Pretty good prof. Attendance is mandatory because she does in-class assignments that are for marks. She's insanely nice and helpful but she marks very hard on essays. I was a 95% english student in high school and had trouble getting above a 70 in her class.

Very approachable outside of class and overall a very nice person. Definitely see her for essay planning, even if it's only to discuss your ideas with her. Her classes are basically driven by the students, with tons of peer discussion. The only thing I didn't like about Kristine was that she rarely shared her ideas with the class.

I hate English, but Kristine made me love it! Very kind, approachable, and open to everyone's input. She even made me comfortable talking in class! Just attended class and read the required texts and you will do well.

she's very nice, class discussions are really interesting, lots of participation marks. average is usually B- on essays. i you like english you will love this class. if you don't like english you might enjoy the class too, but you will definitely not enjoy the essays.

Tough marker, thats all I can say. However, she is a good prof, makes class interesting. Class is mainly discussion based, so be prepared to participate

Great junior-level English professor. She gets everyone involved, even those who are not fans of English. Great choices for the literature selections, and makes the class interesting every time. Not big on lectures, focuses more on class discussion and cares about what we think. Seems to really love her job! Fair marker, a little tough though. :)

Smitka is a super nice prof, and really approachable outside of class. Her lectures are pretty well all class discussion, but he makes it really easy to participate and uses anything the class comes up with to guide the discussion. Her essays aren't terrible, she is very fair at marking, it's just a matter of writing a well thought out essay.

Passionate about subject, young and eager to deliver content well and get class interested in English. She's obviously brilliant, but doesn't impart her expertise enough (I don't know if it's modesty or deliberate). Also, she's really good looking.

Such a great Prof for first year English. She's young and passionate about what she is teaching, and genuinely wants to be there. Lectures are mostly class discussion, without much input from her, regardless of how brilliant she it. Really helpful when you ask for essay help, and gives really good feedback. Good literary choices too :)

Kristine is so nice and you can tell she loves teaching. The material she uses is usually short and quite interesting. She also gives lots of choice on essay topics. She is very approachable and class discussion is so easy with her. I totally recommend her class!

She is a really nice person an really likes teaching. She is respectful of all students and is eager to answer questions. If you show up to class and answer some questions you will do well. Not many assignments are due either, which is a bonus.

Ideal teacher for first year class! Clear expectations from the very beginning, and class is always fun because it is essentially 80 minutes of discussion where anyone can join in. Really helpful outside of class as well, and good literary choices whether you're big into English or not. Highly recommended!

she is a very nice prof! but i didn't like her texts! and plus she is a hard marker....if you like english than take her class. u need to put some effort in the class to achieve a decent grade!

One of the BEST English classes ever at U of A. She is really great, and compared to my other first year English Prof, this one really rocked like 500% more. Take her over other first year engl profs!

One of the greatest prof ever!!! She made me like literature and be involved in class discussion. She is approachable and helpful inside or outside of the class. RECOMMEND

I'm not usually into art or media so I was skeptical going into the course. Really glad I took it though, because not only were classes super interesting, but I actually found my writing and analytical skills improving. Smitka is really helpful, so if you don't do well on the first assignment, ask for help and you will definitely see improvement.

She is super nice and she is clear. But she isn't the easiest marker. I have never been the best at english and I'm doing okay but I would rather have a better mark. It is not like I didn't try, she just marks pretty hard. But if you attend her lectures, they are pretty helpful.

She was super nice and definitely made English one of my favorite classes this semester. A tough but fair marker.

Great Teacher, Boring Course. Lovely Lady, tough marker. I really enjoyed Kristine as a prof, but she has boring interests & was tough on essays. That said, she was excellent at guiding discussion and she had some pretty cool projects, & a fairly light final. Not a good first sem prof, but if you're through that and like new media, go for it

I never liked English at all, but that totally changed after I took this class. Smitka is super nice and approachable. She makes the course material really interesting and the class enjoyable overall. Marking is fair, and discussing your essays with her helps a lot. Excellent professor, easily the best class I've taken :)!

Kristine was phenominal. She came back on the second day of classes knowing everyones names already, and therefore set a high standard for herself for the term and she did not disapoint. The most fun I've had in a class in awhile. Some of the readings were a little dense, but that's english for you. Would take a class with here again in a heartbeat

Kristine is the best prof I've ever had! If you go and talk to her before handing in assignments it will definitely boost your mark. Make sure you talk to her and show her your interest in the assignment and mention areas that you're struggling with and she will help you. Go to class and assignments are easy and she drops hints about final.

The Top Three Reasons to Take Any and Every Class with Kristine: 1) She cares about her students so much that you just feel the love as soon as you walk into class or her office! 2) Her assignments are actually awesome--inksheds and final paper included! 3) She set the bar for how a prof should be! Long Live Kristine the CanLit Queen #CanLit

Kristine was one of the nicest professors I have ever had. She was always so sweet and bubbly and always willing to help. She brought so many creative activities into class to spice things up. She was a tough marker, but a very fair marker. She gives her students lots of opportunity to come for help and ask questions. The final exam was so easy!!

Nice, young instructor. Her warm personality encouraged class participation, but discussion often veered off into irrelevance. I wish she would have been more firm with this, as well as with the course's themes. Essay assignments were unusual, but challenging.

Kristine makes writing so interesting if you show investment into what she's saying. You don't have to even be interested, just invested and you'll do amazing in the class. Super kind, and funny.

Best prof I had this semester. Her lectures very interesting by using multiple media and interacted with the class. She was incredibly helpful if you needed help on an essay. Overall she was an awesome prof.

I really enjoyed her classes. She took time and effort to make class time interesting and engaging. She was open to change and cared about students. Great class

I don't know why anyone says she is a difficult marker. If you are at all decent at writing she gives you a good mark. Her marking rubric is really cleary and she tells you exactly what she wants. You do have to attend class for participation. There were not that many readings and you could get away with not reading them. She's a super nice woman.

She is a very nice lady but don't get fooled. She is a tough marker.

Guys, personally I hate group work, but it's a different story with Kristine. She is a FANTASTIC prof to study under! Super personable and genuinely cares about what you have to say. She does assign in-class group work sometimes, but none of it has been for marks in my experience. It's just to give you the chance to speak your mind.

Dr. Smitka is a gem. She's not for everyone; her classes definitely change things up a bit. They're very dynamic and interactive. She'll make you work for the grade, but you'll be better because of it. Sometimes her expectations are unclear, but she is very, very, very helpful to those who ask. She's brilliant and is a total teddy bear.

Essay's are given back with good feedback and for anyone who is good at English she would probaly be an amazing prof,problem is im not

Kristine is an amazing professor. She uses a variety of techniques (group work, quizzes, games, class discussion, lecture) to make class meaningful for all students. She gives helpful feedback and has clear grading criteria. An incredible professor who is also knowledgable, kind, and funny.

She has changed my view towards English. She is very helpful during her office hours and very open minded to new ideas and thoughts. I absolutely loved every class and office hours with her, I've never had an english prof as good as Kristine. I would recommend to take her classes

I really like this pro, she is inspriational for me. I am an international student, in this class, I try my best and I think I got what I want. Really suggest to go to office hour, she will give you some really good suggestions. My first draft is completely different from my final essay.

Dr Smitka is such sweet, passionate prof. The course material itself was dry, but she assigned interesting texts and is super accommodating if you need help! A warning guys, GROUP WORK. LOTS. She has small in-class group projects. She's very understanding however, so don't freak out if you find yourself in a impromptu group presentation.

Great teacher. She tries to be engaging in class. Very helpful. what I hate is that her expectations are super high and she is pretty stingy on the marks. Also, this is just speculation, but I feel if she doesn't agree with the idea of your thesis, your essay automatically drops a letter grade.

She was willing to help, only during her office hours. She was very organized and followed the syllabus completely. She is very knowledgeable and able to make you look at something in multiple different perspectives.

Great teacher. Made English class interesting by creating the course around diverse forms of literature. Class participation was actually fun and valuable. I can easily recommend her ENGL 123 class.

She was honestly one of the best professors I've ever had! She cares about her students and is always making sure everyone is alright. She gives amazing feedback and answers any questions anyone has. If you have her as a professor take this class, it will be an awesome time and she is honestly such a nice person both as a professor and as a person!

Kristine is a really great professor and really brings the class to life. She is always willing to spend more time to help her students. I highly recommend taking her class!

Solid Prof, gives clear expectations on what is expected and very accessible.

Kristine is fantastic. You'll have to work hard if you want a good grade but she is super easy to talk to outside class and beyond helpful. Her lectures are very interesting (even for me and I'm really not a big fan of English classes) and she really encourages everyone to participate. My favourite prof ever I would highly recommend her!

Kristine is wonderful! She's fun, helpful, articulate and caring. You can tell she's passionate about English and her enthusiasm runs off on you.

Dr. Smitka is genuinely one of the kindest professors I've ever had. Extremely approachable and caring. She is, however, quite a tough grader. Even after I thought I had made improvements in my writing I never quite got the grades I thought I would. Still, a great class and a great professor.

Attendance was encouraged rather than mandatory, but each lecture held something valuable to be learned. Kristine was clear and concise and all-around wonderful. Encourages students to think freely and candidly in their work. Effective in the way she can get students thinking critically and outside of the box.

Attendance was encouraged rather than mandatory, but each lecture held something valuable to be learned. Kristine was clear and concise and all-around wonderful. Encourages students to think freely and candidly in their work. Effective in the way she can get students thinking critically and outside of the box

She's great! She gives challenging assignments, but she's really clear with instructions, provides great feedback, and is very fair and caring. Amazing instructor! 10/10 in every way!

Amazing professor, she shows what she wants from day one and helps you attain that. She's very accessible for office hours and listens to your thesis ideas and helps build on them. She's a fair grader and seems to honestly like teaching, you do have to put in effort for the class but with her it's very easy to.

Kristine is a very kind, caring, respectful and knowledgeable professor. She constantly encourages class discussion and participation. In my experience, after lectures she was always available for short discussions, questions and feedback on assignments; she always responded to my emails and inquiries as well. I highly recommend her as a professor!

SUCH AN AWESOME PROF. Her lectures were relevant, interesting and she was extremely accessible outside of class for help. Make sure to read all readings fully or else you won't do well on essays. she's will make you work for your grade, but I highly recommend taking her class if you want to become a better writer, and better student in general.

The coursepack and novels are used in almost every class for discussions. In class writing assignments are frequent but are used just to make sure you come to class. She gives good feedback and is a fair marker.

Great Prof that gives great feedback. Reasonable course load. Very helpful, understanding, and willing to listen. It would be worth it to take a course with her.

Sitka is really enthusiastic and obviously very knowledgeable about english. She is also very approachable outside of the classroom. As long as you put in an effort and participate in class discussions, you should get a decent enough grade.

Kristine is fantastic! I hope I can have her for future English classes. She is very caring and explains English topics well. I think she's brave to attempt to teach English to a discourse community that is notoriously awful at English. Secretly my favourite class is hers even though I'm in first year engineering.

This course is very simple if you put the time into it and attend class. marks are given for participation, a weekly assessment- an eclass quiz, a cover letter, etc. and a final mini capstone report that you work on throughout the semester. Smitka is very nice and her marking seemed fair. She is very kind and genuinely cares about students.

Dr. Smitka is an outstanding professor. She marks hard, but she helps you improve to obtain your grade goals. Her feedback was thorough and informative. She is engaging and accepting of student's ideas. As someone who was not a fan of English, she made me feel capable of success in the English department. I strongly recommend this professor.

She's a hard marker compared to high school English teachers, but she offers amazing feedback if you go to her office hours. She doesn't seem super approachable but don't be afraid to reach out to her. I had some serious medical issues during the term and she was super accommodating. Highly recommended and very knowledgeable.

She gave us in-class writing for marks and marks based on class participation. She's not an incredibly hard marker but she looks for the things she teaches in the lecture so it's important to attend her class. She's very nice and gives everyone a chance to voice their opinions.

Kristine is a great prof, she made me feel welcomed as she was my first prof of my first year. She really listens to your opinions and wants to build off them so dont be scared to speak up as she marks for participation and also attendance. She is a hard marker but will give lots of feedback.

I loved this class! Kristine is a great prof who is very engaging. She was responsive to my emails and accessible during office hours. I really loved her lectures and I looked forward to them. Note, if she says to print off your paper and attach it with a paperclip, you'd better do that.

English is not my strong suit but I really enjoyed Dr. Smitka's class. She genuinely cares about her students and what they have to say. Grades fairly and gives good feedback. Courseload is definitely manageable. She is very approachable and responds to emails quickly. I would definitely take another one of her courses

Dr. Smitka has personally made this class very enjoyable. The coursework isn't too bad as long as you keep on top of things. She's a very fair marker, as long as you apply what she teaches. Dr. Smitka is very organized on eClass and she is always encouraging of different perspectives in class. I've learned a lot from this class.

Super caring! Kristine makes you work for your grade and gives specific feedback after each assignment. Make sure you DO NOT mention anything you've talked about in class in your essays, even if you add some of your own ideas, or you'll be marked down. Originality is a big factor here! If you're interested in history, she's the perfect prof for u:)

A very kind teacher. I've seen lots of comments about marking hard but I didn't find this at all. By putting the work into papers and class time you should get a good mark

She was great! Her lectures were simple, engaging and well taught. She gave great feedback on papers and was always ready to meet during office hours to help with assignments. Listen and participate in class and you will have great material to write on.

Kristine is super nice, marks fairly, and her class was interesting. Normally I don't love Canadian Lit. but her book selections were almost all super good, I would 100% take a class of hers again. The classroom environment is so warm and really makes the learning experience better since you aren't afraid to share what you think.

I took her class over spring semester (condensed time frame) and loved every minute of it, her lectures are very helpful and we had plenty of discussion time, I found her marking quite generous, and plan to take more of her classes in the future!

This is my second class with Smitka and her optimism is infectious. She always pushes students to do better and think harder about each topic. The assignments are clear and they relate to the content being looked at. If you have the chance to take her, do it, you will not be disappointed!

I have taken two classes with Kristine now, and I have learned a lot from her. Attendance matters as you are graded based on in-class writing assignments. While at times her marking may seem harsh, I would highly suggest taking advantage of office hours and discussing how you can improve as a writer. She's kind and wants the best for her students.

Dr. Smitka is still my favourite English professor until now. Her teaching style is inspiring and she is always gentle and smiley to her students.