3 portfolios of poetry and fiction; no exams

One of the better teachers I've had. He really encourages his students to voice their opinions. Grades fairly, and is satisfied if you just try your best. Great teacher.

interesting class.lame hw assignments,and you can choose what to write the essays on. the midterms are super easy if you prepare with the review he gives you.syllabus is sometimes unclear, but he's a nice guy who will accomodate you if needed.

This guy is a good teacher. He'll critic your paper to the fullest making it a bit difficult to pass his class. Take his class if your an excellent writer. But if your not, run away from him. He won't hesitate to fail you!

Mr. D. is an amazing and fun teacher. He deserves a crown. His work is challenging, but you can be sure that your writing will have improved a lot at the quarters end. He is a great critic on papers, letting you know what is needed to do well next time.

Prof. Robbins is an excellent teacher. His main job is to get your critical thinking working overtime and he does that very well. Excellent instructor, very fair with grades

One of the 3 best teachers that I've had during my time in JC. He is witty passionate and fearless. he makes himself accesable and forces critical thought (he is unafraid of calling out your Sh!T). He's prepped me well for the Law/society program @ UCSB

I have had Doren for English 1A and 1B and loved his classes! He is so helpful and very discusion oriented-a plus in my opinion. I plan to take him yet again for creative writing. I highly recomend him as a teacher.

I loved his class lectures, but class could be disorganized. The reading material was decent, but I hated having to use lit crit sources in my essays. He is a tough (but pretty fair) grader, harder on essays than on tests.

Great teacher! Through and detailed almost to a fault. Lots of homework, papers have a one week turn around....think that's a bit short for quality work. However, I learned a lot and enjoyed the atmosphere. Robbins is dedicated and I admire him for that. Very fair grader too.

BEST TEACHER EVER!

Excellent teacher!!! Very clear! Not boring at all.

doren is a hard teacher but a great guy. he is very interesting to talk to after class. but if your late too much it'll screw you over.

really fun and exciting class , if you're intersted in creative writing. He is very helpful and motivating while you devopl your writing skills. He also has a wonderful personality which keeps you interested in the class lectures.

Absolutely fabulous! This man enlightened me in so many ways and I feel my writing has really taken a lot of development. He also had a terrific personality and was a lot of fun to interact with and pay attention to. I have taken three classes with him so far.

Very hard!!!!!!! But very good. Will inspire you.

yes, his class is a challenge, and should be. Some very deep critical thinking involved, and busy work. He's not all that bad, just got to be patient cuz he's a dynamic fellow.

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He is a Poet first and foremost which doesnt make a good general english teacher. He is excellent at his creative writing classes and tends to emphasis poetry.

Dorren rocks! I had him for Eng 1A, 1B, & creative writing. I learned so much and had a lot of fun. You have to work hard for your grade in that class, but that's the way it should be in any class. No bs with Dorren, so if you want to slack don't ta

Very good teacher! Gives good feedback. Class is hard but very fun.

Challenging and wonderfully interesting, I loved his opinions and insights. A very difficult class for international students, but extremely rewarding for everyone else.

Doren pushed me to the limits of critical thinking. Yes their was frustration involved but its all about overcoming what you are not good at. For some reason people only want to have to do the things god endowed them with naturally. It's Doren's job to make us think and any adult with an open mind would realize grades are earned not givin.

I dunno what these people are talking about. As long as your trying and you do the work his class is great. I recommend him to anyone that still needs to take ENG1B. He's understanding of his students and only really gets mad at those that don't even put forth the effort to try. Highly recommended if you want to learn something.

This teacher is extremely nice although his online course is kind of confusing with descriptions and timing. The class is pretty easy, but essays count for a lot. I didn't do as well as I had hoped. I probably could have studied more though.

Took english 1B with him. One of my favorite teachers at foothill so far. Held very interesting discussions in class, be prepared to contribute. A fair amount of reading, though not unrealistic. The class was challenging, though getting an A or B is acheivable (do the reading!)

I've had Doren for three classes at Foothill and he was my favorite professor there. He's extremely kind and helpful-- I think the only people giving him bad comments here are the ones who never showed up to class. He lets you rewrite essays, and if you bother to ask for extensions, he gives them. Always recommended.

Prof. Robbins was one the first teachers I had at Foothill and he is still one of my absolute favorites. He is only a jerk if you ask like you don't care. He is so extremely helpfull and really cares about his students, and if you take the time to ask him, he'll be there to help you. I just couldn't let anyone talk bad about him man.

Professor Robbins has been a very postive influence on my experience at Foothill College. I reccommend him to people of varying personality types, backgrounds, and interests. As a college professor, Dorren does a great job at addressing important topics in our world, helping prepare students to be successful and conscious minded individuals.

Made Shakespeare interesting for me! Our first midterm was ridiculously difficult, but he recognized his mistake and gave us extra time, plus made the second test more reasonable. He's willing to take the opinions of students into account, which I think is very important, and unfortunately rare. I'd gladly take another course taught by him.

AS long as you take Dorren for Creative Writing, you're set.

If you plan to transfer to a UC or any competitive university, take his 1b, 1a, or eng17. I would not have made it through without Doren's acute emphasis on being able to write well and critically think,most classes are a joke at foothill, but Doren will prepare you for when the bar is raised.

Very helpful and understanding. I was in a very small class and ended up learning a lot. You really need to go to class but tell him if you're having problems and he can be very accomadating. Best English class I've ever taken!

AMAZING TEACHER!!! Helpful, caring and very passionate. He always kept the class interesting. If you don't show him respect he won't show you respect. One kid showed up to class 30 minutes late on MOST days which he called the kid out on. But for the most part he will do whatever he can to help you get a good grade. Easy A if you do the work.

reasonable amount of work and time allotted. very helpful and pretty lenient with hw assignments (i.e late work...) very interesting teacher, easygoing, and fun!

Prof. Robbins is an awesome, free-spirited teacher, and before taking his class, poetry terrified me. He likes students with personality who contribute to the class and support their peers. If you want to learn to write poetry or improve, or just get feedback, TAKE HIS CLASS. My favorite professor hands down.

Straightforward with a supportive, positive teaching style. Thoroughly reads/comments upon each student's work (not all profs bother with that). Excellent useful course plan & book choices. Good teacher/fellow student interaction balance. Class worth taking-good exchange of learning for time/effort. He himself writes well-another plus in a teacher!

2 in class essays, no prompt ahead of time. 2 take home papers. Various busy work as homework. Always quizzes on reading. Stay on top of YOUR OWN GRADE! Class attendance: not vital to do/understand material, but important b/c he FREQUENTLY changed/altered assignment requirements. VERY FUNNY sense of humor. Not much of a learning experience however

Professor Robbins is great. Sure his course is challenging and his critiques are harsh but it's only to prepare you for later courses that will be much more difficult. Throughout the semester, I have learned and improved my writing a great deal. His feedback was invaluable to me. He's probably the best English professor I've ever had.

Dorren is an inspiring teacher. His class is not for the feint of heart, or for anyone new to the English language. But if you can bare with him through the random outbursts that are his lecture ,you will truly learn something about writing and about the world. If you write all three portfolios, you will get a passing grade. Simple.

Be prepared to dedicate several hours of time to reading and hw. Changes were often made to hw ass. and sylabus but worked to our advantage like giving extra time. If you put in sincere effort you'll really improve your writing skills with his feedback. He really isn't as bad as others reviewed him and in my experience he was very flexible.

Took ENGL1B and CRWR with him & loved both classes. He's fair, cares about students, & gives good feedback. Gives specific examples of writing & prompts to help if we can't think of anything ourselves. Had a full class with very few drops. Responds to questions quickly and checks on you if you don't turn in work to make sure you're ok.

Only 3 major essays throughout the quarter. Great in class discussions. Anyone with a brain would take him.

Robbins is NOT a bad teacher. You put effort into the work, make time to read the material, stop being freaking lazy, and you WILL get a good grade. He's also a human being; as long as you're showing that you care about the class, he will respect you and work with you during the quarter. You get what you give - 10/10 would take his class again.

This class was definitely challenging but extremely rewarding. DO NOT take this class if you're not ready to work for it, more than half the class dropped. The professor is always willing to help you, but you can't try to take the easy way out. Prof Robbins is a great professor and I learned a lot from him. A lot of reading and weekly postings.

I took Professor Robbins' English 1B class in spring 2017. I genuinely loved this class. Every one of his lectures were outstanding and gripping. Robbins is charmingly enthusiastic about his field of profession. You will never have a dull moment in this class and you will learn so much from his wisdom. I cannot recommend enough.

I took Professor Robbins in an intensive 6-week online course during the Winter(2018). The course itself can seem tough to those who are new to online classes as there is much commitment to the work required. I however found the course rewarding even tough there is a lot of reading/writing but, hey its college. I developed better writing skills.

Professor Robbins' class was wonderful. It was challenging in the best way, I feel like my overall writing and critical thinking skills have improved tremendously. The class I took was online and we had 1 week to complete the prompts he posted, which was plenty of time. The books he assigned were amazing; interesting and powerful reads. I loved it!

I took Professor Robbins English 1B class online and I have never loved a professor so much! He is a tough grader and you definitely need to put effort into your work but he gives you awesome feedback and he really wants you to succeed. He has helped me improve my writing tremendously. There isn't too much homework either and 1 essay per unit.

He is super helpful if you reach out to him! His feedback is pretty clear and wants his students to succeed but they have to be willing to put in work!

Excellent class. Exposure to amazing literature and development of critical thinking skills which will take you to the next level of introspection and comprehension no matter what your major is.

I just completed Prof Robbins class. I must say going into it i was intimidated as it had been almost 20yrs since I took English. Despite my fears I found him to be tough but fair. I tried hard and made mistakes, but I loved the books he chose and I grew to value his feedback and even look forward to it. He was very encouraging and I learned a ton.

Professor Robbins is a wonderful professor. He provides very good and useful feedback for all writing assignments, and I think the feedback made me a better writer and critical thinker. Highly recommend this course! The workload is demanding, but absolutely worth it! 11/10

Class was asynchronous, so you have to make sure you are willing to put in the work. This class requires a lot of reading of the plays, poems, and sonnets with a homework assignment and a discussion each week. Three exams over the quarter. Overall, the teacher was really amazing, giving very detailed feedback for every assignment! Worth the work!!

The class will be stressful if effort is not given, but it is enjoyable when not done last minute. Shakespeare initially is difficult to understand, but it is fast to get used to the language and the plays are very enjoyable once understood. The feedback is great even though some assignments may be graded later than expected. Great Professor.

This Shakespeare class was really enjoyable and I learned a lot from it. While it required a lot of reading each week and the workload was sometimes uneven (one week to read Play A, two weeks to read a shorter/'lighter' Play B), I felt the workload/effort to put in was manageable. The professor gives detailed feedback for almost every assignment.

I truly have so much respect for Professor Robins because he cares about his students success and this really shows in his detailed feedback. Biggest piece of advice: Do NOT procrastinate. Cant stress this enough because the work load is quite hefty (but the material is SO enjoyable)! I recommend this course even if you dont need it! 10/10 :)

I highly recommend taking Professor Robbins. You can really tell that he is passionate for teaching, he cares for his students, and offers detailed feedback. At first, he may seem a little intimidating, but you'll come to find that he's truly flexible, honest, and willing to support you. The class is intense, but it's definitely worth the ride.

I was initially scared of taking his class (due to the ratings and tags), but found his class relatively easy. While he does grade bit harder compared to other teachers, the comments and advice he gives on assignments are super helpful when it comes to improving writing skills.

The readings and related homework are thought-provoking, and Professor Robbin gives clear, thorough feedback on all assignments that's very helpful as well as encouraging. I genuinely feel this course has helped me become a better writer/thinker.

Mr. Robbins was a great teacher and provided great material for the class. His grading was very fair, and he offered lots of valuable explanations. I would definitely take a class with him again!

Took ENGL 17 (intro to Shakespeare) with Professor Robbins, he gives really good feedback on your work and is easy to reach outside of class. This class is on the more difficult side because it is entirely Shakespeare. It is a very interesting class, and each week there is a discussion and 3-10 question homework assignment based on the reading.

This class was by far one of my absolute favorite classes that I have taken at Foothill! Professor Robbins is incredibly responsive, caring, & gives feedback that truly helped me become a better writer. The assignments were thought-provoking & insightful, my only regret is that I was not able to experience this course in person! Highly recommend!

Robbins is my favorite Professor at Foothill.He goes above and beyond to be accessible to his students, using his free time to make sure students understand and enjoy the material. He hosted zoom lectures on WEEKNIGHTS at late hours, to make it convenient for students to attend. He made Shakespeare fun and is an example of what teachers should be.

No Fear Shakespeare saved my butt! It feels very daunting at first but you'll come to love the plays - their humor, and truths. Robbins is an amazing teacher who will help you understand and appreciate Shakespeare while pushing you to be a better writer and overall student. I loved this class!

Great professor who provides helpful feedback and is clear in his expectations. Timely grading + a manageable amount of work. Is understanding and accepting of late work if you have a valid reason. Fair grader, though not the easiest ever. Take him if you want to actually learn something.

Professor Robbins is an incredible teacher. He is flexible, understanding, caring and gives very detailed and very helpful feedback. As long as you put effort into the class, I can say that he is a very reasonable grader. The content consists heavily of analysis and interpretation of text, to say that it is helpful to be skilled in deep analysis.

Professor Robbins really gives you all the tools to help you succeed within the course. He hosts weekly zoom meetings for students who may be struggling with the reading and assignments, in addition to providing useful feedback to help you improve. I truly felt like grew on my writing just from taking this course.

Prof. Robbins' discussion and homework questions are well thought out and make for good tools to get deeper understanding of the material. Feedback and grading is given promptly and has enough detail to help one improve for next time. The reading material isn't exactly a walk in the park, but Prof. Robbins is really helpful if you go to OH or ask.

Professor Robbins was great, especially for an online course! I had never taken a Shakespeare course before and he provided lots of outside sources to better help understand the material. A very friendly and caring professor who gave very detailed and helpful feedback on every assignment!

I took Intro to Shakespeare (A-) and English 1B (B-) Prof. Robbins is a wonderful teacher. His semester is clearly outlined, he has straightforward criteria, and he actually reads and comments on your submissions. My writing got infinitely better under his tutelage. If you put in the bare minimum, he will give you the bare minimum. Deff recommend!

Professor Robbins is incredibly passionate about English and his students. He is a tough grader but provides excellent feedback in order to help his students succeed. At the end of my Shakespeare course I felt as if I could actually understand Shakespeare and critically analyze it. 10/10!

Professor Robbins is an excellent educator. I enjoyed his class as it allowed for freedom of expression and evoked perceptive and creative thought with few limitations. Professor Robbins provided most of the text for this English 1B course through Online handouts. I truly enjoyed this course and would highly recommend enrolling in this course.

Professor Robbins was amazing! I took this class for credit and coming into the course, I wasn't sure what to expect but the material was interesting & the workload wasn't much (a discussion post & writing assignment every week). I can really tell that he wants our writing to improve overall. Just put in the effort & you'll get the grade you want.

I highly recommend taking any class with Professor Robbins, he does a great job of providing clear feedback that helps with improving our work to get the best grade possible. If you have any questions he responds very quickly and clearly as well. He's a great professor and prioritizes making sure that we understand what we're learning.

Professor Robbins is a strict but fair grader. He is direct about his expectations and provides clear and actionable feedback when you miss the mark, which is helpful. I saw improvements in my writing and, even more importantly, my critical thinking. I enjoyed this class and would recommend it highly!

Professor Robbins is more interested in teaching students how to use literature as equipment for living that empowers human beings to understand the life situation and develops attitudes for approaching them. And I am impressed by how genuine professor Robbins' feedback on our writings as he gently nudges us toward self-introspection.