Teaching Evaluations
Anonymous feedback from university course evaluations at San Diego State, and from conference talks and webinars since.
Of the 14 rated responses to recent public talks, 12 were “Excellent” and 2 “Very Good”. None rated lower.
University courses
“Honestly, Paul is an incredible TA. He presents himself very professionally and yet still keeps the classroom ‘light’. He clearly has a vast amount of knowledge on the subject and was more than helpful with homework and went lightyears beyond what he is required to do to assist us on tests. He graded firmly, but fairly. Paul literally went through and commented and critiqued every assignment down to simple grammar mistakes; the dedication to improving his students is unmatched by other TAs.”
“Honestly man you were the best TA I had at SDSU. You really helped the students understand the material and I liked that you did your lectures to make sure everybody understood both the material in lecture and in lab. Aside from being a great TA, this is the second lab at this campus that actually contributed to my understanding the material in lecture, and a plus was that this class was fun. If you’re planning to be a teacher/professor you should go for it man. Best wishes.”
“Paul is an excellent and fair TA that engages even the most lethargic students in classroom discussions and activities. He is generous and easy to reach, and should definitely be brought back for future sections.”
“It is clear Paul cared about his students, as he was always helpful and answered all questions/emails promptly. He clarified all concepts well, and is one of the best TA’s I’ve had within the biology department.”
“Paul was an awesome TA. He knew his material, and was very good at communicating with the class and individuals based on their learning needs. He definitely got me interested in evo research.”
“Mr. Maier was a very helpful and understanding TA. He always looked for ways to teach the activity section in which would be the most fun, interesting, and educational. Really worked on making this class applicable and in correlation to lecture.”
“Paul was helpful and an expert at the subject matter. He had a genuine concern for the success of his students and it was reflected in their performance.”
“Paul was simply a great TA. On numerous occasions he went out of his way to explain the more confusing topics we encountered and always made himself available if we needed any further help.”
“Paul was an excellent TA, generally making sure every activity that everyone understood what the subject was and how to answer/complete activity homeworks. His activity lectures were also a big help in preparing for each exam for the lecture portion.”
“Paul was a great TA. Very approachable, knowledgeable, and friendly. Responds promptly to emails. Helps clear up any questions you may have and was a great discussion leader.”
“He’s really smart and loves what he does. Makes class interesting because of how excited he is on the subject. He was a really good TA.”
“Paul was a great TA. He was very helpful in office hours and challenged the class. He was fair in his grading and was excited about what he was teaching. Great teacher.”
“Stimulated critical thinking and discussion of the subject.” · “No improvement necessary, Paul was great!” · “Paul’s the man!” · “PAUL IS A BOSS”
Conference talks and webinars
“These developments with the Mitotree are very exciting. Thank you for a comprehensive and well-illustrated talk. I tested my mtDNA several years ago and I’m enjoying the new tools. I have been getting new matches, albeit not many, but steadily over the years. Thank you and the Mito DNA team for all the work you have put into this project in the last few years. Your talk has been most helpful and your enthusiasm infectious.”
“Lots of very detailed relevant information, presented in an intelligent, logical and INTERESTING format!”Excellent
“Complex info presented with humor and simplicity.”Excellent
“Extremely knowledgeable presenter! Most of it over my head, but still appreciated his presentation and him trying to help make it accessible to non-scientific types.”Excellent
“Really detailed, scientific information on population genetics. It was like drinking from the firehose. Fast, but accessible. Lots of images and carefully constructed information.”Excellent
“Presenter was really knowledgeable. Very complicated subject and he was able to present it well.”Excellent
“Detailed genetics discussion for those interested in the science behind DNA testing. Great foundational information.”Excellent
“Great summary of a complex topic.”Excellent
“Tons of tech. Very good overview. Some topics went by very fast.”Very Good
“Thanks Paul, great presentation, brilliant slides, well delivered. Always learning.”
“Thank you for the presentation, my head hurts but worth it.”