Overall Assessments
Heidi is an exceptional teacher. She is enthusiastic and passionate and has been a superb role model. Her feedback, comments, and care were unrivaled by any other TF or faculty member that I have come across. (History 3920hf, Colloquium on Teaching Practices)
Heidi is an amazing teacher. She has a real knack for teaching in a way that is both incredibly organised and also very dynamic and full of enthusiasm. (History 79i, The History of News, spring 2013)
Heidi Tworek is a wonderful teacher and person. It is clear that she truly cares about the progress of her students and explains things in a very clear, helpful way while still delving into the heart of the material. She is very encouraging and yet she challenges you as well. (History 79i, The History of News)
Such an interesting and inspiring seminar! I highly recommend anyone to take this course--regardless of your academic background. Prof. Tworek is not only extremely knowledgeable about the history of news, but she teaches in such an opening and welcoming environment that allows everyone to contribute to the discussion. You also learn SO much about news that you couldn't have imagined--really, it's a phenomenal course! (History 79i, The History of News)
Heidi was a fantastic section leader, one of the best I've had at Harvard. She is really passionate about the topic, and always very helpful. (SW42, World Wars I and II)
Heidi is an incredible teacher and academic. Her comments and feedback on papers are incisive and detailed. Moreover, she got back to me with e-mails and feedback in an extremely punctual manner (even on Christmas Day, which I felt pretty guilty about). Her feedback was also helpful because throughout the course she aimed to help me improve my writing style and use of evidence so that I can transfer such skills to other disciplines. Her willingness to help and commitment to her students was clear throughout as she even offered to help students with fellowship applications, work entirely unrelated to HSB-54. Altogether, she has a prolific understanding of the discipline, was always available and helpful outside of sections, and really was the decisive factor in making this class rewarding and enjoyable for me. In sections, Heidi really fleshed out the key issues of the class, the readings and broader themes in the class more generally. Thank you, Heidi! I truly enjoyed being in your class. (HSB-54, World War II)
Heidi was a great TF, possibly the best I've had at Harvard, and I really enjoyed being able to work with her this semester. She was definitely the most helpful TF that I have ever had and was always willing to work with me when I needed her to. She made section fun and was able to facilitate conversation well, so section was enjoyable. I have nothing but praise for Heidi. (History 1255, Modern Central Europe)
Teaching and Leading Discussion
The discussions were fantastic and the short assignments were challenging, but flexible and allowed students to explore their own interests within the field of news. There was no sense of searching for the "right" answer, but rather engaging with the material and coming up with new and innovative conclusions. (History 79i, The History of News, spring 2013)
Heidi is excellent when it comes to teaching a subject with so many complexities and nuances attached to it. You can tell she really put great amounts of effort and time to ensure that we learned as much as possible yet still took the time to appreciate the themes and links that emerged throughout the course. She provided an engaging framework for the class and was always welcome to discuss with students outside of the seminar. Overall, she's fantastic! (History 79i, The History of News, fall 2011)
Heidi was my favorite TF this semester. It was obvious that she knew the material and helped draw it out of the students during open discussion. She should be very proud of her work. (HSB-54, World War II)
I really enjoyed attending section; the frequent debates we held in section helped cement my understanding of the material, and provided memorable study aids. Also, Heidi's explanations of the topics were detailed and helped with test prep. (SW42, World Wars I and II)
Interaction with Students
Heidi is a really great instructor - she's extremely passionate about historical research and writing, and very knowledgeable. I can't think of a better person to teach this course, and I always enjoyed attending class. She's also willing to go out of her way to read through thesis drafts and teach students about good research tools (such as Zotero), which I really appreciated. (History 99, Senior Thesis Tutorial)
Heidi was great! I got great feedback and felt that my writing improved a lot. You did a great job integrating the different personalities and writing abilities and making everyone feel comfortable. (History 97, History Sophomore Tutorial)
Heidi was fantastic - she is easily accessible, kind, enthusiastic, and EXTREMELY helpful. Her comments were great, and she went above and beyond to help students out. Great! (History 1968, United Nations: A Global History)
I cannot think of any way in which Heidi could have been a better TF: constantly available, flexible, understanding, etc. (History 1968, United Nations: A Global History)
Heidi is, overall, a very useful asset to the class, and a wonderful example of a technology-savvy academic. 1968 benefited immensely by her presence. (History 1968, United Nations: A Global History)
Grading and Feedback
It was wonderful - and exceptional in the classes I've taken here - to receive such frequent and consistent feedback. (History 79i, The History of News, spring 2013)
Heidi was definitely one of the best history TFs I've had at Harvard. First of all, I don't think I ever got such thorough feedback, so rapidly from any teacher. To have our final exams graded the day after was beyond belief and a sign of the kind of dedication she brought to the class. She was also a very good discussion leader and I always enjoyed our discussions in section. As mentioned before, I also appreciated the fact that she broke down our grades into their different components, both for the final paper and the final grade. This makes the grade much more relevant and useful because it helps us identify areas in which we can improve. (SW11, Germany and the World, 1600-2000)
Heidi has been absolutely amazing! I've learned so much from talking with her, and I've gotten lots of useful feedback on my papers. (History 97, History Sophomore Tutorial)
Heidi was a little tough in terms of grading but we all definitely learned a lot. (History 1255, Modern Central Europe)
Heidi is an excellent teacher, attentive and careful to give detailed and helpful comments. She is also very kind and gentle. (History 3920hf, Colloquium on Teaching Practices)
Leadership and Organizational Skills
Extremely kind and helpful and really knows the thesis-writing process well. A pleasure to have leading the course and does a great job organizing it. (History 99, Senior Thesis Tutorial)
Thanks, Heidi, for organizing it [the History Department Teaching Retreat]. So refreshing to have a wide-ranging discussion about teaching right before the start of the academic year. It generated a lot of buzz. Fantastic! (History Department Teaching Retreat, August 2011)
Heidi, in particular, is an inspirational leader for the department and we are fortunate to have her. (History Department Teaching Retreat, August 2011)
Heidi was an excellent TF, highly organized and effective in her presentations and activities. She was very accessible outside of course hours to respond to our concerns and questions about teaching, and she was very generous with sharing materials and resources that she had previously developed for her own courses. She provided consistently helpful comments on our own performance as measured through teaching practice exercises and group activities. (History 3920hf, Colloquium on Teaching Practices)