“Krysten Stein was by far one of the most inspiring professors I was honored to have during my time at UIC. She was a great mentor, as she was sure to always put her students first and made sure that each one of her students got the help they needed. She was very positive and always communicated openly with us on what she expected for our class. What I personally appreciated was her willingness to build relationships with her students outside of the classroom. She was always willing to make time to meet with us one on one or in a group when we had questions or needed help with our work. Whether we needed help with schoolwork, other classes, or just life advice she was always sure to be there for us, guiding us, and giving us confused college student’s advice. Krysten Steins teaching approach was one of the best I’ve seen so far at UIC, and I hope more professors use her approach as it will lead to better relationships with their students now and in the future to come.”
“Ms. Stein is hands-down the best instructor I’ve had the privilege of learning from at UIC. Not only did she teach me how to feel calm when presenting speeches in a communications class, but she also taught me how to be calm in the chaos of life. When I reached out to Ms. Stein for help during a very traumatic time in my life, I was overcome by such a warming feeling of support and care. She helped me through my situation by just being real with me. She is an incredible mentor in the ways that she values mental health, self-care, and advocacy. Ms. Stein offered me her support, while also offering me her kindness and empathy. She helped me stay on top of my schoolwork and responsibilities while I was dealing with my situation. What felt impossible at the time soon became my reality, and I am so thankful that I had Ms. Stein to give me the push I needed. Her hands-on approach and genuine compassion for her students is what sets her apart from the rest. Ms. Stein is a gem, and I am so glad that I got to be both her student and mentee.”
“I was one of the lucky students to be in a communication class taught by Ms. Stein in her first semester as a professor at UIC. It has been by far my favorite class, and it was because Ms. Stein would go beyond, connecting with her students. She learned our names, she would ask us what our thorns and roses were at the beginning of every class, and she made us feel comfortable to reach out to her if we ever needed help with an assignment or simply chat with her. It was a class filled with positivity, super engaging. She made sure we weren’t with the same people all the time. She wanted for all of us to get to know each other, gain different perspectives by occasionally switching seats. Ms. Stein is very dedicated to her work, and that warmth and high energy are what I believe helped the class feel motivated and eager to learn.”
“I’m not trying to sugarcoat anything, but Krysten is one of the most caring teachers/professors I’ve ever had. Some people like to get yelled at so they are motivated to keep pushing, but I appreciate how she cared for each and every one of us in class and was willing to help us whenever we needed it. I will definitely remember the hard work Krysten put into the class for each and every one of us, especially during the pandemic. I really appreciate that. I really couldn’t ask for a better professor. Most teachers were depressing and upset all the time, but Krysten always found a way to keep going and be positive. She helped everyone when they needed it.”
“What helped me most accomplish my goals for this class is most definitely Professor Stein. I have always felt a sense of ease knowing that I have a professor who truly understands my struggles and who can find a way in helping me to improve on the areas I need more support in. Some of the examples is how she recognized that I was a visual learner and was able to root that by creating a visual structure for my speech outlines; since then, I have been utilizing the house outline steps for all my base paragraph structuring. I also cannot thank Professor Stein enough for the endless resources that she provided us with.”
“I really enjoyed taking this class especially with an amazing professor who taught her students valuable skills of communication and presentation. Coming into this class I was nervous to do constant speeches, but Professor Stein was very understanding and believed in her students. I appreciate the feedback that was given in my presentations/speeches and look forward to using all the knowledge I learned in this amazing class onto future courses and in real life situations such as job interviews, and much more. This class taught me how to be confident and strive for my goals no matter the circumstances.”
“Krysten accepts my individuality. She makes me feel very comfortable when asking questions, and increases my self-efficacy as a student. She is very knowledgeable, is very patient, concerned for the students academic well-being, and is a very nice person.”
“I really enjoyed your class. I liked how the projects challenged me to stop and think and to find meaning in things I normally wouldn’t think about.”
“This course was designed to be adaptable and it was evident Professor Stein cared about the well being of the class. This helped the class bond and learn better! The amount of collaboration helped everyone share ideas and tackle theories most of us had not used.”
“I absolutely loved this course and all of the assignments that were included. I would recommend this course to anyone at Loyola because the conversations we had are so important in today’s society.”
“The instructor was an amazing teacher and gave great guidance. I always felt comfortable asking questions and she would give extremely helpful advice. I
especially liked the way she would lay out her assignments and the rubric for it so we knew exactly what she was looking for. Overall she is an amazing professor who every student seems to love.”
“Professor Stein is one of the best people I have ever met. I wish she was teaching next semester. She doesn’t know but she would completely turn an awful day around for
Stein me. She is such a kindhearted woman.”
“I cannot rave more about Professor Stein, she was an incredible teacher who related with the whole class and encouraged us to talk about difficult issues. Her teaching style made the class feel comfortable and willing to participate, she was a fantastic teacher!”
“Professor Stein catered to her students needs and was clear about her expectations for the class. She was a great professor and someone I would love to have again!”
“I loved Krysten. I found her extremely knowledgeable, compassionate, accessible, and kind. I would absolutely take one of her classes again.”
“I love this instructor so much and I would take any of her classes. She was very effective and a great leader for the hard conversations we had.”
“Krysten has already said that shes not going to be teaching for the spring semester, but if you have the chance to get her again in the future, DO SO. She was incredible. Available, kind, understanding, flexible, respectful, a fantastic teacher, and always willing to go the extra step for us. I really, really enjoyed having her as a professor.”
“When I first decided on taking Communication 100, I was a bit skeptical about whether I’ll be able to cope with the course or not. Being an international student from India, where English is not spoken that widely, I was scared to compete with students whose native language was English. But then I thought to myself, isn’t my core reason to take this class is to gain confidence in public speaking. Fortunately, I did register for this course, and I cannot be happier with my decision. I remember on the first day of classes, in the morning, I cried because of being overwhelmed with the new education system of the United States as compared to the one in my native country, but when I attended COMM 100’s introduction class in the afternoon, I was relieved. The introduction games and activities which the Professor conducted, helped a lot in lifting my mood and making me adjust to the new environment. I remember calling my mom afterward and telling her that this class was by far my favorite.”
“At the very beginning of this course, I knew nothing about the organization of the speech. Due to this, my self-introduction speech was not that good. But then, I had a zoom meeting with the professor, in which she explained to me in-depth about how to build your speech. She told me to compare my speech to the structure of a house. She further explained that the introduction of a speech needs to be solid as the foundation of a house, the body should act as the middle of the house, where everyone lives and where all the action takes place, and finally, the conclusion should finish the speech with a bang, as an icing on a cake, strong like the roof of a house. Comparing the speech with such an easy structure, helped me a lot to understand it more precisely. With more practice and usage, I was finally able to crack the code of how the organization should be in a speech. I was then able to use an appropriate pattern of organization for the given topics. Now, I can definitely say that I know how to organize a speech from scratch.”
“When I first stepped into this class, I had the worst anxiety knowing I was about to start my first class of public speaking. I was genuinely terrified waiting for the announcement of the first speech. Little did I know that I would soon enjoy this class, making it one of my favorite classes I have taken here at UIC. Being able to learn from you, was probably the highlight of my college experience because I knew I was learning about things that are useful in the real world. I wanted to thank you for having such an amazing atmosphere that allowed me to work on the fear I have had for so many years. This class has helped build my confidence and allowed me to understand what I really wanted, which was to become a nurse. So thank you so much for this class atmosphere, Professor Stein. I am thankful that I was able to take this class with you!”
“Professor Stein, it was such a pleasure being in your class. You really helped develop one of the best class atmospheres in my college career. It was such a safe space that was simultaneously academically stimulating. I will be mentioning that in my course review!”
“Professor Stein is a very comforting person to speak to and she does a really good job of making each and every student feel comfortable with their speech and she is always sure to let everyone know that they did a great job. She was also a big factor of my success as opposed to if I had a mean professor who made everyone nervous. I thank Professor Stein for playing a big part in helping not just me, but everyone else in the class in being more confident and comfortable giving speeches.”
“Throughout this semester I became a way stronger public speaker and I owe it all
to this class. This class helped me in every aspect I needed help in and Professor Stein
was definitely the nicest, most helpful, and most understanding professor I have had this semester and I thank her a lot for all she did in the past few months. I hope to carry these skills through my other classes and presentations and I will always look back and
remember what I learned from this class.”
“Thank you for everything you’ve taught me this semester. I took this course thinking it would be easy since I know pop culture. However, it was challenging in the best way possible. I feel like I’ve become a better writer, and my mind has been open to a variety of different topics. Thank you so much! I hope we cross paths again in the future as I will definitely be looking for your name in my future classes!”
“Please find attached my final paper for this course. Thank you for your guidance and constructive criticism. I enjoyed this course; it was both fun and eye-opening and challenged me to think deeper. I look forward to your comments.”
“Professor Krysten was a big help with improving my communication apprehension and confidence. She gave my peers and I the reassurance and patience we needed to gain confidence in our speeches. I really appreciate that of her and for this class. This class was a great opportunity and experience to help me gain communication skills as a business major. I would recommend this class to anyone who wants to get over their speech anxiety.”
“Krysten was extremely satisfying as an instructor for this course and I absolutely recommend her to anyone deciding in taking COMM 100. Her method of teaching the class, being extremely clear and concise in the material that was due as well as sending reminder emails was extremely welcome in the course. Her outgoing and welcoming attitude allowed for open conversations in the class that made everyone feel comfortable. She was very accommodating with technical issues or general life issues as long as she was contacted beforehand.”
“You could tell how much Professor Stein cares about her students and wants them to succeed. The meetings we had in-person were great as they cleared up any issues or questions I had and helped me put together better speeches.”
“Overall, I started off this semester really intimidated by this class but I really appreciate that I was able to take this class because I learned a lot about public speaking and became more comfortable with it. I would also like to give a big thank you to professor Krysten for being such a good professor and listener, and for ensuring that my classmates and I felt comfortable in her class every time.”
“Krysten is absolutely wonderful. She has helped everything go smoothly and being an online student I really appreciate that. She always responds to my emails quickly, sometimes in just minutes. She checks up to see how I’m doing and is always a wealth of knowledge. I couldn’t be happier! I can’t stress enough how helpful and pleasant she is to work with. The best for sure.”
“Ms. Stein is one of the better teachers that I have come across in my University experience. Her ability to relate and communicate to her students is incredible. She created a comfortable environment where everyone felt welcome and free to be themselves.”
“The course was very well planned out. I really enjoyed this class, and it was definitely my most looked forward to class of the week. Krysten has been the best teacher that I have interacted with so far! She is always so fun and up beat it makes me want to come to class! Also the material in the book is very plainly put and easy to understand. I have learned a TON about writing outlines and giving speeches that I never knew before taking this course.”
“Krysten is a great teacher. She came to class everyday with a smile and was enthusiastic about EVEYRTHING! Having such an enthusiastic teacher made me enthusiastic about the course. Public speaking is such a big fear of so many people and to have a teacher actually get the class about speaking is amazing! I loved this class and Professor Stein. I especially enjoyed how she showed a lot of YouTube videos to help us see what our speeches should be like.”
“I really benefited from Krysten’s enthusiasm and willingness to go over things a million times if it meant it would help us understand something better. She was very patient, understanding, thorough, and effective in teaching.”
“What I really think helped me a lot was the professor herself, the way she was calming some of us when we had to present and boosting our confidence was so helpful! I cant imagine having another professor. It would definitely been different than it was. Also the amount of effort she puts into her students and help she gives is the most helpful thing. I remember that I was struggling in organizing my ideas for the informative speech and she was helping me from the start till finish and I ended up with a great expression after our meeting and was happy to present the speech.”
“Krysten is AMAZING! She is honestly a fantastic teacher. I wish that I could have her for my persuasive speaking class. I really appreciate her for making the environment in the classroom comfortable, because I believe it’s pretty apparent that public speaking isn’t exactly a comfortable thing to do. Although in this class I have never had such an easy and comfortable time giving speeches. She also puts A LOT of feedback on our outlines which I definitely appreciate. I loved this class!
“Professor Stein was extremely kind and helpful through all of the assignments and all of the classes. She kept it professional but related to all of us at the same time and made the class fun and interesting. I could tell she actually cared about her students succeeding.”
“Krysten was a great teacher! She was not easy, but she had a connection with students that made them want to come to class and learn. I would recommend her for teaching the public speaking course any day. She made us as students relax to the pressure of a speech class which seems to be one of the biggest fears of most college students.”
“Good Evening Professor Stein, I am reaching out to you because I wanted to express my greatest thanks for you being an amazing professor. There are not many professors who show their personality with the class, and I appreciate how you feel comfortable expressing yourself in any way as this brings comfortability in the class environment. I am not sure if you have noticed, but as this semester progresses more people volunteer in answering questions, and it’s due to the positive environment and energy you bring into the classroom. Please continue doing so!”
“The video examples and outline templates were relatively helpful for me to work on the speeches. I also like how we discuss as a class about the next required speech, and what needs improvement for better performance next time.”
“Professor Stein was effective in communication with students and was attentive to their needs (fast and responsive emails). Class discussions were fun and the atmosphere of the classroom was enough to brighten my day.”
“This course did an excellent job of approaching the topic of Popular Culture and Mediated Texts. Allowing students to first learn about critique perspectives from the textbook, then providing students with additional, more topical texts. Additionally, the assignments were focused on students’ own, personal perspectives, which I think was a great way to introduce and analyze this topic.”
“I liked the layout and the flexibility of this course. I especially liked the feedback from Professor Stein in her emails with thorough explanations and advice for making assignments and or questions understandable.”
“Ms. Stein was incredibly helpful. She offered great feedback on projects and was open to answer any questions. It was clear what she expected out of students throughout the course and was more than fair when grading assignments. I will absolutely recommend this course and instructor to my classmates as I learned way more than I expected too.”
“Rubrics were well laid out and made the expectations of the students very clear. The examples as well were nice to see as well. Krysten also provided excellent reading sources both from the textbook as well as additional sources. She gave enough time on all assignments so students didn’t feel rushed to complete assignments, and there were no overlap between assignments.”
“One thing I enjoyed about this class was the creativity involved in the assignments. As a participant, I needed to think critically but also needed to use critical thinking skills to complete the coursework.”
“I loved this course and Professor Stein! I have had her before for an online class and since that experience was so great, I chose to take this course.”
“I love the amazing energy brought into the class, and you can tell Professor Stein truly cares about her students, which helped us to improve tremendously.”
“Something that was beneficial in this course was the flexibility of Professor Stein. She understood when we were being overworked in the semester and would show that she cared.”
“All in all, what I found to have helped me most to accomplish my goals for this class was
Professor Stein. The way she taught the class helped me feel more engaged and she would give different examples and show videos of speeches. She helped us understand that it was okay to have weaknesses in certain areas while also showing us solutions such as taking deep breaths and constantly practicing. Additionally, every time we made a mistake while presenting our speech, she would assure us that it was okay and to keep going.”
“I found it to be extremely beneficial the energy that Krysten brought to the class each and every morning. Her passion and energy in the classroom encouraged me to actively participate in the class. I wasn’t too enthused about taking this course in the beginning, but Professor Stein quickly changed that and this became one of my favorite courses.”
“Whenever I finished writing the outline for my presentation, it gave me a boost of confidence because the process made me understand how I was going to deliver the presentation. Second, the encouragement from the professor helped me feel comfortable and confident. I can clearly remember every time we finished a presentation, the professor would say, “Okay, you did it.” And then we would cheer together. Such a process made me feel empowered and enthusiastic. She said what I wanted to say in my heart the most.”
“I really liked the presentation slides, especially because they would outline the important components that needed to be included in our speeches and in general, important communication concepts. Professor Stein was really sweet and would be willing to meet with you if you needed help with your speech or needed clarification. She gave constructive feedback and always pushed us to do our best.”
“Loved the presentations/lectures. Krysten was very good at keeping people engaged with the course content and always stopped to make sure everybody understood the material. It was also always very helpful that she made it clear what was expected of us, which helped with doing assignments. She also took a lot of time to help explain the speech assignments individually to those who needed it.”
“Krysten is a great person and a great teacher. She offers support and explanations for all the content in the course. Not only that, but she was very direct with the grades we received which helped us improve as speakers and students.”
KRYSTEN STEIN 