Across seven years of university teaching, students have consistently highlighted my inclusive, responsive and student-oriented teaching practices, clear and consistent feedback, and a sense of encouragement and safety to make mistakes and explore challenging themes and topics in my classroom.
The following are selected highlights from anonymous student evaluations. Full, official teaching evaluations can be provided upon request.
Literature and Medical Humanities Courses:
“Skye is truly everything you could wish for in a teacher. I came to Columbia yearning for an intimate class where I could truly get to know my classmates and my professor […] Skye challenged me to reach further in my questions, to welcome in new and unconventional modes of thinking, and created the kind of warm and encouraging class environment you only see in movies like Dead Poet’s.” (Medical Surreal – CLGRUN3459 – Spring 2025)
“Professor Savage is a wonderful professor and I would absolutely recommend her class. She intentionally created a classroom atmosphere where students had opportunities to participate (in individual and group discussions.) The structure was positive in that we had lectures with visual aids (i.e. chalkboard, Powerpoint) and then would branch off into small groups to discuss, followed by class discussions. The assigned readings were varied. We really covered a lot of different material in a short period of time, and we also studied the historical context and timing of each text. She was consistently available via office hours, and incredibly supportive re: assignments throughout the writing process. Her feedback was thought provoking, and encouraging and she recommended interesting and complimentary readings. She was interested and engaged with the material, and generated interest naturally in this way. She was very kind and approachable. I felt like people in my class were encouraged and felt comfortable to ask questions (including about sometimes challenging and important topics.) This is something I have not always felt in my classes here at Columbia and is a testimony to Professor Savage and the safe classroom environment she created. (Medical Surreal – CLGRUN3459 – Spring 2025)
Language and Culture Courses:
“Professor Savage has a unique talent of accurately sensing where her students are in our language learning journeys. Over the last two semesters, I’ve gained an appreciation for her accepting and inclusive attitude toward everyone. […] I left one of my first office hours appointments with her feeling that I understood the concept that I went in confused about better than I would have if I had spent a week trying to figure it out myself. That was one of many deeply empowering learning moments I’ve had as a student of Professor Savage’s.” (Intermediate German II – GERM2102 – Spring 2022)
“Frau Savage clearly knows how to encourage and support thoughtful, effective learning. Her teaching invites students to see how fascinating and intricate learning another language can be; with a language like German, with its unique sense of logic and pattern, Skye was always sure to get us to examine and notice these pattern, and, in doing so, help us expand our knowledge and comfort with the language exponentially. Beyond her superb and nuanced teaching skills, Skye is also an unimaginably kind and understanding instructor. It was so refreshing to have a class taught by someone who understood that assignments would sometimes be late, mistakes would almost always be made. She managed to prioritize our health and well being without sacrificing anything on the part of her teaching, and that ability is a huge testament to her influence as an educator and person in general.” (Intermediate German I – GERM2101 – Fall 2021)
Skye Shannon Savage, PhD 