3.6

Barbara Nelson-Burns

English - Sierra College

3.6
Quality
2.2
Difficulty
56%
Would Retake
137
Reviews
3.6
Quality
2.2
Difficulty
3.6
Helpful
3.5
Clarity

56%

Would Retake

137

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official

5

59

4

23

3

18

2

23

1

14

What Students Say

If you're serious about English, I wouldn't take this class

ENG1B - 5.0 rating

Everyone on here seems to love her class but honestly it is completely disorganized

E1B - 2.0 rating
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

55%

Textbook Required

27%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

A-

95% confidence
Based on 52 grades
Most common grades:
A (27)
A+ (13)
A- (8)
Grade Distribution
A(40)B(1)C(0)D(1)F(0)A-/B+(10)
Based on 56 reported grades
A: 27
A+: 13
A-: 8
Not sure yet: 2
Common Tags
Gives good feedback (17)
Caring (15)
EXTRA CREDIT (11)
Participation matters (10)
Hilarious (9)
Get ready to read (9)
LOTS OF HOMEWORK (8)
Lots of homework (8)
Rating Trend

Declining

-0.69 avg change
May
Oct
Dec
Apr
Aug
Dec
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

41078

5.0

(1)

43115

5.0

(1)

VARIOUS

5.0

(2)

ENG1BENG20

5.0

(1)

INTROTOPOETRY

5.0

(1)
+19 more courses
Difficulty by Course

41078

3.0

ENGBENGL

3.0

BENG

3.0

ENG1BONLINE

3.0

ENGL1A

2.5

Reviews (137)
5.0
3.0
POETRY
May 30, 2003

So fun and sweet! Interesting, goes out of her way to be helpful...understanding, compassionate and really helps you to find your own inner creativity!

5.0
1.0
VARIOUS
Jul 26, 2003

the best professor of all time! she is wonderful...helpful, kind and beautiful spirit!

5.0
1.0
VARIOUS
Nov 9, 2003

Very interesting, caring, helpful...I think everyone should take a class with this sweet lady! She encourages creativity, and treats her students with kindness and respect. Not enough good things to say!

5.0
2.0
ENGLISH1B
Nov 25, 2003

Wonderful person, clear teacher and caring. Teaches the material with ease and very clear about expectations.

4.0
3.0
POETRY
Feb 19, 2004

No Comments

5.0
3.0
ENG1B
May 27, 2004

Nelson-Burns is a great teacher, she is very helpful and explains things well.

5.0
4.0
ENG1B
Nov 12, 2004

Best english teacher of all time. Workshops ultra helpful, Barbara is totally into helping you get your work done and done well.

5.0
1.0
ENGLISH1B
Dec 1, 2004

really enjoyed her class. She was always very helpful and understanding.

5.0
2.0
ENG1B
Apr 22, 2005

She is very nice professor! My favorite!! Take her and learn a lot!

5.0
2.0
ENG1B
May 25, 2005

Very good teacher. Easy class compared to my 1A class. teacher is very helpful and is gives extra credit. she is a wonderful teacher and class was easy.

5.0
1.0
ENG1B
May 30, 2005

Great teacher, I am a horrible analytical and critical writer, yet she helped tremendously. Just do the work and make changes at work shops and you will do fine. 4 papers, 3 4-6 pages,1 2-3, and 3 50 mutiple choice/matching tests. Learned so much more from this class than any other english class. Highly reccomend her for any english class.

5.0
1.0
ENG1BENG20
Jul 1, 2005

No Comments

5.0
1.0
INTROTOPOETRY
Jul 19, 2005

Very nice, very easy, very passionate. Need I say more?

5.0
2.0
ENGLISH1B
Sep 24, 2005

BY FAR THE BEST TEACHER EVER SHE IS SO CLEAR AND NICE AND EASYGOING. NOT TOO MANY ESSAYS AND SHE PROVIDES EXTRA CREDIT. THE ONE CLASS I DONT DREAD GOING TO EVERYDAY!

5.0
2.0
ENGLISH1B
Oct 20, 2005

Real nice lady. Keeps you interested. Fairly easy class. Not too much homework. Very helpfull with tests and essays. Better than my other english teachers by far.

5.0
1.0
POETRY
Grade: D
Dec 2, 2005

Nice and easy. Good insight on the subject.

5.0
1.0
ENG1B
Dec 15, 2005

Great teacher there is basically no late policy with her thanks to her college son. You can turn in assignments due at the beg of the sem on the last days. She's very easy on grading and she has a tendency to cancel class alot. I would Highly Recommend!

5.0
1.0
ENG1B
Jan 13, 2006

Highly recommended!! She's on of the best teachers I've ever had! Not only does she make class fun and interesting, but she's also very helpful. She's very easy to talk to; not at all intimidating. She's more than happy to help you with any questions. And her many random cancelled class are always nice too.

3.0
2.0
ENG1B
Jan 25, 2006

Clarity was a big issue!Changed due dates alot... Helpful Yes! Recommended

4.0
1.0
ENG1B
May 3, 2006

great teacher. very fun to listen to. easy going with grading. def recommended! very nice and swt. gives Extra credit. 5-6 essays but choice of topic 2 write about is very general. basically can write whatver u want

5.0
1.0
ENG1B
Jul 7, 2006

She is probably the best English teacher I have ever had. Barbara is an extremely caring person and understands her students. Very easy going and is very helpful when it comes to her assignments. I cant say enough good things about her. Definitely take her class.

3.0
1.0
ENGLISH1C
Aug 1, 2006

The entire class was about the Holocaust! So depressing and honestly lame to write every single paper on the element of fear- nice lady, and an easy A if you do the work, but boring and treats you like a 5yr old. The good thing is- she doesnt always show up and you dont have to go to workshops. I got an A with minimal effort.

5.0
2.0
ENGLISH1B
Aug 14, 2006

One of the best teacher I had in Sierra, very knowledgable, helpful, has a flexible schedule. I learned a lot from her!

3.0
3.0
ENG1A
Apr 24, 2007

She was a great teacher, although sometimes she would trail off into irrelevant sujects and stories, she was good at teaching english and very sweet. she took time to talk to everyone, and i always felt comfortable. We watched a lot of movies and wrote our papers on the movies. Simple topics were given. Over all i'd say the course was pretty easy.

5.0
2.0
ENG1A
Apr 30, 2007

Great teacher, goes off on random things and jumps from thought to thought but overall hilarious and very helpful!

5.0
1.0
ENGL1A
May 24, 2007

The best English teacher ever. Very knowledgeable,smart,nice, funny and understands students. Takes time to get to know you. Class is easy! Absolutely recommend!!!

4.0
1.0
ENG1B
Aug 21, 2007

Very disorganized - she kept changing due dates. It sucked b/c i'd stay up late doing an assignment that was due the next day and when i got there she'd move it back. She missed class 4 times (i enjoyed that). So yeah very disorganized but the class was VERY VERY easy and she was very nice and helpful and wanted her students to do well. Easy A.

5.0
2.0
INTROPOET
Dec 6, 2007

She is the sweetest lady. She is very helpful. She is almost always a lil late for class and always lets us out early. If you need a lil more time on a paper just ask, she will give you a couple days. Class is boring, but you don't really have to pay attention. I loved her so much, i am taking another one of her classes next semester!

2.0
1.0
ENG1B
Dec 27, 2007

Horribly unorganized..I took her online class looking for an easy A and she had to drop ALL of her due dates because she wasn't keeping up...only entered 2 grades into the gradebook the semester. she logged into the class about once every 2 weeks. it's been a month since school ended and she hasn't submitted my grade..it shows up as report delayed

2.0
2.0
INTROPOET
May 20, 2008

I took online Intro to Poetry. If you want to actually learn anything about poetry, don't take this class. Seriously, she taught at a 2nd grade level. For the subjects she actually taught, she expected a 1 page response every week, so you really had to stretch what you learned and just write nonsense. Would barely respond to emails. Kind of a pain.

5.0
1.0
ENGL1B
Oct 4, 2008

Professor Nelson-Burns is a good professor. She is funny and makes English as fun as it can get. She is disorganized and doesn't get graded homework back to you for ages. However, she is fair and the class is easy.

5.0
2.0
ENG1B
Oct 22, 2008

Excellent Teacher! She really cares about her students and is very flexible with the class. The best thing is the individual meetings on each major paper's rough draft. I went into the class thinking I was going to just get the GE requirement out of the way and ended up changing my major to English. Even manages to make the boring stuff interesting

3.0
1.0
ENG1B
Nov 11, 2008

Barbra is HOT! she is so nice and funny! she is super laid back...really chill. Only 3 essays. Easy and fair grader. understands that we have busy lives and doesn't give too much work. she is really generous about late work. Dont have to go all the time and you'll get an A. I love BARBRA!

5.0
2.0
ENG1B
Dec 26, 2008

I absolutely hate English and was dreading this class. She is an awesome teacher though! She is a very easy grader and as long as you meet what she requires on a paper, you will get an A. She is super nice also!! If you hate english, she will make it somewhat entertaining.

4.0
1.0
ENGB
Jan 14, 2009

I loved this teacher! She is extremely nice and laid back. She is also very understanding. The class was pretty easy. Just show up to class and do the homework.

2.0
3.0
ENG1B
Apr 23, 2009

She's cool, and nice. You never get papers back. You do workshops where you don't have to one day and go 10 minutes the next day. So its nice having days off. I would take her

5.0
1.0
ENG1B
Apr 28, 2009

She is a really easy teacher. She is really helpful with the THREE papers you have to write and meets with everyone individually. You end up getting lots of days off. Good teacher, really likes what she does!

3.0
2.0
ENG1B
Dec 26, 2009

Although I think she might be a good teacher, she had allot of problems with the Distance Learning aspect of the class. I haven't gotten grades on half of my work and the sememster is over. I sent about 20 emails to verify she received my work and she never replied. She seems fair though, and is helpful when she is available.

1.0
2.0
ENG1B
Jan 2, 2010

HORRIBLE TEACHER! Took her online class- she never responds to emails and hasn't graded anything since October even though the semester ended 2 weeks ago. Useless teacher. I did a lot of work for nothing. I do not recommend her, unless you like doing work for nothing.

2.0
2.0
ENG1B
Jan 8, 2010

Online. DO NOT TAKE THIS TEACHER ONLINE! You WILL have terrible experience. She will never respond to your e-mails. She graded a couple assignments in the beginning and that was it for the rest of the semester. Grading isn't too bad when she actually does it. Got an "A." You will be left in the dark the entire semester.

4.0
2.0
ENG1B
Jan 21, 2010

Lectures were pretty interesting, essays were usually broken up enough that they were easy to write. The workshops were really helpful, especially since it's the only time you'll have any idea of what kind of grade you're going to get on the paper. Didn't receive 2 essays back at all during the semester, but I still got an A. Lots of days off.

2.0
2.0
ENG1A
Mar 18, 2010

as far as eng1a, her theme for all your papers must be on the halocaust. waste 4 class periods watching movies. much of the time is spent talking about "potential paper topics"... AKA the halocaust. for a WHOLE semester it can get depressing. for some it's easy-lots of slacking off, but i didn't learn a thing taking her class!

3.0
2.0
ENG1B
Apr 21, 2010

LOVED this teacher. She was always willing to help students after class, although she did cancel class quite often. Passed with an easy A and rarely ever any homework.

5.0
1.0
ENG32
May 19, 2010

Very easy class. I actually enjoyed it even though it was about poetry. I found myself sleeping alot though, but I got an A.

2.0
4.0
ENG1A
Jun 7, 2010

Barbara was the most disorganized, ambiguous, and unapproachable professor I've had! Not only did we not get all our graded papers back, no one had a clue what their actual grade was, until the final grades were posted. AND, she didn't post the final grades until 3-4 weeks after the semester was over! HORRIBLE PROFESSOR! (I got an A)

4.0
1.0
ENGL32
Jun 7, 2010

Okay... she's not the most organized professor, which is clearly stated in other reviews. Other than that, Barbara is a very intelligent, witty and interesting professor and is obviously passionate about her subject matter. It's an easy class, for sure, and she makes it fun at the same time. Enjoy!

3.0
4.0
ENGL1A
Jun 8, 2010

This teacher was not clear on all assignments. While she is a nice, sweet person, you will find yourself unsure on almost all assignments and wondering if you're doing it right. She is not very clear at all. Also, we did not get our papers back all the time. We only got our first few paragraphs back at the beginning but you won't get your 10 pager.

2.0
2.0
ENG1B
Jul 1, 2010

If you want to actually learn something, find a different teacher. I took her on line class and do not recommend the same to anyone. She does not respond to emails, does not post grades, gives no lecture/instruction, and barely ever logs into Blackboard. She only posts assignments and leaves you hanging. I hear she's an easy A- but I haven't seen

2.0
2.0
ENGL1B
Aug 8, 2010

If you are a self sufficient and independent student then this is the professor for you. While I agree with others in the sense that you do not learn anything; she is very nice, approachable, and at times hard to understand. A very easy class though! Bottom line if you want to learn/have a English related major, I do not recommend this professor.

3.0
2.0
ENG1A
Apr 21, 2011

I took her in the spring of '10. The entire class was based on the Holocaust. As long as you read what you're supposed to read and do the writing assignments it's pretty easy to pass this class. Everyone said she cancels class often, but when I had her she cancelled class maybe once, but I skipped class frequently and was able to get a B.

5.0
1.0
ENG1A
Jun 17, 2011

GREAT TEACHER. SUPER EASY CLASS.

2.0
1.0
ENG1B
Jun 20, 2011

Barbara is a nice person, but her teaching isn't the best. She shows up to class LATE every single day, wastes more time because she's not prepared, then the rest of class time is spent talking about nothing. She tries to talk about the subject, but everything always ends up unclear. She's nice, but should get it together. Would not take her class

5.0
3.0
ENGBENGL
Nov 27, 2011

Barbara Nelson-Burns is one of the best teachers i have had. She is passionate about her expertise... and her scholarship is obvious. This is a class that is "what you make of it." You can skate in her class and get nothing. Or you can engage yourself with what is offered and grow. Good for what a CC should be; opening doors to a bigger world.

2.0
3.0
ENG1B
Dec 14, 2011

Took her because she was highly rated on here, however I found her to be very unclear on a lot of things and unstructured. FYI: she is not an instructor that gives writing prompts. If you needed to be guided in your writing then this is not the instructor to take. Easily approachable, but not always helpful, and I feel I did not learn much. :(

2.0
3.0
BENG
Dec 18, 2011

often does not return work. makes dates for post, grades, work returned and almost never keeps them. unclear, shows passion, but does not allow anyone else to have it.

5.0
2.0
ENG18
May 18, 2012

Hate English, took this class only for arts GE. She made it fun, tho. She's upbeat and a bit quirky (in a good way). Didn't give much feedback until the end of class when we did workshops, then was very insightful. IMO, the whole class should be like the last 3 weeks. I don't know what English majors look for in a teacher, but I recommend her!

3.0
1.0
ENG1B
Dec 1, 2012

Love Barbara! I don't know why people are saying she doesn't give prompts. She basically writes the essays for you. She literally spends at least one or two full class days for each essay explaining each prompt and thesis and which examples to use from the reading. She is a little unorganized but she has been my favorite teacher at Sierra.

5.0
1.0
ENG1B
Dec 7, 2012

She's awesome! English classes usually bore me, but her classes are always fun. Lots of homework, but she's a very easy grader. If you just do the assignments, you will do fine. I highly recommend her.

3.0
2.0
ENG115
Dec 11, 2012

Barbara is smart, whimsical, and genuinely passionate about literature. However, she is pretentious, cold, and intolerant of the spirit of others. Her ability to clearly define the parameters of an assignment is in question, along with her ability to be civil in the face of classroom disturbances.

3.0
1.0
ENGL20
Mar 28, 2013

Barbara is a nice enough person, but I've legitimately learned NOTHING from her Creative Writing class. She fills almost half of the class period with personal anecdotes and rarely teaches. She also says we will be using the book a lot, and this has yet to happen. If you like to be challenged, she is NOT the instructor for you.

5.0
3.0
41078
Aug 11, 2013

Barbara is a great teacher! She gives your mind the opportunity to explore outside the lines. Like any class, show up and ask questions and you will get an A. I definitely took away a lot from her teaching methods

5.0
3.0
E1B
Sep 20, 2013

I had Prof. Nelson-Burns last semester in E 1B. She's a pro in her way of teaching and is a very intelligent person. I learned a lot because she provides so much insight. She's also very helpful, kind, and humorous. Just do well on the assignments and come to class. Also, I liked that she was clear and straightforward.

4.0
2.0
ENG1B
Dec 16, 2013

Assignments are not hard and essays are well paced. if you have other classes then this is the right english class for you. She takes a long time to grade papers. has only graded 3 out of 16 and the semester is over. Assignments and lectures are book based. Not enough commenting to improve your writing.

5.0
2.0
E1B
Dec 17, 2013

Probably the best English professor on campus. I loved coming to class and found her lectures intriguing. Homework is not demanding, unless you wait last minute to start on the essays or the readings. You get from this class what you put into it.

2.0
2.0
ENG1BONLINE
Mar 27, 2014

Positive-She is so unorganized that when she finally gets around to grading your assignment a moth later, she is so overwhellmed that everyone gets an A. Negative- You need a secret decoder ring just to figure out what the hell the assignment is. The work load is fair and totally doable, but her utilization of canvas instruction is soooo poor.

2.0
1.0
ENGL1B
Mar 30, 2014

Look, if you want an easy A, take this class. Don't expect to learn much though. I found it VERY hard to sit through this class because lectures are painfully boring.

4.0
1.0
ENG1B
Apr 16, 2014

Very smart and passionate about literature. Very easy to approach if you need help. She is easy when it comes to grading and gives lots of extra credit.

5.0
1.0
ENG1B
May 6, 2014

If you're serious about English, I wouldn't take this class. If you want an easy A, go for it. She's a super cool teacher and is always willing to help, but she rambles so much. SO freaking much.

4.0
1.0
ENG32
Dec 6, 2014

This Professor is very passionate about poetry but her lectures are long and hard to sit through. She is a great person and funny at times but rambles a lot. She doesn't take attendance so you don't have to be there, just show up on the days you turn in assignments. She doesn't grade papers until the end of the semester but doesn't grade hard.

3.0
2.0
ENG32
Grade: A+
Dec 12, 2014

Enjoys her own off-hand remarks. Want a class where you never have to take notes? Then, this is the class for you. Want to really learn about poetry and be challenged? Not here, I'm afraid. Show up and turn in the papers. You'll probably have them returned and graded at the very end of the semester. Seems her work ethic is sadly lacking.

4.0
2.0
ENGLISH1B
Dec 15, 2014

Professor Barbara Nelson-Burns is a wonderful teacher. I enjoyed her class.

5.0
4.0
ENG1B
Grade: A-
Dec 18, 2014

Professor Nelson-Burns is a wonderful teacher! She'll meet you if you need to ask her any questions when she can, and she's also funny and very enlightening. However, she does expect college level papers. So don't think you can just breeze through her class. And late work is an absolute NO.

5.0
1.0
ENGL0001B
Grade: A+
May 17, 2015

The best thing about her class is she gives a TON of extra credit. But never take them for granted because there is a lot of work in the class, so if you miss a class it can be hard to get your grade back up BUT she is extremely lenient on deadlinesdue dates, so again a BIG plus! Lastly I never used the text book, so save money!

5.0
1.0
43115
Jun 1, 2015

Fairly easy as long as you keep up in your notebooks; no real homework and tests are nonexistent in her class, which is a major plus! One big project in the second-to-last month of class and submits stuff you've written for publication as a final; not hard to pass but don't wait until the last minute to do stuff.

5.0
3.0
ENGL1B
Grade: A
Oct 9, 2015

One of the best professors at Sierra College! English is my least favorite subject, but she was always there to give me feedback on my essays before turning them in, so it's easy to get a good grade. Take advantage of her office hours, get some feedback on your essay's, and you'll do great!

5.0
1.0
ENGL20
Grade: A
Dec 25, 2015

I took Barbara's creative nonfiction writing class in the spring 2015 semester, so when the opportunity arose to take her for another required class (Eng. 20) I didn't hesitate to sign up. Barbara gives wonderfully detained constructive criticism about poetry and there's no book to buy! One small quiz to take and then a poetry journal and that's it

5.0
4.0
ENG32
Grade: A
Jan 17, 2016

She gives a great deal of insight into poetry and helps you understand it's meanings. Always encourages you to ask questions and gives thoughtful answers. She made us laugh :) You learn a lot about different styles of poetry and are introduced to a wide variety of poets! She is an exceptional teacher. I highly recommend her!!

5.0
2.0
E1B
Grade: A+
Apr 1, 2016

She taught me how to write. I hated writing before I took her class, now I find it fun. You'll learn to analyze in depth & make better use of that brain of yours. She's the best, & that's an understatement.

3.0
2.0
ENG1B
May 14, 2016

Barbara is a nice woman, and respects her students and her students respect her as well. This English 1B class with her is pretty easy, but what makes it difficult is that her lectures are hard to follow and confusing at times. She only grades work every couple of months, which is irritating if you don't know how you're doing. Decent prof. overall

4.0
1.0
ENG1B
May 20, 2016

Barbara has such a great personality and you can tell she loves literature and poetry. She always made me laugh, even though she rambles and talks a lot. Class is pretty easy, with 3-4 essays and two easy tests. She takes time to know everyone by name, which I like. Plus at the end of the semester she brought us Noah's bagels. would take her again!

5.0
3.0
ENG1B
Grade: A
Jun 2, 2016
Would take again

A great and passionate professor! Enjoyed her class and meeting her in person. Expect the reasonable workload and be responsible for your own assignments, and you will be absolutely fine. She is a fair grader and deserves credit for all her hard work. Loved her!

5.0
4.0
E1B
Grade: A
Aug 12, 2016
Would take again

The teacher is great. If you are interested in learning how to write a good essay, take that class. She is very helpful, makes you work, but it would pay back with a better writing skill. The extra credit is provided.

CARES ABOUT STUDENTS
Inspirational
Clear grading criteria
5.0
3.0
ENGL32
Grade: A
Dec 11, 2016
Would take again

I had her for Introduction to Poetry and by far, she has to be my favorite professor I've had the entire time attending Sierra. She goes on a lot of rants but she's hilarious so it's okay. She cares about her students and she'll do what it takes to get you on track. 10/10, would take again.

Gives good feedback
Hilarious
Caring
4.0
2.0
ENG1B
Grade: A
Dec 27, 2016
Would take again

Barbara is overall an amazing professor. She did cancel class about 8 times out of the semester which was a little frustrating. She helps out with homework and essays and has responded to every email I've sent her. Not all of my assignments were graded even after the semester had ended, (don't know why) but I still finished with an A.

Respected
Hilarious
EXTRA CREDIT
4.0
2.0
ENG1B
Grade: A
Jan 19, 2017
Would take again

Barbara Nelson-Burns was a good professor. I took her for English 1B online. Her assignments were fairly simple to understand and I didn't spend a lot of time working on assignments. (1-2 hours a week max.) She did however not grade my last 3 assignments at the end of the semester but I still received an A. Easy and seemed really nice in emails.

Participation matters
SO MANY PAPERS
Clear grading criteria
4.0
3.0
ENG1B
Grade: A-
Apr 28, 2017
Would take again

Prof. Nelson-Burns is a simple one, however; she TALKS A LOT! She will spend the whole class talking non-stop and kind of babies you. Good class though so not really stressful. 4 essays (1 poetry research, the rest for plays and fiction)

Gives good feedback
ACCESSIBLE OUTSIDE CLASS
Clear grading criteria
5.0
2.0
ENG1A
Grade: A+
May 16, 2017
Would take again

She was an amazing professor. The best thing about her is she gives back great feedback. She works with everyone personally to make sure they know what they're doing and help them, of course. Plus she's funny, although some people complained that she talks too much. I definitely recommend her for any English class.

Gives good feedback
Clear grading criteria
Hilarious
2.0
1.0
E1B
Jun 14, 2017
Wouldn't take again

I have been in Barbara's online class for a total of 3 days now and am already about to drop it. Everyone on here seems to love her class but honestly it is completely disorganized. Her messaged to the class are all over the place and hard to follow and the assignments aren't any easier to understand.

GROUP PROJECTS
1.0
5.0
ENG1B
Grade: Incomplete
Jul 10, 2017
Wouldn't take again

I agree with person in before. I hate her so much. She give so much to do. I spend hours and hours doing homework and still give low grade. She respected to much higher in the classes. She has strict rules you should always follow. She doesn't accepted if you did different way.

Tough Grader
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
LECTURE HEAVY
2.0
1.0
ENG1B
Grade: A
Nov 6, 2017
Wouldn't take again

I had Prof. Burns for English 1B on campus. She was nice, but assigns a lot of busy work and half the time she doesn't even grade the work until a month or so later. I became so frustrated because she talks and talks about random things rather than explaining the assignment and its purpose. I had no sense of direction in her class.

LOTS OF HOMEWORK
2.0
4.0
ENG1B
Nov 7, 2017
Wouldn't take again

I had Barbara for English 1B online and it was a disaster. She was nice, but she never responded to messages. She assigns a lot of homework, which is expected but she was hardly there to help. When she did send out messages to the class they were very hard to understand. It was a hard class. Take a different teacher if at all possible.

Tough Grader
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
SO MANY PAPERS
4.0
2.0
ENG1B
Grade: A
Jan 8, 2018
Would take again

Funny and kind, she does tend to ramble. A lot of homework but very doable, just time consuming. Grades on a lot of things which is nice, eg., outline, rough draft, final draft, peer edit sheets, so if you don't get an amazing grade on final then as long as you've done the work everywhere else you should be good. Book is cheap but not really needed

Gives good feedback
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
Hilarious
2.0
3.0
ENG1B
Jan 12, 2018
Wouldn't take again

Her biggest problem is being unorganized. She'll start class and then go on and on about some random stuff that has no relevance to the class. Another bad thing is she only posted all the grades the last week of the semester which was awful because i did not know if i was failing the class or not.

Tough Grader
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
5.0
3.0
ENG18
Grade: A+
Jan 30, 2018
Would take again

Barbara is by far the best professor I have had at Sierra and my entire school career. I love her passion and sense of humor. I've learned so much from her!

Gives good feedback
Inspirational
Hilarious
5.0
4.0
ENGLISH1B
Feb 21, 2018
Would take again

Shes great !

Hilarious
5.0
2.0
ENGL32
Grade: A+
Apr 30, 2018
Would take again

Barbara is a real gem, and Sierra College is lucky to have her creative wit! I have also taken her creative writing classes and can't recommend her enough. She has so much knowledge and care for art and literature. Her feedback is incredibly encouraging and thoughtful. If you want to become a better writer, take her classes!

Gives good feedback
Hilarious
Caring
3.0
3.0
ENG1B
May 10, 2018
Wouldn't take again

Great person, not so great professor. She is super nice, and understanding and does a great job of working around issues. On the other hand, she is hard to follow along with and does not stay on topic. She goes off on meaningless tangents which just confuse students. When she explains things, it is never clear and most people are just confused.

4.0
2.0
ENG1B
Grade: A-
May 14, 2018
Would take again

based a lot on papers. she does help with the material and is very easy on the grading. as long as you try you can pass the course.

Gives good feedback
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
Caring
2.0
3.0
ENG1B
Grade: A
Jul 24, 2018
Wouldn't take again

Shes very unorganized, unlocks the assignments for the week and sends a message to everyone explaining what the week is going to be, but her messages make no sense. She doesnt answer her messages about assignments until after it was due. Takes forever to grade but gives full credit (if you actually do the work). Take her class at your own risk!!

Participation matters
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
SO MANY PAPERS
1.0
3.0
ENG1B
Grade: A
Jul 31, 2018
Wouldn't take again

DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR!! She doesnt unlock the assignments until the day before its due and often forgets to unlock it. She is not organized at all she doesnt answer messages and is no help with assignments. I wish I took another professor that actually knows how to help their students. I REPEAT DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS FIND ANOTHER PROFESSOR!

Get ready to read
SO MANY PAPERS
EXTRA CREDIT
1.0
2.0
ENGL0001B
Grade: A-
Aug 3, 2018
Wouldn't take again

Painful to be in a class under her lack of organization, lack of communication, lack of attentiveness and lack of instruction. Assignments are very confusing when assigned and you get almost zero input. I am not sure if something is going on that is hindering her ability to teach, but it has been a very tough class.

Get ready to read
EXTRA CREDIT
2.0
4.0
ENG1BONLINE
Dec 2, 2018
Wouldn't take again

OK, the start of the semester for Eng1B online was fine. She would actually grade papers/assignments in a timely matter. However, before we reached the middle of the semester she stopped grading assignments, stopped giving feedback, AND she did not once respond to any of my emails(frustrating). Her assignments were confusing and was unorganized.

Get ready to read
SO MANY PAPERS
1.0
4.0
ENG1B
Jan 6, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Took Class in fall 18 semester. She graded assignments until the first week of October then stopped. Hasnt graded anything or posted final grades and its a few weeks away from the next semester. Sure, she offers extra credit, but what good is that If you have no idea what your grade is? Textbook is pointless. Way too much work to not get a grade

Get ready to read
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
EXTRA CREDIT
4.0
2.0
ENG1B
Grade: A
Apr 30, 2019
Would take again

Barbara is the nicest English prof at Sierra. Yes she is very unorganized and stops grading work that you turn in but she knows what she is doing. There is a lot of papers she assigns and sometimes in lectures she starts talking about random things.. overall her class is an easy A-B if you show up and try on the papers. She is not a tough grader.

Caring
EXTRA CREDIT
So many papers
3.0
2.0
ENG1A
Jul 23, 2019
Wouldn't take again

People are too hard on her on here. Shes a fine professor. Yes, shes unorganized but its not that big of an issue. It may seem like she assigns a lot of work, but half of the readings she assigns dont pertain to the assignments, so i just dont do them. Just do on the assignments, youll be fine.

Caring
EXTRA CREDIT
1.0
4.0
ENG1B
Grade: Not sure yet
Nov 25, 2019
Wouldn't take again

One of the worst classes Ive taken. She's unorganized and its hard to understand what is expected. She doesn't make sense more than half the time. She doesn't grade period. Theres two weeks left off the semester and I have no idea what my grades are so I can't tell how I am doing in the class. Don't take this class, save yourself.

Lots of homework
3.0
2.0
ENG1B
Grade: A
Dec 4, 2019
Would take again

I am currently taking this class. She is a good professor as in she is very nice and funny. However, she does assign a lot of homework but takes forever to grade. We have one week of class left and she still has not graded HW from 2 months ago. Her assignment directions are unclear and she is unorganized but do the hw and you will pass.

Lots of homework
Caring
EXTRA CREDIT
3.0
1.0
ENG32
Grade: A+
Feb 12, 2020
Would take again

She was very interesting because we went off topic alot, there is really no point coming to her class but she does give good feedback on your poetry and really does help you expand your waters as a writer. The class consist of: once week workshop, one paper on a poet and video, 1 quiz on terms, 1 poet analysis, and a final project of your own work

Accessible outside class
Inspirational
Caring
2.0
3.0
ENG1B
Grade: B
Mar 30, 2020
Wouldn't take again

My English class with Professor Burns was very frustrating, she was almost never accessible and did not respond to questions I had about assignments until a few hours before they were due, being an online class it made things very difficult. I wouldn't recommend taking her class, and I'm not intending to be hateful, but she is not a great teacher

Tough grader
1.0
4.0
ENG1B
Grade: A-
Apr 17, 2020
Wouldn't take again

Warning!! Do not take her class, it will be a nightmare. I'm not just being dramatic, it has caused me so much trouble. She does not reply to email/txt/calls, and doesn't grade work until usually 2 months after it was turned in. She doesn't really teach anything, just gives assignments. Do yourself a favor and find another professor.

Participation matters
5.0
2.0
ENG1B
Grade: A
May 12, 2020
Would take again

One of the best professors, she is very down to earth & really tries to create a bond with every student she has. Genuinely one of the most impactful & meaningful professors, quiet a bit of work but she makes it easy! She will help you with every question you have & takes time to go over your paper so you know exactly what you need to improve on!

Gives good feedback
Clear grading criteria
Hilarious
5.0
3.0
ENG1B
Grade: A+
Jun 5, 2020
Would take again

I really enjoyed taking this class! She was exceptionally understanding throughout the entirety of the semester & especially when we moved online. She was thorough and responsive in her emails. There are many assignments but that just means you have room for error. You can tell she cares about her students & wants the best for her students!

Gives good feedback
Inspirational
Caring
4.0
3.0
ENGL1B
Grade: A+
Jul 31, 2020
Would take again

She was an mazing professor, and actually card about her students and how well they do. A bit unorganized but when you need her, she's there to help.

Gives good feedback
Get ready to read
Caring
4.0
3.0
ENG1B
Grade: A
Jan 25, 2021
Would take again

I took her class online during Covid and she was the most understanding professor ever. She was aware online is very different than used to and fixed the criteria around the students and their schedules. The only bad thing is she takes quite a long time to grade work.

Respected
Participation matters
5.0
2.0
ENGL32
Grade: A
Oct 25, 2021
Would take again

I had Prof. Nelson-Burns for 2 classes my last semester at Sierra: Creative Writing (Poetry) and Poetry Lit. She is easily one of the most approachable professors I've ever had. Her teaching style is awesome; as an English major, she really helped me develop a love for poetry. I always got detailed and helpful feedback. Grades are based on effort.

Gives good feedback
Participation matters
Amazing lectures
1.0
3.0
ENG1B
Grade: Not sure yet
Mar 28, 2022

There are no modules or lessons, only assignments. She doesn't post anything, you just have to figure out the class by yourself by looking through assignments. She doesn't grade - it has been almost 2 months since I last got a grade, you never know if you're doing it right. So stressful doing all the work and not knowing if you'll even pass.

Participation matters
Lots of homework
1.0
3.0
ENGL0001B
Grade: Rather not say
Apr 16, 2022

Why are we paying for this! Where is she? She hasn't TAUGHT anything! Just assignments with no feedback so we aren't even learning! I don't know if I'm even doing it the right way! just aimlessly turning in assignments! RUN

4.0
2.0
ENG32
Grade: A+
Apr 25, 2022
Would take again

I had a very easy time in this class! Despite being an English major I hate poetry but I didn't have any trouble in this class. There was very little homework and it was always easy to understand the criteria we had to meet which was nice. No complaints! :)

Clear grading criteria
Gives good feedback
4.0
3.0
ENG1B
Grade: A
Jun 3, 2022
Would take again

All of the assignments build on each other, so it flows smoothly and every assignment is accessible from Day 1, so you can look ahead and plan, or work at your own pace (aside from DBs; each assignment requires you to post to DB so you'll have to wait for that part to open). Not a lot of feedback throughout the course but she is nice and available

Participation matters
Lots of homework
Caring
1.0
4.0
ENGL1B
Grade: A
Sep 15, 2022

For a 3 unit class, you will receive the workload of a 4-5 unit class. Emails are responded to in the week, not necessarily the day. Work is graded monthly at best with zero feedback on why you were marked down. I never heard her voice as she never gave a lecture and she had two zoom meetings that were announced a few hours prior to the 8am start.

Lots of homework
1.0
3.0
E1B
Grade: A
Dec 25, 2022

This was a online course, work was rarely graded.

5.0
3.0
ENG1B
Grade: A
Jan 20, 2023
Would take again

I hate writing, but I enjoyed this class. Nelson-Burns provided constructive feedback and was accommodating for when life got in the way of school. Class participation is a must, even in an online setting. Overall, I would take course again with the same instructor.

Get ready to read
Participation matters
Gives good feedback
5.0
1.0
ENG1B
Grade: A+
May 4, 2023
Would take again

Very easy class. I wish I could take her class again. She is the easiest teacher you'll ever have. She does ramble a lot but you can just do HW during her rambling. I did buy a book in the class for like $12 but we never really used it. She does accept late work. She teaches well and is happy to help you with anything.

EXTRA CREDIT
Caring
Graded by few things
5.0
3.0
ENG1B
Grade: A
Nov 27, 2023
Would take again

I took this class in the summer (8 weeks), so there was some reading and assignments that needed to be done very often. Professor Barbara is very informative and she's there when you need help. She's also understanding of late work. I highly suggest going to the workshop zooms and staying on top of work. Get ready to write!

Participation matters
Gives good feedback
Caring
2.0
5.0
ENG1B
Grade: A
Dec 4, 2023

Anyone who is not already excellent in English should avoid this class unless you can attend all the optional zoom meetings which might as well be mandatory, or hope that your classmates are great because the teacher gives out a massive amount of work with vague feedback or none at all. The only real feedback is from other students.

Tough grader
Get ready to read
Lots of homework
5.0
1.0
ENG1B
Grade: A-
Dec 8, 2023
Would take again

This professor was a really good teacher. Her class wasn't difficult at all and passed with a good grade. She does take awhile to grade assignments but she tells you to nag her about it so she gets them in. If you have any questions she'll definitely answer and provides feedback. definitely recommend!

Gives good feedback
Caring
Respected
1.0
3.0
ENGL0001B
Grade: A+
Mar 2, 2024

If you want a heavy English class with lots of homework that will not get you anywhere, take this course. Honestly, I am disappointed with the amount of work this class was with so little points due for each assignment.

Lots of homework
1.0
4.0
ENG1B
Grade: B+
Apr 18, 2024

For a 3 credit course, there was a lot of homework worth a ridiculous amount of points. She is a very late grader with no feedback. 3 total essays which will be discussed mainly with classmates and get feedback from them. There is a "textbook" to purchase although I would not purchase it since it was not useful whatsoever.

Tough grader
Get ready to read
Lots of homework
4.0
4.0
ENG1B
Grade: A
Apr 24, 2024
Would take again

Professor Nelson-Burns is great. Her lectures are mostly her talking to herself. Entertaining, but long. You have to do 3 papers over the semester. The 1st is about fiction and it takes a while. The 2nd is about poetry and it's pretty tedious. The 3rd is about drama and very short. This class takes up time; prepare for that. Overall, she's fine.

Participation matters
Amazing lectures
Gives good feedback
2.0
4.0
ENG1B
Grade: A
May 16, 2024

Few assignments, that were big and took forever. She would have optional Zoom scheduled at her own time so if you can't make it, good luck. She is late on grading so you may need to email her to keep up.

Tough grader
Get ready to read
Graded by few things
5.0
1.0
ENG1B
Grade: A+
Oct 23, 2024
Would take again

No books to read. Wrote 3 short essays the entire semester. Easiest english class and great teacher. Highly recommend for an easy A.

4.0
3.0
ENG1B
Grade: A-
Dec 1, 2024
Would take again

Professor Nelson-Burns' class has a heavy workload, but she's understanding and provides helpful feedback. The optional Zoom sessions and resources like ChatGPT and Unstuck AI make it manageable. Expect a lot of writing, but it's a rewarding experience.

5.0
2.0
ENGL0001B
Grade: A-
Apr 22, 2025
Would take again

Love love love barbara nelson burns, she was super understanding and she didn't give me any late credit even if i was more than a week late on an assignment. Genuinely a teacher that cares.

Amazing lectures
Caring
Respected
2.0
3.0
ENG1B
Apr 30, 2025

Her teaching style is very unclear and vague, I spent most days in class wondering what she was asking for. Hard to reach outside of class. If a student asks a question, she often interrupts before they can finish. She doesn't grade during the semester so it's hard to keep track of your grade. There are lots of assignments. Wouldn't recommend

Caring
5.0
1.0
ENG1B
Grade: A
Aug 24, 2025
Would take again

Barbara was so chill!!! she made sure everyone in the class understood her lectures and she gave us multiple attempts to do assignments! best teacher at sierra for sure!!! if you have a chance to take her class, DO IT!!! she is amazing and you can tell she loves her job, she brought food for the class like 5 times!!! awesome!!!

EXTRA CREDIT
Group projects
Hilarious
1.0
3.0
ENG1B
Grade: B+
Dec 1, 2025

Very slow with grading so keep that in mind before taking her class. I didn't know my updated grade till probably a week left in the class

Tough grader
EXTRA CREDIT
Gives good feedback
3.0
2.0
ENG1B
Grade: A
Dec 8, 2025
Would take again

Barbara is nice, but this class was very annoying.There were only 3 main assignments, all being essays. She gives you a lot of time to complete them and she even ended up pushing back the due date a couple of times.Her lectures go a little long because she talks to herself a lot.Her canvas is confusing but not terrible.Not a bad class, but annoying

EXTRA CREDIT
Respected
Graded by few things
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

55%

Textbook Required

27%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

A-

95% confidence
Based on 52 grades
Most common grades:
A (27)
A+ (13)
A- (8)
Grade Distribution
A(40)B(1)C(0)D(1)F(0)A-/B+(10)
Based on 56 reported grades
A: 27
A+: 13
A-: 8
Not sure yet: 2
Common Tags
Gives good feedback (17)
Caring (15)
EXTRA CREDIT (11)
Participation matters (10)
Hilarious (9)
Get ready to read (9)
LOTS OF HOMEWORK (8)
Lots of homework (8)
Rating Trend

Declining

-0.69 avg change
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Ratings by Course

41078

5.0

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43115

5.0

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5.0

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5.0

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5.0

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Difficulty by Course

41078

3.0

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3.0

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3.0

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3.0

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2.5

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