AI Rate Professor

Speech

Bonnie Howard

COMST35 · SPEECH1 · COMST11 · SPEEC3057 · A · 29 lifetime ratings

AI rating
94/100
RMP rating
4.7/5
Take again
85.71%
Difficulty
1.8

The decision

Take Howard for COMST or speech if you want a kind, low-stress path through the public speaking requirement.

Best fit · Beginner FriendlySpeech Anxiety Safe SpaceClear FeedbackEasy SpeechesExtra CreditWarm And Caring
  • Public speaking feels less scary because she builds a supportive classroom and gives constructive speech feedback.
  • usually about three speeches plus straightforward textbook quizzes.
  • Extra credit and clear rubrics make an A or high B very attainable if you turn work in.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

EasyA

86/100

Three speeches, easy quizzes, clear rubrics, and extra credit make high grades common if you complete the work.

Online and in-person both call it easy; one older COMST35 note says extra credit is needed for an A.

Is the course easy?

Introductory

84/100

Content is introductory public speaking with a light assignment load and common-sense quizzes.

Both formats stay intro-level; online adds module navigation while .

Is attendance flexible?

Recommended

62/100

Attendance is mixed by section, but speech days and participation matter enough that showing up is smart.

Online often lists attendance as no or flexible; many in-person sections mark attendance yes.

Is this professor recommended?

MustTake

90/100

Students repeatedly say take her for the speaking requirement because she is kind, clear, and confidence-building.

Strong recommendation holds online and in person with only a few mixed notes.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Lenient

83/100

She grades on effort and improvement, gives constructive feedback, and offers extra credit rather than harsh speech scoring.

Format shift

Online students highlight clear criteria; in-person shy speakers stress fair grades for trying.

Workload

Light

80/100

Typically three speeches, weekly light work, and a handful of easy textbook quizzes or tests.

Format shift

Online uses checklists and few speeches; in-person is similarly light with not a lot of homework.

Teaching experience

Excellent

93/100

Students call her amazing, responsive, and especially skilled at making public speaking feel safe and fun.

Format shift

Praise is strong in both formats; online has a couple of organization critiques.

Assessment method

FocusOnAssignments

32/100

Speeches dominate the experience, supported by quizzes or a few tests rather than a pure exam course.

Format shift

Online and in-person both revolve around three main speeches plus light exams.

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

19 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Beginner Friendly

In-person speech students love her warm energy, comfort for shy speakers, three-speech structure, and easy exams with extra credit.

Main concern

A few older notes say quizzes or extra credit dependence can block an automatic A if you coast.

What students said

“Prof. Howard is a genuine professor who cares about her students.”
COMST11
“She really does a great job of turning the class into an environment where it's not so scary to give a speech.”
COMST11
“easy class. take this class if you wanna pass with an easy A.”
COMST11

Remote format

Online

10 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Beginner Friendly

Online COMST11 is easy and enjoyable for most, with clear due-date checklists, good speech feedback, and plentiful extra credit, though a few find the module or timed exams confusing.

Main concern

A minority report confusing online organization or timed exams that punish weak prep.

What students said

“Even though I took her online class, it was so easy and enjoyable.”
COMST11
“TAKE THIS CLASS!! Professor Howard is one of the best professors I have had.”
COMST11
“She is friendly, but her online teaching module is confusing..”
COMST11

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Quizzes and exams are described as easy if you skim the book, while speeches are coached with examples and feedback rather than harsh proctoring.

Easy Textbook QuizzesThree SpeechesExtra CreditClear RubricsTimed Online Exams

Assessment risk

StudentFriendly

82/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

and feel easy, while three coached speeches form the core assessment.

Book QuizzesThree SpeechesExtra CreditSupportive Feedback
“the exams are really easy if you just read the textbook.”
COMST11
“There are only 3 speeches, and the quizzes are relatively common sense, but study just in case.”
COMST11

Online

Online exams are mostly easy textbook questions, sometimes timed, with extra credit available and speech feedback provided remotely.

Timed ExamsTextbook BasedExtra CreditSpeech Feedback
“her exams are pretty easy as long as you at least skim through the textbook”
COMST11
“There were 5 tests over the semester along with 3 speeches. It was totally doable.”
COMST11

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“TAKE THIS CLASS!! Professor Howard is one of the best professors I have had. Even though this was an online class, I learned so much.”

Voice snapshots generated from 29 reviews (10 online, 19 in person), highlighting supportive speech coaching, light load, and easy grading. Credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

93/100

“Prof. Howard is amazing. Very kind lady, gives excellent feedback, and life advice in general.”

🗣️ Speech Confidence

90/100

“I was terrified of public speaking. But after taking her class I feel a lot more comfortable speaking in front of crowds.”

🅰️ Easy Grade Path

86/100

“take this class if you wanna pass with an easy A.”

📝 Feedback Clarity

88/100

“She gives great constructive feedback on what to improve on and what the previous speech was good in the first place.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • She's the best!!! Super sweet and really care about her students.
  • She makes the environment so comfortable
  • Very sweet lady that makes a comfortable, fun, and lively environment for her students.

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • Literally love her.
  • If you don't turn in assignments, you will fail. Put in the effort and you'll pass this class easily.
  • Pass all her exams, read the book, and ask questions EASY A.

Theme 3

❤️ About Character

  • She was so nice and caring.
  • I am very camera shy and have a hard time memorizing my lines but and helpful.
  • She's one of my fav professors at SMC!

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

29

Recent reviews read by the AI

29

Lifetime ratings

86/100

Evidence confidence

Twenty-nine reviews spanning online and in-person COMST/speech sections consistently describe a kind, easy, feedback-rich speaking class.

Inside 29 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 524
4 out of 53
3 out of 50
2 out of 52
1 out of 50

Course coverage

COMST1122 reviews
SPEECH13 reviews
SPEEC30572 reviews
A1 review
COMST351 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

21 reported outcomes

A range

15

A+ 3 · A 9 · A- 3

B range

5

B+ 2 · B 3

C range

0

No reported values

D range

0

No reported values

F

0

No reported values

No letter grade reported

1

Drop/Withdrawal 1