GERM 1020

Prof. Parker is so much fun and she really cares about her students. Her grading is a little tougher than some other professors in the department (no partial credit on tests), but it's still fair, and she barely gives any homework. You need to study on your own if you want As on the tests. There's a final video project instead of a final exam. I would definitely take a class with Prof. Parker again.

Very good professor, learn a lot, and not really too much work if you're taking a hard courseload

Having now completed all four levels of German at UVA (1010-2020), I can say definitively without a doubt that Parker is the hardest instructor in the entire German Department. Not only is she a harsh grader in comparison to her colleagues but she also provides fewer opportunities to receive extra credit or earn points back on assignments. Most of the people taking this class are looking to fulfill their foreign language requirement and she is just totally not in sync with that reality. In signing up for Parker's class, you're bringing onto yourself far more stress than this 1000-level class is worth and you will NOT learn the language any better than you would have from another instructor. I actually avoided taking German for an entire year following this course just so I could not have Parker again as my instructor. If you have the chance, I HIGHLY recommend enrolling in either Schenberg or Neuhaus' class instead!!

Professor Parker is a wonderful instructor and human being. She is incredibly kind, understanding, and goes out of her way to make sure that student build confidence in the German language, both written and spoken. A fair warning though, she actively pushes students to speak in class - so please, speak up in class! She would assign blog posts, essays, and we would often write poetry and practice grammar in class. She was excellent at communicating when things were due and was very kind throughout the entire semester. I'd highly recommend her as an instructor. She encapsulates the best parts of the German language program here at the University.