Comments:2310 - I truly do not understand how this woman could have bad reviews on here. I came into this class a little nervous because everyone seemed to have such mixed opinions, but I LOVE her. Sure there is quite a bit of reading (I'm gonna be honest I spark noted half of it and was fine) but the reading quizzes are open book and super easy. If you miss something you can talk to her after class and she will give you the point back, she just wants to know that you're doing the reading. You have one big paper (class average was a 90) and a midterm where you write two essays and get the prompts beforehand and get to use a notecard. Expect a lot of in-class discussion but truly she's so easy, take her!!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2310 & 2301 - DR. JORTNER IS THE BEST! She is so sweet and encouraging! She wants to see her students do well. She sent us the essay questions that were going to be on the final. Her quizzes are open book and you can use your notes. They are doable as long as you read, and she will usually give missed points back if you talk to her after class because she just wants to see that you read. She also posts the lecture slides with audio of her explaining everything. I highly recommend using these to study for the midterm and final. SHE IS SPECTACULAR!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:brit lit - Jortner is the best. She is a bit strict on grading but she is fair. She is very helpful and emails to check up on students. Her class is very engaging.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2310 - She is highly passive-aggressive. She made fun of disabled people (specifically people with a missing limb) during an entire class because she thought it was funny, even though nobody was really laughing. Highly insensitive. Also, very difficult exams.  - Grade In Class:C+

Comments:ENG 2310 - Do not be fooled by some of these other posts. Her midterm and final are difficult. She expects you to match random words that have no meaning on the stories (and probably appear once during those stories) to one of 20 stories you read for that exam. She is a very very harsh grader when it comes to the essays on those exams as well. I put in much more work for this class, yet it was by far my worst grade so far at Baylor.  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:2310 - I really loved this class! Dr. Jortner is very sweet and makes a point to know everyone's names to greet students. She also responds to emails so fast. Expect a lot of in-class discussion. There are daily reading quizzes over the reading assignments that are very easy if you simply complete the reading. Midterm and final were just essays. Write more rather than less.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2310 - Best American Lit professor ever. Dr. Jortner created great discussions in her class and always brought so much excitement to the text. She was always in such a great mood everyday and would get so excited when we brought our own opinions to the readings. The workload is not bad at all with a quiz almost every class. The final, midterm, and paper were also very doable and if you put in effort you will make a good grade on them. Could not recommend taking this class more!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2301 - Dr. Jortners class is fairly easy to get an A in as long as you do the work and pay attention. However, if you're taking this class and love literature do NOT take this class. Dr. Jorter was very nice and all, but she really pushed her opinions on the literature and if you voiced your opinion in a discussion or essay she didn't like it.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2301 - Super easy class, we legit barely do anything. She also gives mental health days which is awesome. Super easy class.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:3306 - I do not even know where to begin, however to be blunt do not take this professor. In addition to the workload being overwhelming, this professor is one of the rudest individuals I have ever met. She grades writing subjectively rather than objectively. If she does not like the premise of your story, good luck. I never thought I would encounter a passive aggressive professor, but here we are. From the first day of class she will pick favorites. She will praise her favorite students ad nauseam, then tear everyone else apart with her catty comments and condescending tone. This course should encourage students to embrace the craft and bring out creativity, however several other students and I began second guessing our abilities. I usually look forward to reading my professors remarks, but in this case I dreaded it. She attacks the concepts, ideas, and imagination of students if they do not fall in line with what she believes is the "ideal" storyline. If you are looking for an elective try topics in literature ENG.3378. It is actually fun!  - Grade In Class:DROP

Comments:2301 - Dr. Jortner is seriously amazing. She is very kind and helpful. I loved the readings that we did! It's a very easy class overall - and fun. Take her! I promise you won't regret it.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2301 - I'm a STEM major, so I wasn't really looking forward to this course. However, I am glad to say that the readings that Dr. Jortner assigned us were actually pretty darn amazing. I never read fiction books in my spare time, so I was surprised that most of the readings were very interesting and memorable (except the poems, I hate poetry). This class was asynchronous online and very straightforward. Every Tuesday and Thursday there is a module that usually consists of the same things: A quiz, one short answer question, and a PowerPoint of Dr. Jortner explaining the reading. There are a few discussion posts you have to do throughout the semester, but they are easy and simple. Jortner also grades the short answer questions very easily; As long as you put a thoughtful answer and follow the prompt, you shouldn't have trouble getting 10/10s on all of them. The quizzes were not too bad, but sometimes they were weirdly detailed about insignificant things from the book, but overall they were easily doable. Each quiz is 10 questions and you have 10 minutes. Lastly, there is a midterm and final which consists of a few essays. Because the course is asynchronous, you shouldn't have trouble getting the essays turned in on time since you have a couple of days to do them. Overall, Jortner made this course enjoyable, even for a STEM nerd like me. Readings are average and aren't too bad compared to other profs. Expect maybe about 30-40 pages on average every class. Poetry modules will of course have way less reading, while the modules for the larger novels will consist of a dense 80-110 pages of reading every class. My best advice, just try to have fun with it and DO NOT PROCRASTINATE WITH THE READINGS OR THEY WILL OVERWHELM YOU! Overall, an A isn't too hard to get.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2310 - American Lit- I enjoyed the stories we read for class. Most of them were pretty interesting. Dr. Jortner tends to be kind of animated and relate the characters to the class. Her in class notes were very helpful for understanding and for study for the midterm and final. There is generally a quiz every class, but they should be easy if you read the assignment. You have to write two response papers throughout the semester and the midterm and final consist of a few essays to be written in the class time. She really doesn't grade them too harshly. I did dislike how she felt like her interpretation of a story was the only correct one. I have never had a professor like this before. Like others have said, she can be passive agressive, but it is not a constant issue. You be fine if you take her, but a different professor may be a more pleasant experience.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2310 - I think that Dr. Jortner means well but she is so passive-aggressive. She has an attitude and is often very demeaning if you don't agree with her opinion on a story. Considering it is English that can be discouraging because her interpretation isn't deemed correct just because she believes it. You will have a quiz every class, they aren't terrible but weirdly detailed. Her notes in class help you understand the story pretty well and you only have two essays throughout the semester. She isn't that hard but pretty unpleasant. If you miss and need to go to her office hours she makes it difficult and has a pretty bad attitude about it. The class is not that hard and she teaches well, but if you want a pleasant professor-student experience might want to look somewhere else.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:ENG 2304 - American Lit - I took this class over the summer so I don't know how much that changes things. But this class was super easy, I put very little effort in it and made an A. There is a lot of reading every night and a daily quiz, but the reading is normally pretty engaging so it is not bad. The only papers are two short essays. There are also two exams and both consist entirely of writing prompts, and this is where you use the notes from class. Dr. Jortner can be a bit passive aggressive but she is very helpful and kind if you are uncertain about things.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:creative writng - I love Dr. Jortner she is an excellent professor. She was very supportive in our creative writing class and really pushed us out of our comfort zone. Though I do agree with others she can be passive aggressive and really wants everything done a certain way. But if you explain to her your creative voice or writing technique and give her a different perspective she can be more understanding with your writing. I also had her for brit lit and she just made the class really fun. I enjoy her not only as a person but as a professor as well. She's very supportive and at the end of creative writing was even encouraging us to publish our work, that's how much she believed in us.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:Brit Lit - Dr.Jortner is a wonderful professor and made this class so interesting. She makes even the most boring texts exciting! If you just read you will do well on the daily quizzes and these will be a grade booster. We had one midterm and a final. Both are just a few essay questions. Pay attention in class, read the texts, study the writing prompts and main themes and you should do well. You will also have write two response papers outside of class. She is a pretty easy grader. Definitely take Dr.Jortner!!!!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:Brit Lit - I would recommend taking Dr. Jortner for Brit lit. Your grade consists of daily quizzes, two reading responses, a midterm, and a final. The daily quizzes were pretty easy and the reading responses don't have to be very long which is nice. She also grades pretty easily on them. The midterm and final are the same format and are made up of 3 essay sections. If you study the writing prompts and the big ideas she emphasizes in class they won't be hard. Overall, she is a very nice and the class is not that difficult.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2301 - Dr. Jortner takes a very difficult class and makes it very manageable. If you read the assigned readings and come to class it’s a very easy A. Taking her for American Lit as well  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2304 - Dr. Jortner is a very kind and passionate lady when it comes to American Literature and she is very knowledgeable when it comes to the material. However, please keep in mind that while she is a kind and sweet lady, her grading system completely sucks. You will have quizzes every class and those equal 200 points and sometimes they are way more ridiculous than they need to be. You have to be actually present in class otherwise you will get a zero and yes those grades do add up. That is why I never skipped a class and no you can\'t just show up to take the quiz and leave because she will not count it. Your exams are 200 points as well and there is a mid-term and final exam which I will say is manageable so long as you know the books you read. Finally, you have response papers which are 100 points and you have to write two of them. She can be a harsh grader with these response papers so I urge you if you are going to take her that you do them ahead of time and have her critique them for a higher grade. I had her T/TR and yes you are expected to participate the whole time but there is absolutely no participation points part of the grading scale..... Trust me this class can get long and you will be in there the whole entire time. I am not writing this review so you avoid her because I genuinely did enjoy her class but I want to warn those that her class is not a blow off course and that you are expected to work.  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:2304 - Dr. Jortner is very nice and her class is very low-stress. There's a short quiz at the start of every class of the reading for the day. There are only two essays and you can pick your topic and they're pretty simple. The only tests are the midterm and final and it's just two essays about everything you've read. As long as you actually read the stories and just complete the assignments, you will get an A/B in the class. I'm a science major and I don't like writing, but I thought this class was easy.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2304 - Dr. Jortner is a nice professor. She cares for her students, but there is a TON of reading and you CANNOT fall behind. She gives daily quizzes on the literary works, which can be tiring to take and means you can't slack off on reading. There is only a midterm and final exam so that's not bad. The quizzes were MC and/or analyzing quotes from the works. The exams were short answer and essays. She also has two response papers that you have to do - one before the midterm and one after the midterm. The response papers are not that bad because they are only 2 pages, but I suggest not waiting til the last minute because she grades a little more harsher when you wait. She really does not like to waste class time so when you're in class...participate and put in effort or sit in the back because she will notice. Overall, I liked her class, but it was definitely more work than I wanted to put into an english class.  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:1302 - She seems so nice at first, but it's a lie! She is passive aggressive, puts people down, awful teacher, not helpful, only likes the kids who suck up, and is just mean. AVOID AVOID AVOID  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:2304 - Professor Jortner is a wonderful teacher! She is very passionate about what she teaches and gives you good outlines in class to take notes on during discussion. The tests cover things discussed in class so make sure to take good notes! If you take thorough notes and review them well, you will do well on the tests. Most of the readings are interesting and easy to comprehend.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2304 - American Lit- I am an engineering major and decided to take Dr. Jortner over the summer to catch up with all the classes that Baylor makes us take. I would highly recommend her if you are not an English major. It is true that she is very close minded when it comes to interpretations of the reading, but she makes up for it with how sweet and caring she is toward her students. On our last day of class she brought us donuts and thanked us for sticking through her class. Tests are easy if you show up to class and take notes. Most importantly write as much as possible on the tests if you want an A. She doesn't give out 100's, which kind of sucks, but if you show her and give her hard work she will reward you. Definitely recommend her  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2304 - She's ridiculously sweet and reasonable. No long papers to write. Almost daily quizzes with bonus questions for cushion. Heavily based on class discussion which normally gives me anxiety but it is actually not bad at all. She's super passionate and energetic and you'll see what I mean if you decide to take her. A bit of writing for assignments and exams but again, not bad all.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:Thinking & Writing - This class isn't bad, but also not the best thing ever. She assigns readings almost every night and the quizzes are very easy take home. She grades the essays pretty hard though. In the very beginning of the semester, she told us that its basically impossible to make an A on one of her essays, so theres that. She gives you a lot of freedom on what you can write about though, which I appreciate. Her class is very heavily discussion based- you'll read an essay or short story or poem, and then turn to the people next to you and discuss it, then discuss your "group"s thoughts to the class. I personally really don't like this, but I guess it depends on the kind of person you are. I'd rather stay to myself in class. In terms of her as a person, she comes across super enthusiastic and perky, but I've come to find that she's actually very condescending in the way she talks to her students. She's not a bad option for a teacher, but definitely not one of the best in the department.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2301 - I am a senior economics major, and I took this course over the summer. When I walked into class the first day I remember nothing more apart from how friendly and enthusiastic Dr. Jortner was. She understood that there was a lot of reading to be done, and that time was needed in order to come to an in depth and critical analysis of the readings. If you read you could participate, you could speak about the readings, you could write about the readings. Let me add that I read every word of every assigned reading, except one short story, "The Dead", by James Joyce. I can tell you that all of the readings chosen were engaging and specifically thought out in a manner that would take the student on an historic journey of British traditions and culture through the medium of it's literature. I would say that she had a very thoughtful and organized pedagogy throughout the entirety of the course. After one of the quizzes she had a question about one of my answers and I later received full credit after explaining exactly what I wrote down. I found her nothing but absolutely fair in her grading, and I have a feeling that if a student had a bad grade in this class and complained about her that it was simply because that particular student didn't do the reading necessary to write out the correct answer to her questions. Her questions were obviously not designed to trick you, they were to see whether or not you simply read what she assigned. Tests worked exactly the same way. In class she gave us some time to discuss our thoughts with fellow classmates. She was nothing but respectful to every soul in that class, and I find it hard to believe that she would make anybody feel that way (like in some of the reviews below). I found her class to be one of the most enjoyable that I have had at Baylor, and I feel that the last couple of students to have commented are just bitter and are not fairly rating her. I would recommend her hands down to anybody that asks. She is one of the most fair, respectful, and understanding professors at Baylor. As far as I am concerned, she has a wonderful taste and understanding of literature, and I feel that any student would only be so lucky to have her as a professor.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:1302 - Dr. Jortner is a very nice lady, but she is a terrible teacher. All she does is read papers that she hands out to the class and read the book assignments, so theres really no point in doing them anyway. The quizzes are easy (there are 10) and she grades the essays horribly. I am not a great writer to begin with, but I was making B+ on the first couple essays, then after one bad meeting with her to talk bout my essay I got Cs on the rest of them. I do not like the way this lady teaches or grades essays. There is a lot of things she corrects on essays that make no sense and are pointless.  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:1302 - Jortner is.. Lets just say I USED to love English before her class. For an English professor she is very closed minded. She shot down almost every single one of my ideas and esentially ended up writing each and every one of my essays. I don't feel like I had any control or freedom to express myself because I was always worried about whether she would like my topic/ideas/etc. Workload is not heavy at all, she gives take home quizzes which you can complete in about 10 minutes without actually having to read the assigned chapter. That being said, quizzes dont even help your grade lol maybe they will increase your grade around ~1 point? The way she calculates grades is beyond unecessary. I have no idea what I have in the class right now but I am afraid that it might be an A- (since she requires a 93 for an A but refuses to give more than a 95 on assignemnts... LOL). She is so rude and fake (NOT sweet at all). During the third unit she even laughed and cringed as I was reading my essay to her during her "mandatory meetings". She will shut you down so fast if she does not agree with you and will be super quick to twist your words and put words in your mouth. She is super sensitive so be very careful not to offend her because your grade will go down the drain if you do. Overall Maura is the most childish and annoying professor I have ever encountered. At this point I just hope to achieve my desired grade and move on with my life. Anyways, I didn't learn a single thing from this class and I actually feel like I have regressed instead of improved my writing skills (probably due to the trauma her bullying has caused). Don't take her unless you REALLY have to.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2301 - British Literature: I am not bragging I'm just going to preface this by saying I have a 3.8 GPA in Economics and I have recently been accepted into Georgetown law school dispite this course (miraculously). Dr. Jourtner is the type of professor who only wants to you to regurgitate her arguments back to her on tests and papers, if you are the type of person who is used to fair and impartial grading look for a professor elsewhere. This professor does not care about you or your grade reguardless if you see her in her office or try to work out mistakes made in her class. She plays favorites like its her job and if you fall out of her good graces you will not survive. I have never in my life received under an A- on a paper until this class where it was a constant stream of C's or worse. Surly the english facility at Baylor did not prepare me this poorly. I would attempt to discuss grades in her office and I was constantly rebuffed and told "it's not going to change anything if you come." If you are looking for an easy A my advice is to write down everything she says and do not divert from your notes as if your life depends on it. I'm upset but I hope that what I write here will save another student the heartache semester that I have just had. FOR ALL THAT IS GOOD DO NOT TAKE JOURTNER FOR BRIT LIT. There is no reason why a student concerned with their academic well-being should be subject to this professor. Just take someone else, it's not fair that you have no shot if she doesn't like you. Maybe one day Baylor will get rid of her but watch out for now.  - Grade In Class:C

Comments:1302 - Overall, Dr. Jortner's 1302 class is a breeze. She made our quizzes take home each week and each essay was relatively easy. However, she has two sides to her. She can be overly nice in class to her students, but if she doesn't agree with your essay topic or what you're saying, she completely shuts you down. Dr. Jortner has made rude comments about my papers and has no filter. She comes across as a nice lady, which sometimes she is, but she can be very rude and fake. Her class itself is easy, but Dr. Jortner has not been my favorite professor.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:1302 - Professor Jortner is so sweet and an awesome teacher.. I highly recommend her!! The work load is not bad and she is so understanding and her class is actually pretty fun!! She has two young kids so she is very motherly and caring. She can be sarcastic but it is in a funny way. If you take her, you will love her!  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:1302 - Take her if you can. The reason her classes fill up is because she has a reputation of being an "easy grader." This is not necessarily true. She graded very fairly and after looking back at my papers I understand why they ranged from (85-97). Any student that got less than a B in her class obviously didnt try hard enough.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2301 - Dr. Jortner was friendly, engaging, and cared about her students. There was a quiz every single day, the exams always seemed to take most students longer than the class period, and at least for me it was hard to write about what she was specifically looking for. Nice lady, I probably should\'ve studied more for her course although I wasn\'t expecting something this hard for a class that\'s not in my major.  - Grade In Class:D

Comments:Thinking and Writing - Dr. Jortner is probably the sweetest professor I've ever had. She is so kind and her class is very relaxed. She loves fun activities involving groups, and often organizes competitions with prizes. She quizzes over the reading 1-2 times a week and is overly nice if you need another day to turn in an essay. My only complaint, which actually affected me the most, is she is a very hard grader. She upfront says she does not give As often, which is frustrating. It's really just luck whether you'll make an A- or a B+ on an essay. She often gives B+ but never really explains what you did wrong, making it difficult to know how to improve. For grades such as "preparation work" she will give a B+ with no further explanation almost every time. She is very kind, explains carefully, and wants the best for her students, but will rarely give an A.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:2304 - One of the nicest professors I've had at Baylor and a fairly easy course (decent amount of reading, but not too bad). Dr. Jortner is extremely sweet and helpful. Participate in class discussion and you will get so much more out of the class.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:Brit Lit - Dr. Jortner is great. I was having trouble in the class and she told me I could come any time and should we go through each reading assignment with me. She went through line by line and explained what I did not understand. She loves what she is teaching and it shows. The class is very discussion based but she is a fair grader and will help you understand what she is looking for on the tests. All Lit classes are a lot of work, but she is one of the better professors for sure. Take her!  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:1302 - 1302- I can honestly say I haven't heard of a better 1302 English teacher! She is possibly the sweetest person I have ever met. She has little girls so she has the mom-ish feeling and is always kind. She makes class actually entertaining and I felt like she wanted us to all know each other too. Great teacher, easy workload, understanding and easy to get in contact with.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:1302 - I should have gotten AP credit for Thinking and Writing so I though 1302 would be a piece of cake and boring. It was pretty easy, but definitely not boring! Dr. Jortner gets really excited about English and it shows! Four essays and a multimedia project comprise your grade. She gives almost no weight to the departmental final.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2304 - Great Teacher!! She is a very nice lady, but you have to do the readings or there is no mercy. She doesn't let you slide just because she likes you. So either do allll the reading or take another class.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:1302 - Oh man, so much to say about this lady. First assignment was a descriptive essay. I took a creative/poetic spin on it and it was an incredible piece of writing. I wrote it a week in advance, had 3 english majors read/edit it, they told me I should be an english major. Jortner gave me an 80 on it. An english major informed me that she likes essays that are verrrrry basically formulated aka a piece of bland cardboard essay. For the next essay and all that followed, I wrote each in 1 night and didn't add any excitement or special spins. and I got no less than 95's on them. Just keep in mind that she is alarmingly unintelligent, don't try to add anything fancy to make your essays stand out or be above high school level, she won't understand it and will thus lower your grade. She's sweet, it's an easy A, and is a nice & easy class to sit in on 3 times a week.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:ENG1302 - Dr.Jortner is very helpful to us.Her class is very interesting.I am an exchange student from other country.Her class made me love English.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:2301 - I absolutely love this class. The books she assigned to read were interesting and class discussion was always entertaining and informative to listen to. She's talented at leading discussion and her daily quizzes are easy if you half-pay attention while you read. It's a pointless class if you don't read the books but if you don't mind reading (and the books are interesting, I promise), then it's really enjoyable. She's creative, fun to listen to and I would recommend her to anyone.   - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2304 - Nothing I say about Dr. Jortner will be original. Sweet, funny, good taste in books, easy grader on the quizzes. Just take her!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:1302 - She's a GREAT teacher. Not only will you learn a lot, but the class is pretty easy. In the beginning of the semester she might give some homework but by 1 month in, she stops. She's also by far the nicest prof i've ever had. She's really understanding about attendance issues. She also lets you rewrite papers. TAKE THIS PROFESSOR!!!!   - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:2301 - There is a lot of reading but she does an amazing job making the stuff interesting. she runs through background and history and will never test over it. with that said, her lectures are still interesting. hard to understand what she wants from your essays at first but the entire grade doesn't really come into shape until the last two weeks of her class with the major research report and final exam. quizzes are simple. she just wants you to enjoy the material.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2301 - She's really nice, and is very enthusiastic. She loves what she's teaching about and tries to make class interesting. There's quizzes over the reading almost every time but she's really understanding if you didn't read and if she can tell that you read but you didn't get all the questions right she'll still give you full credit. Response essays over every three books are super easy and then a research paper. Lots of reading but pretty interesting reading :). I enjoyed her class. I highly recommend her.  - Grade In Class:B