Student Evaluations 2018 - 2023

Spring 2023

IT111.304

• Amazing professor with great teaching skills, I have learned so much and so well in the time that has past.

• love Prof Silverman’s class

• Some people are just meant to be teachers, and Professor Silverman is one of those people. She genuinely seems to love teaching, her students, and italian culture/language. She's great and really cares about her students, both in and out of the classroom. She frequently holds virtual review sessions outside of class and is always answering questions via email. Very few teachers have

the same level of enthusiasm and excitement about teaching that Professor Silverman has. She's great I wish she could teach all my classes.

IT111.35B

• The most positive, encouraging and kindness professor. She shows care and respect for her students and cares for their wellbeing and success. I took away so much from this course and feel very prepared for studying abroad and learning more Italian.

• Very wonderful! She provided great materials and I was able to pick up Italian very well in her class! She makes sure students fully understand the concepts before moving on.

• 10/10 5 stars!!!

• Professor Silverman is an example of an amazing teacher that goes above and beyond to help, teach, and be there for her students. I would not have done well in Italian if it wasn't for Professor Silverman!

• Prof. Sliverman has been a great language teacher. She truly made the class a great learning environment for myself and classmates. While learning a language is difficult, she made sure to stop and frequently check in with us to make sure we were understanding the material. While I truly didn’t like some of the McGraw-Hill homework assignments that were given, she made sure to explain them during class or during office hours if we were unsure. Overall, with this being my first language class at FIT, Prof. Sliverman has been the best I could have asked for.

• Such a great teacher! I like her way of teacher. Yes it could be a bit much a quiz every week with homeworks but overall is great!

IT112.302

• Professor Silverman is one of my favorite professors here at FIT. She is the kindest woman and seems to really love her job. I have had her for two semesters now and I really love her!

• Truly one of the best professors I ever had at FIT. Professor Silverman wants all of her students to succeed. She is very patient when it comes to a student having trouble understanding something and will go step by step in helping the student understand. Always incorporates songs and fun videos to help further teach the class the content. So grateful I was able to have Professor Silverman

for both Elementary Italian and Italian II.

• Professor Silverman is truly passionate about what she teaches and that itself made the class even more enjoyable.

• The kindest professor I have ever had at FIT. She is extremely understanding, and makes learning Italian fun by incorporating a lot of Italian culture through music, movies, and food. She genuinely wants her students to enjoy learning Italian. She has a quiz each week that helps us all prepare for the midterm and final. She makes sure she hears from every single student in the room, having us go around and answer a question for each worksheet. She is very effective and deserves the world.

• Took her last semester and I absolutely loved her class, Italian 111. Taking her this semester for Italian 112 and she truly an amazing professor, all of her course works are easy to understand (which makes learning another language much easier), she incorporates songs, real-life examples, etc. which makes learning Italian more authentic. She always pushes her students to ask

questions and is always in a great mood every week. Will be extremely sad when I graduate and will no longer take her course.

• Professor Silverman's teaching style clearly demonstrates that she takes pedagogy seriously. As an adult learner who has worked in public education for years, I can spot someone who knows/cares how to teach and who doesn't. The difference her level of skill made to the learning experience was significant. She created a safe and stimulating learning environment where students were free to make mistakes and try new things. Brava professoressa.

• Prof. Silverman was always very enthusiastic and I could tell she had a deep appreciation and love for Italian culture and language. Made all students feel comfortable and always comes to class happy and excited to teach the subject.

• Such a great and fun class! Professor Silverman is amazing. She makes learning a language super smooth and I will miss this class. One of the most effective strategies used in this class is making sure every student participates—we're all allowed to practice, learn, and make mistakes in a judgement-free environment.

• This is my second time taking italian and I wish I had Professor silverman for italian one and two! She takes her time to make sure every student understands the content and really cares about her students.

Fall 2022

IT111.35B

• Such a sweet and amazing professor

• Professor Silverman is one of the best professors I've had at FIT! She is patient, kind, and incredibly understanding. Even when she had COVID, she did everything in her power to accommodate students and help us understand the curriculum. Also, when I was going to be out of class for a school-related absence, she allowed me to sit in during another one of her classes so I could stay on top of my work. During this class, she was super helpful as usual. If I take another Italian class at FIT, she is the only professor I will take the course with. She made me love Italian and look forward to learning (even though FIT language classes are 4 hours long). Overall, she's a great professor and honestly deserves a raise!

• Diana was a great professor. She taught at a great pace for everyone to understand Italian well. She also went over the material very thoroughly which helped especially when taking the tests and helped us prepare for them extremely well.

• She is so kind and an amazing professor. She makes sure everyone is aware of the material.

• Best foreign language class I have every taken and it is because of Professor Silverman’s patience and ability to make the classroom such a safe space!

IT111.301

• Instructor was very helpful and enthusiastic about the course.

• Great professor, the only language class where i have grasped a slight understanding as i usually am terrible.

• Professor Silverman is one the best language professor i've had. I love that she consistently checks that everyone is understanding. Her teaching style justifies the fact that class is 4 hours, and makes me not want to miss class. I would take her class again if i could!

• Literally the best professor! She is extremely patient and is willing to go our of her way to make sure students understand the material. Language can be hard but she makes it very easy to understand and makes everyone speak so it helps better our pronunciation.

• Diana Silverman is a very kind and understanding teacher. She’s very helpful with assignments and shows that she cares for her students.

• Professor Silverman is the best language teacher i've ever had. She is cheerful and makes class time enjoyable. She teaches so much beyond the language like culture and shares traveling advice with us. She is so sweet and makes learning the language easy.

• Very patient and understanding, one of the best professors ever!

• Professor Silverman has been one of my most favorite professors I've had while being at FIT! She challenges us while also being enthusiastic and just genuinely an amazing professor.

• My favorite professor. Gets to know all of her students. Very inclusive and identity affirming. SO enthusiastic. Really just keep it up!

IT111.304

• love her class and lectures they are always fun!!

• Professor Silverman is such a sweetheart. She makes learning Italian so easy and is always opened to hearing questions. She is so helpful when a student doesn't understand something and goes over the material a hundred times before taking the quizzes so we are prepared. She not only teaches us the basic verbs, but adds on songs, and TV shows where the verb is used to help better

understand the meaning and conjugations.

• Amazing professor! Makes me excited to go to class. Understanding and motivated.

• Professor Silverman is amazing! She is very passionate about her job.

• She's really sweet :)

• Utilizes class time well, and teaches in an efficient and easy to understand matter.

• Loved!

• Amazing teacher! She is truly so passionate about the language and her students. She makes a 4 hour class bearable. Never drop this woman. I couldn't recommend her more!

Spring 2022

IT111.301

• Language can be quite a bland subject, but Prof. Silverman made learning Italian colorful and fun. She is an excellent professor, and I'm glad to have taken her class before my trip :)

• Amazing professor. Very helpful, kind, and knowledgeable. Makes sure that we all understand the topic. I have no complaints and would gladly take any of her classes again.

• Professor Silverman was the sweetest and most understanding professor I ever had. Her love and passion for the language and culture of Italy really shined through in this course and it really encouraged me to want to learn in her class. The breakdown of her lessons really helped me process the information taught and the exercises we did as a class were not only educational, but fun and engaging. I will definitely be looking to take Professor Silverman again for any future italian classes I take.

• Probably the most dedicated professor to her students and course material that I’ve encountered so far

• As someone whose never had to learn a language before, I was intimidated by this class. Professor Silverman took things very slowly so I was able to understand them. If I ever needed additional help, I wouldn't have hesitated to reach out to her as she is kind.

• I really enjoyed taking Professor Silverman's class. I was nervous about taking Italian for the first time, but her class really helped me learn and understand the foundations of the language. She is an amazing professor and her energy always keeps the class engaged and happy. I would definitely take her class again.

• I loved how enthusiastic and understanding you were about the language and course overall, although I wish you taught the other levels of Italian.

• Where do I start! Prof. Silverman is just amazingly awesome :) She is dedicated and so infectiously inspiring about Italian. I want to really speak fluently after her class and continue to preserve the language. She really know in’s and out’s for how to make sure students gets the language and success in class. 100% best teacher

IT111.35A

• Professor Silverman has so much enthusiasm for teaching Italian. She comes to class with a lot of material and presents it in a very clear and fun way.

• Professor Siverman was an incredible instructor. Utilized class time very effectively and made sure all students were engaged and understood what we were learning. Professor Siverman was extremely engaging and enthusiastic which was especially impressive given the meeting late time of our class. Great professor who really helped me learn and understand the subject!

• Prof.SIlverman makes learning a new language actually fun. What is normally really hard feels safe and acceptable to make mistakes in her class. She cares for all her students, she cares for the culture she teaches and she cares about the work. Shes the best and needs a raise!

• I really enjoyed taking Professor Silverman's class this semester. She really helped me start learning the basics of the Italian language while having a fun atmosphere in class. She always encourages to ask questions and she explains things clearly if we do not understand something. Her teaching style is very easy to understand. She also cares passionately about Italian and learning

the language which helps her student also learn to love the language!

• Diana Silverman is a great professor and is extremely helpful in the classroom.

• I loved learning Italian with Professor Silverman. She makes it easy and engaging that it is easy to understand what she was teaching

• this professor is so nice and understanding! she is so sweet and really good at teaching and helping those who are confused without making them feel nervous or anything super welcoming environment!

• Wonderful and kind professor that goes above and beyond. Does not think any question is a stupid question and will answer promptly to explain in different terms. Super understanding with those that had medical issues and would help to the fullest extent to get the student back on track. Thank you professor :)

• Literally, if ANYONE, and I mean ANYONEEEEE asked me how to learn Italian, I would say you need to reach out to professor Silverman. There is nothing more to say. Diana Silverman = You are fluent in Italian.

• Diana is extremely positive and enthusiastic about teaching, she always makes sure students understand the material and will not hesitate to repeat or re-explain something no matter how many times its asked of her. She always creates a wrong answer into a teaching moment, and instead of criticizing, she re-explains why the correct answer is what it is, why certain grammar rules only apply for certain words, etc. She always creates a comfortable and welcoming class environment and does her best to be as accommodating as she can. She does an amazing job preparing her students for various tests, quizzes, etc. and is always willing to explain different concepts and where you may have gotten certain points off to help prepare you better for the future. It's very clear she loves doing what she does and I am excited for the next students who get to have such a wonderful professor.

• Professor Silverman was a great teacher, she never gave us the feeling we are doing mistakes and she created an open study environment.

IT112.301

• Best professor ever! So kind and helpful. She makes class so much fun and is always so happy to help. She’s also so kind when you make a mistake and never looks down upon anyone. I’m honestly going to miss this class when the semester ends.

• Overall one of the most passionate professors that I have ever had. Extremely aware of her student's participation and progress in the course. Super flexible and accommodating.

• I particularly enjoyed Professor Silverman's incorporation of Italian cultural elements such as music, shows, advertisements, etc. in her lectures as I believe this aspect helped me better understand the language by giving it real life context, as well as a better understanding of the Italian culture as a whole.

• Best italian teacher, Professor Silverman truly loves everything she teaches.

• Professor Silverman from the very first day of class has made me feel very comfortable in her classroom. She successfully creates an environment that allows her students to feel safe asking questions or for clarification. It is very obvious she enjoys her job and is extremely knowledgeable and provides ample resources. She is a great professor.

• One of the best teachers I have ever had! I loved coming to this class and I felt well prepared every quiz we had. The class was so exciting and engaging. Plus professor Silverman was such a kind professor, you can tell she truly loved teaching as well as her students. She was so understanding when I was dealing with personal issues, I really enjoyed having her as a professor.

• Best language prof at FIT!! Learned so much from her class, love her energy & enthusiasm!

• Professor Silverman is awesome! She made me love learning a new language and would 100% take her again!

Fall 2021

IT111

• Great professor

• Great professor!!!!

• So nice and genuinely wanted her students to do well!

• really good at teaching a language

• Professor Silverman has made learning a new language so easy and enjoyable. She truly makes this class fun and interesting. I'm minoring in Italian so I appreciate that she clearly is enthusiastic about her work and cares so much about seeing her students do well. I would love to take her class again in the future.

• Best language teacher I've ever had.

• This is the one professor who has made me enjoy being on campus as early as 9am. Professor Silverman is very passionate about the language and makes learning a language fun, nonintimidating and easy! I made sure I will have her next semester as I cannot imagine anyone else teaching me Italian!

• I really enjoyed this class this semester and feel like I learned a lot. This was my first time taking an Italian course and I couldn’t have asked for a better professor!

IT112

• Professor Silverman's enthusiasm and love for Italian culture resonates throughout the class and spreads to her students. I deeply appreciate how she makes cultural moments in class by incorporating music, videos, etc into the class as additional learning material. Professor Silverman excels at being able to walk her students through the material and ensuring that everybody understands the lesson.

• 2nd time I’m taking professor Silverman and she’s one of the best instructors for learning italian. She’s made it so easy to understand and learn Italian without forgetting what was learned throughout the course !

• Professor Silverman is very thorough in each lesson. She explains italian very well and always encourages questions. Through her class I have learned italian and also learned a lot about italian culture and heritage.

• Absolutely amazing professor. It's been 3 years since I took Italian 1 and I had struggled with the class so I was really nervous about going into Italian 2, but Professor Silverman immediately dissuaded those fears. It's honestly like magic I don't know how she makes it feel so easy to learn Italian and still feel like you're legitimately learning, but she does it and I'm really grateful to have had her as a professor. A++

• Best professor, maybe person, I've ever met! She's the sweetest and really makes sure you understand material. She's always willing to take time and go over anything you don't understand to make sure you understand something. Professor provides a lot of examples and revises before tests which is helpful. Always willing to let you work on something and offers extra credit assignments which encourages students to keep practicing! I wish she was teaching other courses as well so I could take her again in the future. She's the best!!!

• Professor Silverman, you are incredible! Keep up the great work inspiring your students and making the Italian language fun to learn.

Spring 2021

IT111

• A wonderful professor who creates a true excitement for learning Italian. Her enthusiasm and love for Italian culture are contagious and make the class fun.

• Loved this class and the professor

• One of the most caring professors I have ever taken! she really cared about all of her students and was always extremely helpful!

• Best professor! She made the class super enthusiastic given our circumstances and even though it was a night class, it was never boring. I would definitely take her again, she made learning Italian super fun and was super clear about every topic!

• One of the best, most effective professors I have had at FIT. Probably the nicest and most encouraging person I have ever met.

• I am impressed by Prof Silverman's consistent positive vibe through out the classes, especially since the class is online and it is hard to keep the class going with good energy. Very professional educator with incredible patience.

• She’s one of the best professors teaching beginners Italian I have encountered. She knows how to teach a new language to students and for us to understand. If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t grasp the language and learn the verbs!

• Professor Silverman is a wonderful professor for entry level Italian. She is very knowledgeable and passionate about the language and teaching it to others. She always makes sure we understand the material before moving on to new material. She is very kind and understanding of COVID technology difficulties.

• She is a really good professor.

• Such a nice lady she does go a little fast but is very helpful and doesn't ever make you feel dumb. She always has such a positive energy

IT111

• BEST language teacher I have ever taken! really cares about her students!! amazing amazing teacher! loved her so much

• Prof. Silverman is the most enthusiastic professor I've had, and it definitely motivated me to pay attention & retain the information.

• AMAZING teacher

• Clearly very passionate about her subject! A great professor.

• Professor Silverman is one of the best professors I've ever had, especially in a language. Learning a language is a challenging subject, and I could not have asked for a better professor to start learning a language I one day hope to be fluent in. She is SO patient and has never had an issue going over things a few times until we get it, which is greatly appreciated and something some professors don't do often. Most of all, her enthusiasm and passion for the language is beyond everything, and she truly made the class enjoyable and one I looked forward to every week. I also appreciate her willingness to meet with us outside of class time to help out, whether it's to go over what we recently learned or to ask questions about her quiz. She makes it very clear that she wants us to succeed just as much we do, and she make sure we learn everything we want to know. In just these 15 weeks, I really learned a lot and I thank her so much for it!

• Professor Silverman was honestly the best teacher I've ever had. She is enthusiastic and you can really tell that she cares about her students and their success! She taught Italian in a clear manner and provided extra resources that really helped me understand the language better. I could not say enough good things!

• I got really lucky with Prof. Silverman -- she is hands down one of the best Professors/teachers I have ever had! She truly has a database of information on the Italian language and culture all in her mind, and she was consistently prepared each time we met to provide a great class experience, utilizing the full four hours and somehow making it extremely fun and engaging. I don't know how she does it -- she is an incredible instructor and helped me learn so quickly! Her teaching style is impeccable; she connects with the students, is empathetic and patient, and is so excited to help us learn!  If I go to NYC, I signed up to take her again next semester, because she is just that incredible. I appreciated all the effort she put into our entire class time, and remaining excited about helping us

learn as much as we could during this part of our "Italian journey!" I love her so much and can't wait to apply what I have learned when I hopefully go abroad next semester. What an incredible human!

IT111

• Professor Silverman is one of the best professors I have had! Learning a new language is difficult, but Professor Silverman was so helpful! She always brought so many different

activities/assignments to work on during class and always had everyone participating. I had a lot of fun in this class, and I registered for her Italian 2 class next semester! Professor Silverman made the process of learning a new language so much smoother and easier.

• One of my favorite professors by far. Learning a new language is very daunting but she made it very welcoming and nurturing. She never made anyone feel bad about getting something wrong and always corrected us in a respectful way which really made everyone want to participate. I feel I understand the fundamentals of the Italian language very well and wish professor Silverman could teach all of my classes!

• I loved professor Silverman! She made Italian my favorite class and SO fun much to learn! Taking her next semester too, can't wait!!

• Wonderful professor. Very clearly cared a lot about the students.

Fall 2020 – FIT

IT112.35A

• Professor Silverman was nothing but a light during a very dark semester. She was enthusiastic every class, which I had at night twice a week, she encouraged us to learn and if we did not understand something she explained any concept perfectly. She taught in a way that made it seem clear and easy for us to understand, her reviews from the previous week at the beginning of class were extremely helpful. I have not taken the final yet, but she prepared us so much to take the midterm. I never once felt extremely stressed over her class, it is actually a class that I looked forward to every single week. She handled an online semester during a pandemic beyond any of of my expectations, and made furthering my knowledge on the language of Italian fun. I have learned so

much more because of her!

• Great professor

• Very interesting and good class. Professor always help student to understanding Italian. Shows interesting videos and examples for understanding Italian. This class is really helpful to grow Italian language skills.

• Professor Silverman is one of the best professors I've ever had the pleasure of taking. Her kind and encouraging demeanor was very helpful when learning a different language, and she takes the time to make sure all the concepts are understood. I wish all professors had the patience and genuine care for their students like she does.

• Professor Silverman is amazing she makes time for students outside of class and really puts in effort to explain the material throughly. She answers all questions and her demeanor is always enthusiastic and friendly. She is so kind and really cares about her students. She is definitely the best language professor I've ever had!

• Wow, this was an amazing class. After not taking Italian for a while I was scared to take this class because I felt like I would be so far behind. This was not the case because Professor went into detail with everything and made sure we all understood. Everyone asked questions and it was great to hear what everyone was saying. I feel like I learned so much but also had so much fun learning all of it too!

• Diana Silverman is an amazing professor. She genuinely cares for her students and she makes learning italian so effortless. It's hardly a chore to show up to class or do the assignments-- they're enjoyable and effective. She's truly there for her students and will do everything she can to make sure we're learning and doing our best work.

• Professor Silverman is one of the most enthusiastic, kind, and knowledgeable professors I've ever had at FIT. She truly, wholeheartedly wants to see her students flourish in the subject she teaches. This makes learning more meaningful. Class lessons are accessible, diverse, and current-- a very refreshing thing. Thank you for such a meaningful class Professor Silverman!

• Amazing professor.

• Although it was a remote class, professor Silverman allowed me to actually learn Italian by kindly and enthusiastically teaching the class. I could reach to her whenever I have concerns or questions. Thank you so much!!

IT112.301

• Professor Silverman genuinely loves teaching and students can tell just by sitting in one class. She is thorough in explaining any confusion and is never condescending. Great professor.

• I absolutely adore Professor Silverman! She has made the learning process much more manageable and fun.

• Great professor for a long class! she makes it very enjoyable and fun

• An amazing Professor! Very compassionate and caring! She cares about her students and them being successful in this class! Also very knowledgable!

• Professor Silverman used used videos, songs, and worksheets to make sure that we had fun learning not only the language but also Italy's culture. She made sure that students understood what was going on and encouraged us to ask questions.

• Professor sliverman is so sweet and helpful and taking Italian with her was super easy and exciting. She engages all the students with fun activities and encourages all of us to respond without any pressure. She has so much patience and passion for the Italian language that it makes me want to continue to learn Italian even after I graduate. She works very hard to make sure that we all understand the lessons and creates question and answer time towards the end. She gives us weekly quiz and goes over with us in class so that we all are on the same page and know exactly what the task is.

• Professor Silverman is such a wonderful instructor. I took her twice (my previous semester and now currently). She is so positive and understanding. I truly have learned a-lot from her and really am optimistic for the future when I can use the knowledge I learned when I visit Italy. I can go on and on on how effective she is as a language professor. She comes from all different learning styles.  From visual, auditory to verbal learning techniques, she always engages. I always look forward to her class. Thanks to her I now have a new playlist of Italian music!!!!!

• One of my favorite teachers. I would recommend other students to take her class.

• Overall, great professor!!

• I love professor Silverman. She is by far one of my favorite professors that I have ever had at FIT. I will miss her happy face on thursday mornings. Thank you for being a burst of light and happiness in this crazy world.

• The best language professor I've ever had. She cares so much about what she's teaching and she makes it fun!

• If any student has to take a language class during their time at FIT, Professor Silverman is the best of the best. I have never had a teacher who cares so much about their students and who genuinely wants us to learn everything that we can. She is the best, and quite frankly, all teachers should look to follow in her footsteps, as she is the definition of a model professor.

IT112.302

• Professor Silverman is so understanding and kind. Learning a language is never easy but when you feel comfortable to ask questions and for additional help it makes things go more smoothly. I could not of asked for a better Italian professor and will cherish this class for the years to come.

• She is a great professor! I wish she gave classes for Italian Conversation or Italian IV too.

• The kindest & most enthusiastic & understanding instructor I have EVER had!!!

• She really loves to teach and that shows in all of her classes. She makes iItalian interestin and easy to learn.

• Professor Silverman was the most entertaining Professor of this semester. Although our current situation is alarming and has made most classes boring and hard to keep up with, this class was not one of them. Silverman knew all of the material, challenged the students to ask questions and practice constantly. I really enjoyed this class thanks to her.

• She does not proceed with class until every student is up to date with everything. We practice practice practice! which is great because I really enjoy this class. She makes it fun and informative.

Shes awsome!!!!! Honestly. She cares about her students because she goes above and beyond to make sure they understand the materials.

• Professor Silverman teaches language in the most thorough way I have ever experienced. 10/10

• Fabulous professor! I loved her positive attitude all the time! I genuinely enjoyed her class and she explained things so well.

• Professor Silverman has been an excellent mentor and help to get through this semester, she was very punctual on every class and managed to make every lesson very interesting.

• Diana Silverman I swear is the best Italian professor, even though four hours of Italian is a lot, her energy is just so fun that it makes the class enjoyable. However, I do think it would be beneficial to

have more 2 hour twice a week classes for Italian

• I ABSOLUTELY loved this professor. She was so great with the students. Languages do not come easy to most students but Prof Silverman took as many questions as we had with excitement because she wanted all of us to learn and get good at language. Plus her cat is really cute :) <3

• She is an awesome professor !

Fall 2020 – NYU

What features of this course were especially effective?

·         All of the discussion we had in class about the readings were very helpful and Prof. Silverman is a very helpful and caring professor who wants her students to succeed.

·         The writing component. The professor's comments on my writing was especially helpful.

·         The wakelet website was extremely helpful.

·         Prof. Silverman encouraged students to improve their writing. She gave us many chances to do rewrites and consult her, so that we could perfect our writing.

·         I thought this course did an excellent job of covering many different diverse topics.

·         Office hours

·         Being open to all questions and giving detailed and specific feedback on assignments was helpful.  Explaining the text/art in class in your own words helped me understand the text/art. Pushing us to make an effort and share a point/line/question we had regarding the text in class was effective too.

·         Our in-class discussions were wonderful and Prof. Silverman did an amazing work guiding the conversation, as well as giving constructive feedback on our writing.

·         Just learning about art is so important

·         Features of this course that were especially effective are the class discussions we had and when the professor would speak directly to the class.

·         The teacher was always open to meet one on one to edit my work which I found to be very effective.

·         Professor Silverman is not only passionate but super helpful! She also encourages us to do our best with her feedback

·         How she gave a quick recap and gave her own views before initiating a discussion.

·         The weekly class discussions of the text in which we all had to participate.

·         I liked how the teacher went through our reading with the students during class for clarification

Additional Comments

·         No additional comments. Thank you!

·         This class was definitely one of my favorites.

·         Great course!

·         Professor Silverman is one of the best teachers I had this semester, she was very understanding when it came to deadlines and how the pandemic affects us and overall encouraged us to learn on our own terms.

Summer 2020 – NYU

What features of this course were especially effective?

·         I thought that the weekly assignments that targeted the different important aspects of the course are especially effective in honing our skills. They were specific enough so that we can focus on what we are learning but also not so heavy that we couldn't get the most out of it.

·         More than the course, the professor was the one who made the course so effective and interesting.  She is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the texts, which created a great learning environment.

·         In-depth class discussion. Entire class was expected and prompted to participate.

·         quick and detailed feedback helped really learn how to improve and understand how to write better

·         Really able to think critically about the works featured

·         Always open to new ideas and perspectives

·         Fun lectures

·         Flexible to circumstances

·         So passionate and knowledgeable

·         Her ability to engage the class with readings and poems. She also gives you a chance to rewrite essays and assignments for better grades.

·         The essays, the class discussions, and the readings

Additional Comments

·         ·One of the kindest and smartest professors I've had. She is so understanding and flexible with students, and seems really interested in helping them improve as scholars. I can say she is the professor who has taught me things I will use the rest of my academic career. The perfect example of what a teacher should be.

·         Professor was very nice and inclusive. Very passionate about the subject matter.

·         I loved Prof. Silverman's warm and inviting energy. She is so kind and a great professor.

·         Fun course! My ability to analyze literature has gotten a lot better.

·         Really appreciated this course!!

Spring 2020 – Fashion Institute of Technology

IT112.35A

• Prof. Silverman is the perfect instructor for beginners, she breaks down all the subject matter and allows students to ask any questions we want. She also takes student feedback and allows us to incorporate our own interests into the class to make it fun.

• Professor silverman is so kind and thoughtful. She really cares to make sure all students understand the material. Her assessments and homeworks are very doable. She is so passionate about Italian and Italy. She puts the most effort into our online classes out of almost all my other professors. She is accomodating and understanding

• Great professor, truly feel like I've learned a lot.

• Best Italian professor ever, she really taught me Italian the right way.

• Prof. Silverman was such an amazing teacher and I would definitely take one of her classes again. She is always patient and willing to help anyone. She uses a variety of tools and content to teach language, and is just a wonderful professor overall.

• Excellent professor. Doesn't give students an abundant of work and makes sure everyone gets the material before moving on.

• She is a wonderful professor. The material is presented in a fun and interesting way making it easier to learn and remember a foreign language. I believe that my italian skills definitely exponentially increased.

• Professor Silverman is by far the best and nicest professor I have ever had. My last semester professor was the absolute worst. But Professor Silverman brought me up to speed and now I completely understand everything in Italian that i have learned so far. I wish I would have taken her last semester!!

IT111.805

• One of the best professor’s I’ve had the pleasure of having! Really motivates me to study Italian not for the grade but for myself. I really enjoy the real world application of the language she brings to class through songs.

• This class is lively and fun. Explanation is clear and helpful.

• Professor Silverman is eager to teach her students and ensure each week we review everything from the week before, as she also asks if we have any questions. Great long enriching classes with adequate utilization of time and examples.

• Language is a difficult concept to grasp, and it requires a lot of careful attention. Professor Silverman has acknowledged the difficulty of learning a new language and thoroughly goes through every aspect. She also finds creative way for us to learn the content that tie into the Italian culture. Even with the difficult transition to online learning Professor Silverman has still maintained her in-class standards, and I find myself still receiving the same quality of education.

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• Such a kind professor who genuinely wants to help her students. I've learned so much more than I thought I would in her class and hope to take her again next semester. She offered additional help outside of class such as skype calls for extra help or allow you to sit in on another one of her classes if you missed a class. Best teacher at FIT!

• Lovely Professor and really helpful.

• Professor Silverman is so passionate about teaching Italian. I personally did not love having a 4 hour class, but she still made me excited to come to class because she was always so positive and excited to teach. She made learning the language feel natural and loved to help any student who had questions. She really went above and beyond to ensure her students were on track with our learning pace. By far one of my favorite professors I've had at FIT. In the future, if FIT could offer more 2 day language classes I think it would be very beneficial for the students because in my opinion I think the class would be more effective if it were split up over 2 days. My opinion on this is in no way affected by my professor.

• She is very happy professor. She makes class super fun and easy to understand! By weekly quizzes, I get to stay on top of learnings.

• Professor Silverman is the best Italian professor I could ask for. She presents everything in an understandable manner and answers questions thoroughly. She is kind and truly cares about her students. She is amazing one of my favorite professors at FIT and she makes Italian fun and exciting!

• LOVE LOVVE

• I can't wait to take her It 2 course in the fall! She adapted to online learning and is still effective that way, felt that I learned a lot . She is very kind hearted and taught this course well. Very positive and cheerful and just a great professor. I would recommend anyone to take her class! She makes learning a new language fun and less intimidating.

• Professor Silverman makes learning Italian so fun. Her structure of the class makes it so that the entire class participates and it's a great way to grasp the material. She is always happy to help with any questions or concerns. No complaints. She's amazing.

• One of the best professors I've had. I have never taken Italian so I was nervous going into it. She made it enjoyable and easy to understand.

Fall 2019 – Fashion Institute of Technology

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• The sweetest professor ever! She is always so enthusiastic and passionate about the language. She really encourages students to learn and breaks materials down in an easy-to-understand way.  One of my favorite teachers!

• I wouldn't know any Italian if it wasn't for her. AMAZING!

• Learning a new language can be very difficult as I’ve been trying to pick up Italian since my study abroad experience. Professor Silverman takes great care in her students education

• She is one of the best professors I have ever experience. To be able to teach us a foreign subject that I am not confident in and make us excited to be there each week is a gift. She teaches with enthusiasm and passion and her central focus is that no one is left behind and that we all understand it. I have nothing negative to say about her she is a gem!

• It was a pleasure to have Professor Silverman for Italian Conversation. The class was fun and engaging. She used very helpful materials.

• she is amazing at teaching

• Best teacher I've ever had for Italian.

• One of the most effective and enthusiastic teachers I've ever had at FIT. I actually enjoyed coming to class because of her. I felt like I learned so much more in this class than my last Italian class with a different professor. She's very caring and actually makes sure every single student is getting the material. I wish more professors were like her.

• One of the best language professors I've ever had.

• Diana Silverman is such a wonderful professor, she makes learning Italian easy and fun. She is through in her approach to the subject matter and brings fun and approachable ways to learning.  She is supportive of the learning process and makes people feel ok about being where they are in the process always encouraging students to try their best and learn from mistakes. A True joy to have been able to learn from her.

IT112.85A

• Professor Silverman is amazing!! She teaches the material in an interactive way and makes language easy and fun to learn. She is a caring and encouraging professor, she wants everyone to succeed!

• Prof Silverman is one of the most enthusiastic instructors FIT has. She always is supportive, optimistic and encouraging to all her students. She consistently goes out of her way to make class interesting and fun with providing images, videos and other content to help us learn. Her constant patience and support makes me look forward to every class.

• Professor Silverman is the type of teacher that makes you learn while you're having such a fun time that you don't even realize how much knowledge you've absorbed during your time together —

Hands down one of the kindest, most brilliant people I have had the pleasure of take a class with.

• The kindest woman I have ever encountered. You can tell how excited she was about teaching the class and that made me want to try harder. I think she should be the promoted

• The course is not super easy, however, prof. Silverman made the class full with fun and lightness. The class always with music, interesting Italian movie clips, etc. While we learning culture from those platforms, but also more enjoy learning Italian. She is also a very professional, knowledge, and caring sweet heart professor. In the class, she is making everyone engaging in the class, meanwhile, she also help and encouraging student with very professional and subtle way to correct them when they answered question not correctly. As a result, I felt way less embarrassing and more happily participating in the class.

• By far the best professor here at fit. So helpful, thorough and cares about her students. Takes the time to make sure everyone understands the material and goes above and beyond to review.  Makes it almost impossible to fail the course. Very effective professor. :) Also loves Italian culture so much that it is inspiring! Provided so much extra resources, songs, movies and knowledge on true italian culture. If I could take her over and over and over again I would!

• Absolute amazing Professor! Would highly recommend her to any student who takes Italian.

• Great teacher, made learning Italian very fun. I only wish that she was teaching Italian Conversation so I could have her again.

• Professor Silverman's teaching style is extremely effective in learning Italian. She immerses her students in Italian culture through music, television, film, etc. an ties it back to the lessons in

grammar and vocabulary. I am always excited to come to class as her personality is so welcoming and sweet.

• Professor Silverman is by far one of the greatest instructors I've had during my college career spanning multiple universities. She always goes the extra mile to ensure that students understand the material, and she makes class incredibly engaging. During my classes with her, she had been very accommodating of all students' needs, including my own. I wish I had more time to take another Italian course with her!

• Professor Silverman is amazing! She is fun and very happy to teach!

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• Thoughtful. Caring. Knowledgable. Hilarious. Supporting. These are all word it think of when I think of Prof. Silverman. Best Italian professor - and overall professor for that matter that I've had here at FIT. You got lucky with this one, FIT! Give her a raise! (;

• The perfect professor. Pros: - Highly enthusiastic. - Very knowledgeable on the subject matter. - Very understanding and lenient. - Good sense of humor. - Class is very interactive and fun. - Learning Italian was made much easier for me through her. - No homework (thank you so much, as I get to focus on the other 7 classes I need to take this semester). - Always prepared. Cons: - None. Highly recommended.

• Professor Silverman made class fun and I looked forward to learning Italian every week

• is the best hope of me learning italian at this rate

• Thank you so much for your taught!

• Professor Silverman is the sweetest most encouraging, enthusiastic and effective instructor I have had during my entire college experience. I look forward going to her four hour class each week to learn. She uses every minute of class to make sure we understand the material and tests our abilities and skills by challenging us. I am so proud of my Italian heritage and it is a language I have been trying to learn for a few years now. I have been so frustrated by it in the past but I have truly learned so much from this course. You can tell Professor Silverman loves the language, the culture and teaching her students. We all learn from each other and it has been by far my favorite class this semester.

• Lots of enthusiasm for Italian. Encourage students to learn and do their best work! Class is 4 hours but she structures the class well so it doesn't feel like it drags on.

• Prof. Silverman is super kind, engaging and thorough. Went out of her way to make the materials accessible and assist students in their understanding.

• She's very helpful and wants to help students out ,

• great professor!

• Professor Silverman is easily one of the best teachers I have had in my four years at FIT. She is the most enthusiastic, prepared, and understanding professor who made learning Italian fun. She is always willing to go over topics, brings in helpful handouts, and helps us really understand the Italian language and culture. Four hour classes in the past have made me fall asleep within an hour, but Professor Silverman always has us doing something new and exciting. She brings in musical examples (some of which have become my favorite songs), short videos, and lots of pictures to really help us understand and apply what we are learning. She was recommended to me by many students, and I will 100% be doing the same for others.

• BEST ITALIAN TEACHER EVER! She is so entertaining and makes learning the language fun/effective.

• Diana silverman is very passionate about Italian and makes class fun and uses outside resources like music. she does give quizzes every week which is hard to keep on top of but oh well.

• Her class makes me want to study abroad in Italy. Amazing professor.

Spring 2019 – Fashion Institute of Technology

IT111

• Prof. Silverman is one of my favorite professors at FIT! She cares so much about her students and wants them all to succeed. She went the extra mile to make sure everyone understood the material.

• Amazing professor understands how to teach students learning Italian for the first time and really wants to help them learn and understnad the language.

• The Italian class is fun and interesting and professor Silverman is really passionate and always well-prepared.

• Her energy in every class is amazing

• LOVED professor Silverman. She wants her students to learn, and she is extremely knowledgeable.

• Professor Silverman went above and beyond my expectations in performing the functions of a teacher in every aspect. Though I typically remain neutral and honest in my interactions with professors, I can say that this instructor's teaching style, approach, and efforts truly enhanced both my experience in the classroom and knowledge of course material. Professor Silverman used a variety of materials from Italian songs, Italian shorts/advertisements/films, McGraw-Hill Connect educational videos, handouts, and writing and discussion activities. She also was extremely positive and enthusiastic about the content every week, and her love for the Italian language and culture really shone through in her teaching. I really appreciated how she used every minute of class time and was well prepared, but at the same time would modify the agenda or assignments based on how the students were doing. Ultimately, I feel like everyone truly gained a lot from being in this class, and from a student perspective there's not much else we could ask for.

• Amazing Professor!

• loved her! taking her again next semester!

• I loved Professor Silverman because she was so enthusiastic and seemed very passionate about the language! Also, Professor Silverman's notes were so excellent and she provided us with so much helpful material!

• Professor Silverman is an extremely charismatic person in general and I’ve never seen anyone more excited about Italian. She distributes extremely helpful worksheets every single class and always has extra copies of all her materials available. She utilizes class time to the fullest extent and keeps the class engaged, participating, and learning for 4 hours, which is a tough thing to do.  Her enthusiasm gets me interested as well and she always makes sure to teach at a reasonable pace, often checking in with the students to make sure we’re understanding the material. She’s an extremely effective and patient professor and a very compassionate person in general.

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• Professor Silverman is a wonderful teacher! She is very helpful and care about each student to do his/hers best.

• Prof. Silverman is by far one of my favorite professors I've had so far! She is very helpful and effective in learning Italian and made me want to continue my language study. She makes the 4 hour class fun and bearable, as most of my other 4 hour classes I can't wait to leave. I love Prof. Silverman!

• Professor Silverman made learning a new language super fun and simple. she was always available if you needed help and made sure everybody understood the content before moving on to a new unit

• Professor Silverman is a gem in this school! She made learning a new language, which is difficult in itself, such a fun and easy process. She helped students who struggled and challenged those who caught on quicker. She made me laugh and really made me love Italian. She is a great instructor for learning new languages, both patient and understanding!

• Professor Silverman is so involved and ensures that all students really understand the material. She uses many techniques and practice to reenforce the concepts. I feel I've learned so much this semester and am really excited about Italian. She has shown us not only the language but dove us into the culture and its history. She pushes us to have fun and learn in a very comfortable and caring environment.

• I enjoyed Professor Silverman's class.

• Professor Silverman was very enthusiastic and energetic towards the class and subject manner.

• Great professor! I learned a lot from this class. She is a lot of fun and I would definitely take a class with her again.

• Professor Silverman is phenomenal!!!! She is compassionate, passionate, uses helpful learning materials and resources and cares about the success of her students!! Would take any of Silverman's classes in the future!

• Professor Silverman is extremely passionate about Italian and teaching her students! Just amazing!

• Professor Silverman is brilliant and her enthusiasm and passion made this one of the most wonderful experiences I have had at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She never fails to put her whole heart into her lessons and I am so grateful to have studied the Italian language with her!

IT122

• AMAZING professor, best I have had here at FIT. Would take her again in a heartbeat, the highlight of my week.

• Professor Silverman is one of my favorite teachers at FIT. She is very passionate about the topics, while always encouraging us to ask questions. She makes learning a language fun, and relates topics to things that we understand. She always keeps amazing energy when teaching. She always makes sure that every student understands what we are learning and encourages us to speak up if we are unclear about something. She is an AMAZING teacher, and a very nice person. She makes me feel comfortable about not knowing or understanding something. She also challenges us to improve our confidence. Wish I could take her again.

• Such a great instructor! Made me want to learn more Italian and was very encouraging.

• Best professor I have had at FIT! She is so helpful and kind and really wants you to learn the material rather than just memorize it for an exam. Her teaching methods have taught me more Italian than i thought was possible in just one semester. I would definitely take her course again.

• Truly a joy learning italian with Professor Silverman! Her passion and enthusiasm for the language shows, and makes you want to join her and be equally excited to be learning a new language.  Uses material that helps you learn, maintains you entertained and attentive, and allots enough class time to practice new material before testing you on it. Really cares that the students are understanding the material.

• Amazing professor! Very engaging and shows much enthusiasm on subject matter!

• very good professor

• LOVE THIS WOMAN!! Professor Silverman is such a kind-hearted, genuine professor who cares about her students. She wants us all to do well and have fun with our learning process. Absolutely adore her and her teaching process. I’ve learned so much Italian, but I don’t feel overwhelmed at all!

• Professor Silverman is just wow. She is so understanding and genuinely cares about her students. She wants to see us learn and succeed in the course and actually learn the language, not just memorize information for a test and move on. She is SO passionate about Italy and makes class so interesting by sharing her experiences. She is very knowledgable in the subject and loves teaching. She is patient and slows down if we are all lost or confused. She wants us to learn and love what we are learning! She is so amazing.

• Best Professor

Fall 2018 – NYU 

NYU – Cultural Foundations I (Arts and Cultures Across Antiquity)

What features of this course were especially effective?

· In class discussions enhanced the learning experience.

· How she made sure everyone understood the material and made everyone participate.

· Interacting with different pieces of artwork really helped my knowledge and understanding of the topics.

· Prof. Silverman integrates the artistic aspect of CF consistently into the works that we read in class - that was really refreshing.

· Professor Silverman's enthusiasm about the topics always made class engaging and interesting.  She also was very clear with the expectation about grades and how essays should be written. This was incredibly helpful when writing.

· The teacher always clarified readings at the start of class to make sure everyone is on the same page.

· Sharing out of everyone's opinions.

· class discussions- they really helped my in-depth learning of the subject through hearing other perspectives on the same issues

· The shorter reading assignments broken up in groups for group share was effective because it allowed us to focus on the content as well as understand other perspectives.

· I really liked the way she linked art from the Met to the material we are reading in class.

· The Prof was passionate.

· -Use of relevant texts(the Bible, Epic of Gilgamesh, etc)

-Presentations of art(the Met gallery)

· The discussions were really amazing.

· all of them

Additional Comments

· Professor Silverman is very joyful and is outstanding in the classroom. The classes were engaging and the environment was family friendly.

· The midterm was great.

· very nice and friendly teacher.

· I really enjoyed taking this class. It was such a positive experience, and I learned a lot

· The midterm assignment was extremely engaging. The class was interesting and the professor's positive energy was contagious and encouraging.

· Professor Silverman is an awesome teacher, she helped with my writing a lot.

Fashion Institute of Technology

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• I really learned a lot about Italian. Professor Silverman made it really easy to learn by having us repeat back all the things she was teaching. This is a really great way to learn.

• Prof. Silverman is such a good Italian professor. I have never met someone more enthusiastic about a subject, and she also makes the classroom such a fun and inviting environment. I'm never afraid to ask questions, and she even assisted me with Italian-related things outside of the class material. I'm so glad I was able to have her as a professor.

• Professor Silverman is such an enthusiastic professor! It is clear to me and any of the student in her class that she is passionate about teaching Italian and educating her students about the Italian culture. I like how she prompted students to both write and speak in the target language throughout the class time. Professor Silverman made the class exciting and upbeat. She is an amazing professor!

• Uses class time to have students participate and encourages repetition to have foreign material sink in better. Students enjoy her enthusiastic attitude and her explanations follow with examples to further your understanding of the subject.

• Very sweet professor. Clearly enthusiastic about the course.

• One of the best teachers I've ever had! I learned so much in this class. She is very enthusiastic and encouraging. Would take again!

• The best professor

• Prof is great! She made it very easy to understand a new language and feel well prepared for all tests and quizzes!

• I really like this professor, so nice and sweet. Very helpful !

• Diana Silverman is such an amazing professor, easily one of the best professors Ive ever had at this school. She is so helpful and kind, she really cares about her students understanding the material.

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• amazing professor! so passionate and encouraging! Absolutely no complaints

• Professor Silverman is a wonderful instructor. I learned so much and she really made the process fun.

• She is a great professor and is deeply involved in Italian!

• She was so great! I had a terrible experience with a different professor for Italian 1. By the end of the semester I was thoroughly confused and dreading Italian 2 . But I feel like I learned more in her two week Italian 1 review then I did throughout my entire Italian 1 course. She is extremely enthusiastic and uses other tools then a text book to help us learn. Overall a really great professor and I wish I could have had her for my first level!

• Diana Silverman is one of the best teachers I have EVER had. She is realistic about learning methods and effortlessly teaches us material through simple means and fun activities that allow us to be exposed to the language repetitively. Her method of teaching language is the most effective method I've experienced in my 7 years of French, Spanish, or Italian.

• Best language professor I've ever had. Professor Silverman is extremely patient and enthusiast about the Italian language. I've learned so much this semester, I really wish I had her from the beginning. Even the areas that I have struggled understanding, she breaks it down so that her students will eventually get it. We practice SO much it's extremely effective. Now I only hope that I'll

have her for Italian III. Fingers crossed!

• My biggest respects to this prof. she had the greatest energy and enthusiasm always put me in a great mood and i really loved that she enjoys Italian as much and more than i do.

• PHENOMENAL PROFESSOR! Great enthusiasm when teaching and always smiling, which made class very enjoyable and made everyone want to come to class. Simply the best.

• Professor Silverman made Italian fun and I finally understood the work. Without her I really wouldn’t understand this. I know that this time around i will pass this class!!

• Great

IT122.85A

• Awesome professor and awesome woman! So happy I was taught by her. Super grateful!!!

• Amazing professor. So sweet and cares tremendously about her students. She not only teaches us the language, but shares her love for Italy with us as well. Its a pleasure to be in her class and I appreciate her enthusiasm and love for Italian.

• Really enjoyed the class. Professor Silverman made Italian easy and fun to learn.

• She very enthusiastic and really exhibits to her students her passion for teaching. She is extremely helpful and cares. Professor Silverman is by far my favorite professor.

• Prof Silverman is amazing! I love her enthusiasm for the Italian language and culture!

• Professor Silverman was one of my favorite professors at FIT! Very passionate about this course and made every student feel comfortable when learning the language! She always had a positive attitude when coming to class and was very patient.

• She has so much enthusiasm during she is teaching. I love her energy and tension in class. She is always positive and with joy. It was amazing to have her in this class! I could learn Italian easily and interesting!

• she is one of the best professors i have ever had. she conducted the class very well and was so helpful and clear with everything. and was an incredibly high spirited teacher, which made you want to learn.