This is not a test. There are no right answers.
This is a 400–500 word check-in on how the course is going for you so far. I’m asking this early — only a few weeks in — because feedback I get at the end of a semester can only help the next group of students. Feedback I get now can change the course you’re actually in.
This is graded on completion, care, and honest effort, not polish of writing or correctness of analysis.
A thoughtful, honest response that gives examples of where you were confused and feeling disconnected will earn full credit. A polished non-answer that could have been written by AI does not demonstrate effort.
This course centers on a set of ideas about how history works — that it’s constructed, contested, political, and everywhere. But whether those ideas are actually getting through, or whether they’re just adding up to a long list of readings you’ve been getting through, is something I can only learn by asking.
Your feedback is genuinely useful to me. I take it seriously. If something isn’t working, I’d love to hear about it now, while there’s still plenty of time for adjustments!
Pick two or three of the following and write about them honestly. You don’t need to address all of them. Feel free to just riff on whatever comes to mind, too, as long as it tells me something about your learning experience so far.
Is there a specific reading, discussion, or in-class moment from these first few weeks that you keep thinking about? What was it, and why do you think it stuck? (This can be something you found interesting or something that frustrated or confused you — both are useful.)
Is there something we’ve covered that felt pointless, over your head, or disconnected from everything else? You won’t hurt my feelings — I don’t have any delusions this is a “perfect” class. Be specific if you can — “the medieval chronicles” is more useful to me than “some of the readings.”
Are you engaged with the material, going through the motions, or somewhere in between? What’s driving that? Most of the semester is still ahead of us — what would make it feel more worthwhile?
What’s a question the course has raised for you that it doesn’t seem to be answering? Or something we’ve covered that you’ve tried to understand and don’t feel like you’re making progress?
Be specific. Vague statements (“I’ve learned a lot”) don’t help me understand your experience. Name the reading or at least the topic.
Be honest about disengagement. If you’ve been checked out, I’d love to know why, as best as you can articulate it (which can be really hard!). There are lots of possible tweaks that could make things more interesting for you, and I’d love to try.
Use your own voice. This is a check-in, not an essay. Write joyfully, and informally, but I don’t want a giant one-paragraph text message. Short sentences, unresolved thoughts, half-formed questions — all fine.
Don’t use AI. AI will write a very enthusiastic reflection about a course it has not taken, which wastes your time and mine. I am asking what you think; there is no other source for that.
Don’t perform engagement you don’t feel. You’re not being graded on whether you like me or the readings or the course. You’re being graded on making a legitimate effort to describe what’s made an impact — or to honestly articulate why nothing has.