Katie Kahn - Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

Professor: Katie Kahn

Department: Fine Arts

College: Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ARTS321
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Avoid if you can. She takes attendance into account of your final grade. Doesn't give any feedback. Bit of a flake. No structure to the class at all. No syllabus. Very nice teacher but doesn't actually help you improve your skills.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ARTS321
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

She is kind person but she is scatter brained. She constantly changes her mind on projects so you never really know what is going to happen in class. Critiques are very long, she talks for most of it. I like that is open minded and is willing to work with you if you are struggling. You never really know your grade in class until the end.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ARTS421
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Katie is a great mentor and critical thinker. Not for everyone, but if you are open minded she will be an asset.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ARTS323
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

She's easily the flightiest and most unorganized professor I've ever had, but she's also passionate and open-minded. If your advanced and looking for feedback she's a great professor for you so long as you're willing to do legwork in tracking her down, but if you're a beginner looking for how-to's you're probably going to feel pretty abandoned.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ARTS323
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

She will waste studio time talking but still manage to not say anything at all. She waste time because of pointless stories and drowned out lectures about nothing on topic. She is super unorganized and constantly late to class(like hour to two hours late). If you have the option to take some one else I would do it.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ARTS323
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Katie is awesome. I was really struggling with some health stuff and she was amazingly understanding. She definitely is a great instructor- I actually really enjoy painting.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ARTS323
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

ok... at first i was excited about the class... now I cant wait for the semester to end so i can get the heck out! she talks WAY TOO MUCH. it takes her over an hour to get to the point... and i can basically say the same thing in 3 sentences. shes always late to class. she speaks in riddles, and this class is not commuter friendly... at all.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ARTS323
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Nice person, knows a lot about painting, very encouraging, but does not give clear feedback&is extremely unorganized.Uses complex and massive explanations to "teach" about why a painting is good, yet she has not taught me much because she is never in class. She didn't gave a syllabus & therefore everyone was always confused as to what she expected.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ARTS421
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

So great. For advanced painting students, I would find it hard to imagine a better professor than Katie. Very intelligent woman who has the openness and appreciation/excitability of a child with the intellectual complexity and wisdom of a Yale grad. She will help guide you nonforcibly and genuinely care about what youre doing if you genuinely care.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ARTS325
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Katy is an authentic model for how an artist and creative mind functions. Yes, she will change her mind when inspired , will have you attend visiting artist lectures, and expect you to paint out of class. All to better ones understanding of how a painter needs to think and function in the contemporary fine art world, and she sincerely cares.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ARTS333
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Prof Kahn is a well qualified professor with poor teaching abilities. She is hardly ever present for class, and gives extremely unclear advice. She instead will use haughty language and then totally forget that she's talking to you. Her class is a very easy A, but you won't learn any critical painting skills with Kahn.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ARTS324
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

She's a beautiful person. I'll admit I couldn't follow her at first. Then I realized that's not how she works. I learned so much from her. Just talk to her. She's so passionate about painting. She'll guide you to your place in the art world.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ARTS323
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

shes a nice lady, but she took us out if class for lectures that had nothing to do with painting so we were going to these more than painting and when we did paint she was nowhere to be found...out talking to another teacher somewhere. now don't get me wrong i loved the lectures i just felt that i was cheated out of my inclass work time

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ARTS623
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I think Katie is an excellent, caring teacher. She has much to give and comes with years of experience. For those who have a negative comment I would imagine that you are not painting - you have to do your own painting, she can't do that for you and she will respond with active interest and suggestions. One of the best professors at NIU!

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PAINT1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I do not recomend taking Katie Kahn at all. She's never in the classroom, rather out talking to other people. Once she even went out to lunch during our class. She is useless and teaches nothing. It's a begining painting class, so most people don't know what they're doing and are left without instruction. Worst teacher I have ever had.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ARTS323
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

My favorite teacher at Northern. She does go off on tangents frequently, but thats part of her charm. Once you get to know her she is amazing, caring and helpful. I highly recommend her.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ARTS323
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

nice lady but a real hippie. kind of weird to talk with.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PAINTING1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Let's just say we all taught ourselves. Thanks for not giving us any pointers!

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PAINTING4
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

katie is a great teacher.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: PAINTING1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

She doesn't teach a thing to any beginner painters. The only kind of art she likes is fluffy, abstract, and expressive art. Art lectures r more important than actual class so don't expect her to be in class too often. Also-very disorganized and never gave us a syllabus. But she's nice when available