深入经典​研讨课 

**Dr. Kemick**

"I've taken quite a few supplemental writing and reading classes in the past with different organizations, but the Great Books Seminar with Dr. Kemick at Polaris has by far been my favorite. The classes are structured in a way that allows for engaging discussions that explore the stylistic and thematic elements of English literature much deeper than in a typical high school English course. During class, Dr. Kemick will prompt students with tough, open-ended questions about significant excerpts of a written piece, ones that force them to analyze the passages in relation to the story as a whole, or even in a broader context. Additionally, classes are streamline and productive, but are also personalized as per student requests. For example, although the Great Books Seminar is heavily reading-focused, Dr. Kemick was willing to add in writing assignments and provide me with helpful feedback regarding my written analyses.

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Since taking this course, I have seen clear improvement in my ability to comprehend and analyze texts for school, be it fiction or nonfiction. Great Books Seminar has also been one of the first English classes that has left me wanting to read more classic novels rather than turning away from them, which is an unexpected but pleasant surprise.

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Last but certainly not least, this course is genuinely a lot of fun. Dr. Kemick always finds a way to incorporate entertaining activities into each session. Having the opportunity to get to know him better, I can attest that the hour of class time always goes by too fast.

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I would wholeheartedly recommend Great Books Seminar to anyone looking to improve their reading, analyzing, and writing skills while expanding their knowledge of English literature. Plus, there is never a dull moment, I promise!"

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"I enjoyed the much more in-depth and challenging discussion about the subjects. It was unbelievably helpful and really opened my eyes to what I could write. As for the instructor, I have never had an instructor or English teacher as compassionate, patient, knowledgeable, and articulate as Dr. Kemick. He has definitely played a big role in my writing journey, and has brought forth so many new ideas and thought processes to the table."

 

"I really liked how flexible it was and how the instructor would adjust the syllabus based on our personal needs and always asked for our opinions on homework assignments and reading material. The instructor’s greatest strengths were the questions he asked us during class to lead us into further understanding and interpreting a certain story or article, since it really forced us to think deeper and process what we were reading, and it also taught us that in the future, we can ask those questions to ourselves to help digest a piece of writing. I also particularly liked how he would give us very straight-to-the-point feedback, both good and bad, to help us realize our shortcomings and help us improve for next time."​

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"I really enjoyed the deep and thoughtful conversations that we had on the different books.  This class really was an eye opener into the world of classical literature and I liked the variety of books that we were able to read and discuss.  Dr. Kemick is phenomenal at encouraging conversation and deep thinking."

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**Dr. Prusko**

"Dr. Prusko is an incredible teacher and clearly knowledgeable and passionate about literature. Her class was challenging, but she provided constructive and helpful feedback and really encouraged us to do our best. She encouraged class discussions which were always interesting and helpful to the topic we were discussing.”

 

"I really enjoyed the engaging discussions we had, and the reading and writing assignments were interesting and thought-provoking. My writing greatly improved while taking this class due to the personalized feedback from Dr. Prusko and the creative writing prompts and activities."

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“The writing methods she introduced have proven to be invaluable across a variety of subjects and situations; when my friends are struggling with their writing, I recommend the techniques I learned from Dr. Prusko. Her enthusiasm and skill are truly remarkable.”

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“I absolutely loved this course. Dr. Prusko is an amazing teacher who really cares about her students and takes time to make sure they understand the material. She is always willing to help and provide constructive feedback and is great at promoting class community and discussion.”​

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**Ms. Klippenstein**

“I really enjoyed Ms. Klippenstein’s class and would definitely recommend other students to take it. The readings were interesting and stimulating. They included a variety of styles, which helped tremendously in getting me to understand and analyze different types of literature.” 

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“Fantastic course. The readings were intriguing and I read some things that I otherwise would have no opportunity to read at all. Through peer review and one-on-one conferences with the teacher, I became confident writing essays. I also felt encouraged to express my ideas in the seminar. I would recommend Ms. Klippenstein’s course to all my friends.” 

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“The course was very interesting and the materials thought-provoking. Ms. Klippenstein was actively engaged during class discussion. I feel my own writing definitely improved, as I was forced out of my comfort zone to write in styles I wasn’t always familiar with. We had to think specifically about the audience of our writing.”

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"I really loved how the course had both lectures and workshops. It was so informative and helpful reading other people’s stories and seeing how their creative minds worked. Ms. Klippenstein also ran her lectures a lot like a discussion section and it was such an open and friendly atmosphere!” 

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“Ms. Klippenstein is absolutely amazing, one of my favorite teachers. She makes class interesting and pushes us to become better writers.”

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"Ms. Klippenstein is an amazing teacher. The course material was super fun. Her comments on my paper were very constructive and helped me do better on the next ones." 

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“Ms. Klippenstein did an excellent job making the course assignments manageable and interesting—I truly felt my time doing the work was well spent.”