Each semester I give an off the cuff synoposis of professors and "grade" them. I like to do this BEFORE the exams, because I don't want any bitter feelings I hold after an exam to slant what I thought of them as I was going through the courses......So here it goes.
Crim Pro II, Jail to Bail taught by Professor Davidson: Pointless class. Seriously. There is nothing in this class that you can't get from other courses. As for her teaching style, "poor" would be my discription.......As I put on my school eval....."Forcing students to read out loud and role play last nights readings is like show and tell for kindergarden, pointless and painful." I checked out a long time ago in this class. She doesn't make sense, she is concerned with the minutia of the case, rather than the strong substance, and this is a class more about policy than law.........made more boring by her style of teaching.
Law and Education, Professor Crier: Crier comes to the classroom as an ex teacher, and ex attorney for the Dept. of Education. Her knowledge on things such as the No Child Left Behind Act are invaluable. She wasn't bad as a first year teacher either. She engaged students well, and was prepared each day for class. She was approachable outside of class, and I saw glimpses of who she was as a person. Crier has a good approach to balancing policy with substative law. I was never bored, even though I have no plans to practice Education Law. I would describe her as "average" but she has potential to grow as she gains more experience.
First Amendment, Establishment Clause, Professor Green: Green is brilliant. Very, very brilliant indeed. The man is an expert in his field, having testified before the US Congress, and many state congresses. He has also drafted many briefs for the Supreme Court on issues dealing with the Establishment Clause. I have learned so much from him on these issues. At first, I was a bit bored in the class as I was not focused on the historical development of the law. But once we got to issues of the last 40 years, the class became fascinating. And Professor Green because excited and animated. I would definately count him in the top 5 professor's I have had at Willamette and rate him as Excellent. [PS this class is a non-curved paper class, no final].
Juvenile Law, Lynn Travis: First, I have to say having worked in this area, I should not have taken this class....BORING.....also, As an adjunct professor who only teaches this class every other year, my rating might not be fair.....but I found her to be below average standard. She often did not respond to students questions adequately. She was not clear in her course objectives, and we were never given a syllabus, though eventually she sent out a reading list.
Sentencing Reform, Professor Appleman: Appleman shines in this class...this is obviously her area of expertise and she is passionate about the subject. She remains my all time favorite professor. She has wit, style, humor, and the ability to provoke thought, even when you don't agree with her. She also shows her personality and you really get to know the person, not just the professor. She is encouraging and seems to want to really know what you think and why. EXCELLENT professor and an asset to the school. I am going to miss her greatly.
That's it for classes I have taken this fall........I will follow up with what I thought about the exams AFTER I take them! LOL.
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