John T. Kirby: What Students Are Saying

Each paragraph is taken, verbatim, from a different student evaluation. All comments were submitted anonymously except for those marked ›, which come from letters or other signed sources.

This class has opened my eyes in a number of different ways. The deep substance and fabulous instruction of this course has not only restored a little hope for future classes, but has excited me about studying Classics. Kirby is an excellent teacher, motivator, scholar, & friend. He epitomizes what a college professor should be. I've enjoyed this course more than any other course I've taken at Purdue. Enough said.

John Kirby has done an excellent job of teaching the Classics to our class. More importantly, during the acquisition of this knowledge of our readings, he has presented the material in such a way that inspires learning, creativity and thinking. I've been challenged to THINK in this course, unlike any other before. I am grateful for his enthusiasm in teaching and his clear desire to see that we succeed in the course work. To date (through 8 semesters of study at Purdue University) this has been the best course Iπve taken.

He brings the beauty of ancient literature to life better than I imagined it could be done.

Professor Kirby ranks among the best teachers I've had.

He is ... simply the best.

It was excellent having Kirby -- an experience never to miss -- and I have indeed recommended him & this class to others.

This was one of my most interesting and thought provoking classes I've had at Purdue. Almost makes me wish I stayed away from the Engineering and Political Sciences.

I can't really think of a better way to run a class of this nature. You have been one of the best Professors I have had at Purdue.

This was a wonderful course. I am so fortunate to have taken it at this time with such a superior Professor. Overall, this course is definitely among the best I have ever taken at Purdue and one of the best Professors I have had the fortune to have been taught by.

You are one of the only instructors at Purdue who has managed to make me think. THANKS ... it's fun!

He is not just about us learning the materials for a test, but learning the materials for life. He has an enthusiasm for teaching that should be a model for other teachers at Purdue.

I like how you call on students by name for answers to questions instead of just spilling out information to us ... You have good enthusiasm in the material and confidence in the intellect of your students. That makes us feel good!

I have enjoyed this class as much as any other at Purdue. Prof. Kirby listens, explains, and understands his students better than most teachers. Which is why people have fun and like his courses. However, it goes beyond that, unlike many professors who only know how to talk about their professional area, he has a great deal of common sense and knows about many areas and this makes, or helps, him [be] more able to relate to his students and help them understand. And he seems to like to have fun and enjoys being here every day.

Prof. Kirby is an excellent, excellent teacher! His interest in the class is contagious; he makes the class interesting and fun! Great job in your positive attitude toward us students. This is rare to find in teachers. Keep up the excellent (I can't emphasize excellent enough) work!

Dr. Kirby rocks! He is quite possibly the best instructor I have had thus far. His teaching style is one that I had not seen before here, it was personal and caring, two things rarely seen at a college as large as this. He was actually interested in the course material, I could tell it was something he loved and he wanted most of all to share that love with us, his students ... When I become a professor, I will tell my students about their wonderful grandteacher.

This was the most interesting class I have taken here at Purdue. Prof. Kirby is a wonderful guy and prof. He motivated all of us and made it one of my favorite classes and sparked further interest. Awesome guy, Awesome course, Awesome time.

Dr. Kirby is a remarkable & may I say phenomenal professor.

Kirby is so enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and awesome. He has so many great ideas, theories, and teaching style. Kirby treats our class as an academic family, where we are encouraged to explore ideas and learn as much as possible. I wish he could teach all my humanities courses.

This was one of my favorite courses ever here at Purdue. It was educational, it was interesting, it was fun. At first I was a little skeptical, but as I settled into the course I knew it would be tremendous.

I loved this class. I know I actually learned a lot because I can sit down and think about what was said in class an not just recall facts.

I really enjoyed this class. It made me work which is what makes me learn.

I felt that Prof. Kirby thoroughly enjoys his work, & it's obvious in the lectures ... I learned a lot in this class this semester & I felt that Prof. Kirby has a very exciting, effective lecturing style.

Professor Kirby is very fair and he is a very good teacher. He knows the material and is interesting to listen to. I think he is one of the better professors I've had at Purdue and he puts a lot of work into his job. I am glad I took this class, I learned a lot.

I love to come to a class where a teacher loves his work & students ...I will have to say you were among the best teachers I have had ...

I ... found it quite refreshing to have a teacher who actually cared about what the students learned and who was so enthusiastic about teaching!

An absolutely wonderful class! My mom promised me before I left for school that there would be one professor who would change my life. After three years I was beginning to wonder, but John Kirby is the man that proves that Mom always knows best.

I have to say that Professor Kirby has been so far the best professor I have had. You can obviously see the love and the passion he has for what he is teaching. He has a way of then projecting that onto his students in a way that his students can make their own opinions about the subjects. He makes the class fun and interesting and makes you want to go to class every day.

One of the best, if not the best, classes here at Purdue. Itπs amazing how important a class becomes when the instructor is so effective in getting his point across. I think there are very few who have that ability.

Really this is one of the best courses I've taken at Purdue. If all of my professors had the passion and excitement for what they are teaching that Prof. Kirby does, it would be wonderful.

Prof. Kirby is a very dynamic and motivating instructor. I enjoyed the way he conducted discussion with the class, and exams and quizzes were very fair ... I enrolled in this course simply to fulfill a core requirement. However, it has proven to be one of my most interesting and engaging classes I have attended in my 4 years at Purdue. Prof. Kirby is incredible.

Professor Kirby is so intelligent and helpful -- a true inspiration!

I like how theory is constantly integrated with the literature we read. I like how questions are always completely answered. Good selection of material to be read.

Prof. Kirby seems to really know the material. He is also very enthusiastic and happy in class, thus causing his students to be also. His lectures arenπt boring, but rather, very stimulating and thought-provoking. While everyone may not agree w/ what he says, he invites discussion and opinions from the class ...

› I feel that this course or rather Dr. Kirby is one of the [most] well rounded, educated persons I've had the blessing to encounter. The course was a great bunch of reading and reviewing, but it was worth it ... This course is a blast! And Dr. Kirby is a blast!

› ... I also wanted to say that I've gone through my notes and noticed big gaps of space. I am getting so involved with what you are saying in lecture that sometimes I'm afraid I'll miss something if I stop to write. I sit there and absorb everything and I think this is the only class in which I block out everything outside and see what you and class have to say. I love it, thanks!

› ... thank you for your support and encouragement. Without your influence in my life, I sometimes wonder where I might be ... You are a true inspiration!

› I was visiting the Purdue web site recently and I thought of you. I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed the class I took from you two summers ago. I hope you remember. If I were to ask myself which instructors influenced me and which were the best teachers, your name would be at the top of the list. Anyway, because of you, I have decided that I am going to make one of my goals reading the Iliad in ancient Greek. I am not really sure when I will have time to learn, but since I usually donπt give up on my goals, I am sure I will get it done sometime. I have even bought a textbook on classical Greek.

› Just a day ago I had to write something about our teachers, actually which teacher influenced us the most. There you played the first role -- you have been my best teacher ever and I do not think I shall meet anyone like you. It is true that each person is special and you definitely are. Really, if I ever become a teacher I would like to be like you. With you school isnπt just a torture house but a pleasure and a key to the world of knowledge.

John Kirby has done a fine intro to the field of Comp Lit -- through class, readings and professional advice. As far as I am concerned, he is Comp Lit.

John Kirby is by far the most well-read, unbiased, "intellectually superior" person I have ever met. The topics addressed in the class were very interesting; the discussions were very provocative. I will always remember this class as a favorite of mine, and will definitely pass it on as a "recommended class" to others.

Everything was good! Reading assignments were interesting and stimulating. Class discussion was always interesting -- I never felt afraid to ask a question, provide input, or admit I didn't know about something. Time seemed to fly by! Overall, the best class and the best instructor I've ever had!

Professor Kirby is an excellent teacher -- one of the best I've ever had. He makes a sometimes complicated subject, like Greek Mythology, interesting and fun. He also does his best not to offend anyone and to not make students uncomfortable if they don't understand something. He's very open-minded. His mode of teaching & sense of humor are the best parts of the class.

This course was absolutely incredible & I intend to recommend it to all of my peers. I have learned so much valuable information; I came into this course knowing next to nothing about literary criticism/ Comparative Literature, & now I feel as if a whole new world has been opened up to me. John Kirby has the wonderful capacity to keep his students rapt with attention!

Absolutely no complaints. Highly motivated & motivating professor. Very well-read. Encourages grad. students unlike any professor I have had in past. Keeps up on conferences, whatπs going on in the field. This is what grad students need ... Wow. What a great class, Prof.

Quite honestly, this course is the first course here at Purdue (I came from an Engineering background) in which I was actually challenged to THINK. (Proves Purdue's Liberal Arts program has much more to offer than generally thought!) I believe I've learned more in this class not only about society in general but about myself than in my five semesters here at Purdue combined. I am very lucky to have found out about this course and I believe it is one of the few courses that will stay with me years from now. I canπt complain about anything -- my expectations were met and often exceeded.

John Kirby is the best Professor I've had so far in my first year here at Purdue. He is very enthusiastic about teaching and therefore, I feel the same way about learning. I've read so many great things, and I will remember them forever because Kirby teaches us things for long-term, not just for a short period of time.

I feel the manner in which you give your exams is excellent.

Prof. Kirby's enthusiasm was contagious. The readings were interesting. I especially enjoyed relating the material & discussions to everyday life and other areas of study.

There is NO professor on campus as enthusiastic as Prof. John T. Kirby ... John's courses are always conducive to participation and student interaction. Great learning experience.

As usual, you make things so clear, you open people's eyes on the obvious, you make all of us (at least me) want to go to the library and read more, more more! I wish you could teach so many more classes: a seminar on Plato, another on Aristotle, another on the evolution of the Art of Poetry since Plato/Aristotle, another on the Greek lyric poets alone, another on Vergil, one on Homer of course, and so on, and so on but I guess you need to sleep and eat sometimes ... It is always a pleasure and an "enrichissement" to take a class with you!

Dr. Kirby's enthusiasm & broad knowledge was delightful. I appreciated your eye contact and the frequent stops to see if everyone was following and comprehending. I enjoyed the selections of texts ...

It was different from what I had expected. I had expected an extensive review of the Greek myths. However, though I did get that, I also learned a lot about how myth is formed, how it reflects and promulgates conditions of the culture, and also how certain themes are realized across cultures and what this means for culture (and humankind) in general. I am also coming away from this course w/ an improved ability to read literary works sensitively. I only wish I had a few more weeks to cover more material w/even more depth. I suppose I will have to take more courses. Prof. Kirby for Pres!

I enjoyed the interactive process of learning that I experienced in this class. I felt very comfortable asking questions about things that I did not fully understand, thus I learned the material, rather than memorize it ... I could extend this course into next semester and not get bored with it. I think that you have an excellent rapport with your students.

John Kirby's mastery of languages, his immense active knowledge of World literature, literary history, and theory added to his purely pedagogical skills and his friendly and open personality already make him an outstanding teacher. Much more than that, I think that John Kirby possesses the real intelligence of an excellent teacher: he is able to explain complicated ideas in clear and simple terms, he motivates the student to think on his/her own, and he relates what he teaches to the student's life so that learning, for once, really makes sense. I can honestly say that John Kirby is the best teacher I ever had ä He motivated me to read Plato's dialogue for the pure pleasure of it. He always made me feel confident to ask all the questions I wanted to ask but I would not have dared to ask other professors. He brought the classical authors back to life for me, giving me the impression that he had met Virgil and Ovid just around the corner the day before yesterday. John Kirby really made a difference in my life here at Purdue: like a breeze of fresh air through the dusty and stuffy classrooms, he brought life back to Academia.

Amazing, dynamic, inspiring professor. New perceptions developed on the readings and course material. He made you think on a superior level of understanding and evaluating ... I had little background prior to [the] course and have found myself enthralled, intrigued, almost obsessed with the life that once existed in the texts we read ... I've discovered an internal yearning to learn & investigate more of the classics and will extend my schedule to incorporate more classics classes in my future, thanks to John Kirby.

Relaxed atmosphere stimulated good discussions ... I have learned much more information both about theory + life in this course than I have in any other course at Purdue during my 5 years.

I feel I have learned a lot intelligently not just by stuffing it into me but by thinking things through with the others.

The teacher was superb. Classroom discussions were open & informative; all students were given the chance to participate, share, and help each other on the way to a greater understanding of ancient literature. Even neophytes such as myself were respected. Student-teacher relationship was the best I've ever experienced ... John Kirby is a Greek God.

The scope of the course was great. We read the texts, thought for ourselves, and were given ample background ... Loved it!

To summarize John in one word would be difficult, so I choose a few. As a professor John is stimulating, a plethora of information, and a genius of form. If I am to take anything away from my years at Purdue it would be the courage of experience and sought knowledge that John has instilled in me and all of his students. The impact John has had on me through his teaching is the ability to learn ... In all honesty it was in my Classics courses where I learned to think, write, and to appreciate language, word, form, and literature.

Being absolutely serious -- J.K. is the finest instructor I have ever studied under.

There is so much interwoven into this class so if you snooze you lose. Never have I had a class which has been so good that I dreaded missing it. This class is so useful that I never want to miss it. I like the continual challenges for excellence. Encouraging us to do our best is one of John's best qualities. He is also incredibly intelligent and is knowledgeable in so many subjects. Too bad that John couldn't teach 24 hrs a day! ... I'm very sorry that John wasn't here five years ago when I was a freshman. I regret that I was only able to take 2 courses from him. However I know that what was given to me will grow.

He's probably one of the most knowledgeable profs. I've ever had, and he passed on a lot to me in such a short time. Even more so though, is that John is a GOOD person and this permeates everything he does. While my knowledge of classics has grown immensely this semester, my spirit has grown as much or more, and no other class I've ever had has done this much for me. John Kirby is a golden asset to Purdue University and a beacon of light for his students.

The closest thing to a perfect prof there is ...

John Kirby has a knack of getting the students' attention and holding onto it ... One semester went by too quickly ... This class is one of the few real gems in a quarry of stones.

I feel Professor Kirby's teaching style was quite effective. The class had structure, but all were perfectly free to pursue their own interests. He has a genuine interest in the progress of the students and provided us with the tools to progress instead of listing the required material and expecting us to regurgitate it without applying it to our lives.

There was absolutely no limit on his enthusiasm -- for the class, for the subject, for people in general.

A very motivated teacher who motivates his students. In Johnπs class, one can see the results of learning through the semester ... My involvement with Classics at Purdue has enriched all my learning in every other class that Iπve taken.

I wish I could have taken more classes like this one ... I wish I could have taken more classes from this instructor ... I got an education in this class which is precisely why I enrolled to begin with ... I am honored as hell to have had a class with this instructor.

The Prof's enthusiasm for the material somehow sprouts in the student regardless of the student's background ... Thank you John.

You were very upbeat for most every class ... You never really frustrated me by pressing too hard yet you did press me to do the work. The topics that you can find to talk about out of a text of Latin are amazing.

An hour and fifteen minutes never does seem long enough. In Mr. Kirby is a wealth of knowledge yearning to be taught to the students ... Whenever John Kirby is teaching a class, I hope I am able to take it. There many good professors on this campus but Mr. Kirby is one of the few great [ones].

You have done an excellent job in getting us to glean the essentials from the works we read ... You also create a rapport with the student that makes us feel that we should want to do the readings etc., not that we have to do them.

I've had a hellish day and I know this class will cheer me up ... It's a nice family ...

Professor John T. Kirby is cool, but that goes without saying.

John is fabulous! He truly cares about his students and has the best teaching style I've ever encountered! His genius and sincerity really shine in class! Heπs super!

Professor Kirby brought laughter and fun to the class while being the best teacher I have ever had. I learned so much this semester. That is what I liked most about the class, the way we had fun but still learned.

The class was set up to produce maximum learning retention. The teacher, Prof. Kirby, made going to class actually fun. His style and knowledge combines to form a winning combination.

John Kirby is a wonderful man, who expects a great deal from his students. He, however, is understanding, caring, and sincere. He is a terrific instructor.

Johnπs class has been "a light at the end of a dark tunnel."

Prof. Kirby is a fantastic teacher. There are so few prof. here at Purdue that are truly interested in educating students ... Prof. Kirby is energetic and interested!

He works himself too hard, but his enthusiasm for the topic is wonderful.

At a university this big, one is just a number most of the time, but in your class it is much like a family situation where one feels free to ask questions without being hazed, and just be him/herself.

John Kirby was always willing to help us by keeping many office hours ... The best part about the class was definitely John Kirby -- he made class exciting and fun.

In all my years of schooling I have never had a teacher that cares and deals with the subject so well. He has a complete understanding of the subject and passes his knowledge to us well because we are "his" students.

This was my "most fun" class. I enjoyed it because of the enthusiasm displayed by the professor. If I was in a bad mood, I was cured. Thanks a million.

The teacher was very inspiring. He really made the class interesting ... I believe he is able to get the best out of his students.

His dynamic, enthusiastic teaching style actually made us want to learn. The whole experience was GREAT! ... I think Dr Kirbyπs the best teacher I've ever had!

You have inspired me more profoundly than any other professor ever, and taught me how to open up areas of my mind that I didn't realize were there. I can never thank you enough ...

It is a joy to be in one of his classes. I'm thanking the day I screwed up my courage and signed up for Latin ...

JK is a catalyst and a patient professor. In addition, he is extremely accessible and encouraging ... This professor has a great deal of faith in human capacity. It is inspiring to have worked with him.

With John, there is never a dull moment in the class ... I can now say that it is definitely my favorite class.

The most important good thing was that it was okay to make mistakes in this class. And it was okay to ask questions and not to know things. All these things are so important -- especially in early level language courses.

Always remember, I have you to thank for inspiring me to become a Classics major. There's no way I can ever thank you enough for that.

This course taught me a lot, not only in Latin but in life.

I just cannot fully express what a marvellous teaching experience Professor Kirby gave us.

I like the happy way you present the work. We can enjoy some of it by seeing how much you enjoy it. I'm also glad that you understand how much work and time Latin takes.

He seems to care about whether we learn the material. He is a great teacher.

He has a formidable grasp on human psychology which enabled him to present lectures in the most learnable fashion. He was patient yet not condescending, relaxed but not slack, and enthusiastic about the subject matter ...