Jill Muller

This was the best class I had in years, and it is entirely due to Professor Muller. My words cannot express enough praise. She did a terrific job in getting us interested in the texts, her lectures were incredibly insightful, and she brought the entire class together as one in discussing the texts. I will forever remember Lit Hum with Professor Muller. She is irreplaceable.

Although Prof. Muller may not have published two hundred books, although she may not be among Columbia's famed and elite literati, she is one of the most amazing professors I have ever had. She is not only one of the most helpful professors when it comes to undergraduate writing, she is incredibly approachable and will do anything to ensure that she treats every student in a respectful, intelligent way--something NOT necessarily common in English seminars. She is incredibly nice, incredibly knowledgeable, and incredibly willing to make the seminar what the students want: a fun and intelligent discussion of the plays at hand. She is truly one of Columbia's hidden gems, working daily not only to guarantee a top-notch English Seminar experience, but also to teach in a relaxed, engaging, and not at all pretentious manner. This is truly one of the most rewarding and fun classes and professors you could experience in the Columbia English department.

Professor Muller is one of the finest instructors at Columbia; if you have to take Lit Hum, take it with her and no one else. She is witty, gracious, firm, generous, knowledgeable, personable, and cares deeply about her role as a teacher. She made these texts come alive for me in ways I wouldn't have thought possible, and I cannot wait for the Spring Semester. One of Columbia's finest, bar none. A note on the workload, as long as you've actually done the readings, all the work is relatively easy. She's a tough but very fair grader, so just do you homework and the grade will come.

I found Prof. Muller's summer Dickens course a much-needed respite from monotonous lectures and arbitrary grading standards. She clearly explained her grading criteria, her expectations, and best of all, drew the entire class into detailed discussions of the assigned reading. Speaking of which, for each lecture we were responsible for writing a 1-2page "journal entry." This usually boiled down to a position on some interesting element of the reading, which would then be shared with the class. I found this an excellent method of stimulating discussion with my classmates. Many people, myself included, used one of their journal entries as the basis for the final paper. I highly recommend Prof. Muller as stimulating, thought-provoking, knowledgeable, and very accessible instructor.

This class has changed my life! No kidding. I cannot imagine these readings without Professor Muller's incredible teaching. She loves her job, loves the texts, and loves participating and watching students engage with the material. For me: taught by Prof. Muller, Lit Hum has become the art of exploring the human being through literature. I am planning to read next semester's texts over winter break. What does that tell you? Take her class. Any class she offers. Climb over seventeen of your best friends to do it, without apologizing. If I wasn't so moved by her teaching, I would try to keep her a secret. But it's just not right to do that to the world. Get on board.

I am a senior, graduating in May of 2006. Although I have numerous regrets from my time at Columbia, not taking another class with Professor Muller probably tops the list. Professor Muller is a truly rare teacher, able to actually evoke interest in every student in the class room, while still teaching an interesting and informative class. Assignments were both interesting and relevant, and nearly every lecture was accompanied by handouts associated with that weeks reading. Attending lecture actually increased my understanding of the class readings, as well as providing an overall enjoyable experience. Reviews regarding Lit Hum definitely extend to Dickens! Regardless of your interest in Victorian literature (and you canÂ’t get much less interested than I was before the summer of 2005), this class comes HIGHLY recommended.

I agree with the previous reviewer. Professor Muller was absolutely a delight to have. She always came to class well-prepared, and she taught the class in a way that I found very effective. She usually introduces a work by giving a little bit of background information, but then the rest of the time is structured around a discussion, which she is able to manage well so that it is always interesting and informative, often including her own tidbits here and there. When I first saw the Lit Hum syllabus, I doubted the ability to really analyze so many texts in so short of a time frame. With Professor Muller, however, I always felt as if I walked away from class learning something meaningful. She also is very friendly to the students, and encourages them to announce when they have an event such as a concert or a play. She also looks for (optional) outside of class activities that supplement the reading. As a freshman coming to Columbia and not knowing anyone, I especially appreciated the little things she did to foster friendship among the students as well as her teaching. Overall, Jill Muller is one of the best Lit Hum teachers I think you can get.

What a privilege it has been having Professor Muller as my Lit Hum instructor. Coming to Columbia with virtually no background in the so-called Great Books, Professor Muller immediately put my mind at ease, constantly going out of her way – both in and out of the classroom – to make sure her students left well-versed in the western canon. Professor Muller always came to class prepared with an extensive outline. She would introduce each text with background information that made the oftentimes-extensive reading a breeze. Her lessons were seemingly cumulative in the sense that she always found ways to connect one text with the next, as her students left each class with an expanding repertoire of classics, eventually able to place the works in the context of contemporary western society. Following her introductory lectures, she would let the class loose in a seminar, though always grounding the discussion back to the relevant text, so not to let tangentÂ’s run wild, as can often be in the case in many of my other core classes. I found that because so many of the students in MullerÂ’s class became so comfortable discussing the material in class after only a couple of weeks, many became friendly outside of the classroom – a rare feat at a university oftentimes lacking community. Students learn on the first day what to expect throughout the duration of the course, and Professor M…

I could go on about Professor Muller's erudition, but what I like best about her class is how much she loves teaching it. I am by no means a needy student, but I have to say it is a joy taking a class with someone willing to work for my education. She shares knowledge freely where other professors are greedy. She encourages questions, and is readily available to answer them. She is kind where other professors are impatient. I have learned so much from Professor Muller this year. She lectures only to introduce each text, providing historical context and primary themes, after which the class is run mostly like a seminar. While this format is risky at the introductory level, Muller skillfully manages all discussion, and is always the most active participant among us. Students who blather aimlessly are gracefully reigned in, and students who are on the right track with an idea are always effectively encouraged. As a result, a real sense of community and civil debate has developed in our section over the course of the year. Muller's dedication to office hours is also astonishing. She will actually read an entire paper the day before it is due, thoroughly critique it, and then treat it as brand new the next day when you hand it in. Her margin comments are endless, and they really inspire me to think carefully about my writing, and also about the way that I read. Muller is the best.…

WHAT A GODSEND! Having had Jill Muller for only the second half of LitHum, I can truly say she rescued me from Core Curriculum apathy. Lit Hum went from my least favorite class to one of my favorites. She treats students with dignity and classes are open discussions with just enough structure to prevent wild tangents and rants. Approachable, brilliant, fair grader who goes well out of her way to have extra office hours where you can discuss just about anything. If you get Jill Muller as an instructor, consider it your lucky year.