10% of composition instructors each semester
- Fall 2016: Purdue University English Department’s Quintillian Award
- Spring 2015: Purdue University English Department’s Quintillian Award
Course Evaluation Scores
English 106 and 106E “Introductory Composition”
The following chart includes the enrollment numbers and evaluation scores (on a five-point Likert scale, with 5 being excellent) for standard evaluation questions given to students by the college at the end of each semester. Since ENGL 106 is a required class for all students, most students are from outside of the Liberal Arts college; nevertheless, as the chart shows, my evaluations are consistently high.
- Course requirements are clear
- My instructor seems well prepared for class
- When I have a question or comment, I know it will be respected
- This course improved my writing skills
- My instructor shows respect for diverse groups of people
- Overall, I would rate this course as…
- Overall, I would rate this instructor as…
| Term | Enrolled | # Responses | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| F14 | 20 | 14 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 4.6 |
| S15 | 20 | 17 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.8 |
| F15 | 20 | 15 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.7 |
| S16 | 17 | 14 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 4.6 |
| F16 | 20 | 17 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 5.0 |
| F16 | 20 | 16 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 5.0 |
| F17 | 19 | 15 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 5.0 |
| S18 | 20 | 17 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.9 |
Select Student Comments
- “When she talked to me I could sense that she cared about the quality of my work and not just my grade.”
- “She is very thorough with explaining assignments and is always open to questions. I never felt uncomfortable or awkward asking a question in class or in conference.”
- “She teaches things in more than one way so everyone can learn. For example, she will show a video or play an audio recording to further explain the material along with reading before assigning it.”
- “Aidan Holtan is an amazing teacher who clearly loves what she is doing, she teaches English effectively and with enjoyment, she makes connections with her students and will openly have good time when she is teaching them.”
- “What I learned from the integration of Tech and English was that, despite those being separate subjects, and the classes themselves are pretty dissimilar, everything can be related to each other. This can be applied in the outside world with jobs and careers as well. Something you learn in one class, while sometimes can seem pointless in the moment, will be actually be beneficial and it might be useful in an area that seems unlikely.”
- “The skills I learned in this class will carry through my career. The rhetorical skills will always ensure that my message gets across to my desired audience. Also, the projects and homework we did taught me about professionalism—which I will need to use throughout the rest of my life.”
Aidan Holtan 