2.6
Quality3.6
Difficulty25%
Would Retake167
Reviews25%
Would Retake
167
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
24
4
21
3
30
2
51
1
41
What Students Say
“Not a prof anyone would want, especially if the course you're taking is to boost your gpa”
PHL214 - 2.0 rating“He really has no idea about the course”
PHL710 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
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100%
Attendance Mandatory
42%
Textbook Required
11%
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Reviews (167)
I think he's a pretty decent professor. Very succinct and clear about topics. Offers the option of an essay rewrite to students if you hand it in early. He will go through it and give you feedback. The course does require a bit of work but this is probably the best philosophy course I've taken.
He's a really good teacher who knows his stuff...he has both a scientific and philosophical background which makes for a well rounded course..although he gets confusing at times, he's overall very helpful and will cater to you if you show your interest and need.
A really good prof. Always has time to talk if you're having difficulties. Provides good feedback on assignments and exams to allow you to be better prepared for next time. The course was very interesting and the prof very knowledgable.
I couldn't agree more, very nice prof!
Fascinating course with great teaching by this prof! Loved it all!
He made a point to learn everyone's name. Was very understanding on the days I couldn't make it to class, and gave good feedback on assignments, so I pulled my mark up. Great teacher! If you are going to take any philosophy class, take this one.
I really learned something in this class. unlike most classes in university!
Gary has high expectations, but he's a great teacher and will do whatever it takes to help you suceed. FYI he has major pet peeves with lateness and eating loudly (i.e. chip bags that make noise) in class.
He's nice but somewhat creepy. He gives no notes, he just lectures for hours on end. He ignores questions in order to keep on time with his lecture. He won't speak to you on break time because he needs to get his smoke break in. He is a tough marker and seems to favour the men in the class. His lectures are long and convoluted.
great teacher, develop interest in the subject, use examples from real life.make the course easy to understand
He is a good professor and certainly interested in what he is teaching. However, you lose marks if you don't attend every class or have a doctor's note. I don't think attendance should be mandatory in university. Also, he does not take breaks, which is really frustrating especially when you have another class immediately after. Nice guy though.
very fair and clear. makes class interesting. very enthusiastic
Terrible. Babbles on and never gives you a clear answer or analysis of text. Always asks for class input and always shuts students down when they don't answer correctly. Talks too fast. I stress that lectures are haphazard, very hard to understand what you should take notes on, isn't clear on what should be taken down.
makes the class more confusing then it needs to be and the material is hard to understand by just reading alone. He is intimidating and will make you feel stupid if you try but don't get it but then gets really pissed when people dont speak up. majority of class cant wait 4 it to be over. I would suggest having a phil backround before taking.
Lectures are confusing and he gets off track very easily. He gives no notes or summaries of the main points/concepts. Not very good at explaining the material and instead will stand there for 10 mins asking us what the answer is when clearly no one knows instead of taking that time to break each part down and explain. There are also no breaks.
Horrible class even if you are following along and understand the class you can still do horrible. class is 1 midterm with 1 essay and a final with 2 essays that are really hard to answer even when you studied. so dont expect your hard work to show in your grade i hear James Cunninghams class is awesome everyone loves him dont take toop
wow, some of you are a rough crowd. The class wasn't that bad. If you're interested in philosophy, or religious arguments, then the class is valuable to take. So what if he doesnt hand out notes? take them for yourself when he stresses key points! His unorthodox style of calling students out is interesting, but i wasnt bothered cuz he left me alone
He's a fairly good professor in terms of knowing the information--but teaching it is another story. Even if you do take notes in this class, it's quite difficult to do so because he talks a lot faster than other professors, never writes anything down, and is a bit disorganized. Don't expect to get a high mark in this class if you're taking it.
Do not take this course if you expect to get a crash course in Philosophy. Toop already has high expectations for the students, which makes his marking seem really unfair. The readings are also difficult for a first timer and it doesn't help that his lectures are unclear. All and all, if you get him, switch. Unless it's your major.
Assumes a wide base of knowledge in both philosophy (as well as psychology). An almost unfairly hard marker. Speaks very quickly, jumps around on topics seemingly at random. Goes off on tangents but does not say if they need to be known or not. Is not great at actually teaching. Quick note taking mandatory. Does not explain things clearly.
Brutal! Extremely difficult marker. I receieved my worst marks from him. We were required to answer 3 questions each week except his discussion questions usually asked 3-5 questions per question....I use to enjoy philosophy but this class consumed my entire semester and ruined my other courses!
So, there is a LOT of rambling and a lot of tangents, but HE KNOWS HIS STUFF. I've taken a bunch of philosophy classes so I was ok, but students new to the discipline might be frustrated. There is VERY LITTLE LECTURE, class is largely discussion-based.This can be good but sometimes the main points of readings aren't clear, which makes studying hard
I got really shocked when I saw all these low ratings. I had the Critical Thinking course with Gary last year and I found him very helpful and compassionate towards all students. I also found his class very interesting. He gives clear examples and makes things simple by providing clear summaries.
Extremely lucky to have been taught by him; He is a great teacher and extremely knowledgeable about politics, economics, arts and ethics besides philosophy. Goes out of his way to ensure students get clear explanations of concepts and is always available to help. He encourages you to develop your own ideas as long as they are adequately explained.
Probably the hardest prof ever to watch lecture! He paces back and forth, made me so dizzy. His mannerisms are terrible - instead of listening to his lecture I tallied the number of times he said "right?" at the end of a sentence...over 200 times in an hour! Terribleee...never taking a philosophy class again!
Far by th worst philosphy professor ever encountered and I have taken four previous philosphy courses. I saw students giving him good ratings saying he is a nice guy but what does that have to do with teaching? He cannot lecture can never make clear points about the readings that make it difficult to take notes and goes on rambling about irrelevent
Overall, not very happy with this teacher. He was my first philosophy teacher and frankly, was not very constructive and not helpful. A very intimidating class nonetheless.
Awful course. You only learn about western philosophy and god, not other religions. He's rude and talks to quick. Not very helpful, he told me had other things to do so he couldn't spend that much time with me going over things. Course is 1 midterm, one essay ,one exam. Don't expect to get an A or B. Just awful.
His lectures were all over the place messy; however, he writes very good feedback to help you improve your future philosophy essays. His tests were okay... But seriously, his lectures... he talks insanely fast. Good luck.
One of the best professors at Ryeson. His lectures are rich because of his huge knowledge base and interdisciplinary approach. Read, write and speak clearly, and participate in class discussions - you will marked fairly and find his courses very rewarding.
pretty good prof. lectures are hard to get through because he does not take breaks and continues talking. often rambles OT, which makes it a little difficult to take notes because it's hard to catch when he does get back OT. however, he is a fair teacher, and very smart. ask for help if you need anything and he'll try his best.
Incredible professor. I cannot stress more how important it was to complete readings since the entire class is dedicated to discussion of the text. He has such extensive multi-disciplinary knowledge that he is capable of relating anyone's field of study to Philosophy. I was more engaged in this class than I ever have been in my academic career.
Great class. Hard, because of all the readings. But as long as you read and really remember the key points in each one for midterm and final, you'll do good. He does go on for a while, and it's confusing at points, cuz he doesnt make a point of it... But overall very interesting and knowledgable.
Great class. Hard, because of all the readings. But as long as you read and really remember the key points in each one for midterm and final, you'll do good. He does go on for a while, and it's confusing at points, cuz he doesnt make a point of it... But overall very interesting and knowledgable.
Great class. Hard, because of all the readings. But as long as you read and really remember the key points in each one for midterm and final, you'll do good. He does go on for a while, and it's confusing at points, cuz he doesnt make a point of it... But overall very interesting and knowledgable.
During discussion he tends to ramble a little before asking for feedback or information from his students, but whatever. He has a zero tolerance policy towards texting in class, so phones away. :P If you show him your essay preview, he's willing to critique it beforehand which is a really good thing. Overall, he's nice guy and prof. :)
This professor is very nice and considerate to his students. I would suggest that the lectures be structured in a way that interests the students more and motivates them to really learning the material. Overall, I believe that if you read the textbook and attempt the questions he assigns, you'll pass the course.
I found this class/prof frustrating. Toop has high academic expectations, however he speaks down to his students (big contradiction). If you ask a question, beware.. you may regret it after as he will (or will try to) make you feel stupid. Will harshly call out students (for speaking, cell phone use, leaving during lecture) and is unapproachable.
Professor Toop is a knowledgeable person. He is nice and approachable. The material however is extremely dull. I dont think he does a good enough job at encouraging the students to want to learn and participate in the class discussions. In order to do well in his classes you must attend and take notes, an even bigger task is trying to stay awake!
He rambles a lot!!! Fell asleep with my eyes open many times. Circles around one point for three hours, don't get much notes off of his class lectures. Deliberately puts the hardest questions on the midterm/final so expect the worst!
Great professor! He's intimidating at first, but if you approach him he's really kind and willing to help you. He beats around the bush a little bit, but it's refreshing. He also speaks a little quickly. Class attendance is basically mandatory, as there aren't class notes/slides provided. Most interesting philosophy class I've taken by far
Makes dry material even more dry. When you ask a question, he will get frustrated that you didn't understand the material the first time. Made writing essays hard because I didn't understand anything he said in class. Beware.
Had to drop this class it was so horrible. This was material that could have been so interesting but he just made it as dry as possible. There are ZERO visuals for the class, the lectures consist of him standing there going on rants and attacking students when they try to contribute. Just awful. One of the worst prof's I have ever had.
This is just one of those classes you have to get through. Honestly, some discussion will be interesting but he's a hard marker so don't expect much. In the end I came out with a B+ so can't complain. He's just meh..
This guy really likes the sound of his own voice. He goes off on a tangent a lot but what do you expect in any PHL class. He's a nice guy and wants to make sure everyone understands, always asking for people to make give examples and participate. The class definitely doesn't need to be as long as it is so he ends up dragging it until the end.
Professor Toop is one of those profs you'll be torn on. There's one week where the lecture isn't bad, he gets his point across, and his a good prof. Then the next week the lecture is torture, the content is confusing and you wish you had left the class. 5050 with Professor Toop.
Nice Professor for the most part but he can tend to be very confusing. BUY THE TEXTBOOK. What takes him 500 words, the textbook can say in 100 words that actually make sense. He is, however, very open to hearing from the class and he won't utterly humiliate you. But, it is Critical Thinking... only take this course, from any prof, if mandatory!
He's a nice teacher but his lectures are so long that i never bothered going after 2 classes. He posts useful power points to review and doing your weekly readings is essential. He tries to go over concepts, however he just complicates everything by being too technical. If you do your readings and attend all tutorials your good.
His powerpoints are quite concise and clear, and he posts them after the lecture. However, he is simply lecturing everything on his slides. He also can come off a bit rude sometimes.
okay prof
Worst. Class. Ever. I had Prof. Toop for Critical Thinking 105 and it was so boring and so hard and going to class wasn't at all helpful. Thank god for tutorials. He lets people ask way too many questions, spends 90% of each class reviewing instead of teaching new material, the tests are damn hard, and you better be ready to study all day.
I enjoyed SSH105 with prof. Toop. I found him to be very funny, and he made what could be a boring subject interesting. He isn't kidding when he repeats 100x that you need to do the practice questions or you won't do well. He's upfront, honest, and clear. Be careful about raising your hand in lecture, he doesn't like that, and can be blunt.
I really loved this class. He was a great prof! If you show up and pay attention you should do well. Be clear and make sense in your writing and you will be fine. Don't come into this class looking for religious debates. It is about analyzing philosopher's writings on religion. I am glad I took this class, I got a lot out of it!
He's a nice enough person but his lectures were extremely boring and he made everything way more confusing than it needed to be. I couldn't even stand to go to the lectures after a while, luckily my TA was great.
He talks A LOT. Most of the time he would start with the lecture topic but then jump to the things not related to the course material and talk about it for a while. Don't skip the classes even thou they're boring because the tests are based on the discussions in class.
Gary's knowledgeable, interesting, engaging and, most importantly, really helpful. If you ask him a question, he will answer you. If you talk to him after class, he will stay and talk to you until you are done. He seems to go off-topic sometimes, but I thought most things he said were relevant for a first-time student of philosophy. Overall, great!
Average teacher. The class is uniquely structured as we learn by talking about our own interpretation of the readings. He then clarifies further to make sure we get the right idea.
Horrible Professor. He really has no idea about the course. His lectures are sooo boring. He never gives you any notes or lecture slides. He is not helpful when you go to his office. His assignments are not clear at all and he makes you confused about the sources for the essays. Stay away away from him.. He is soo lazy
3 essays. Easy to read the materials and write the essay if you actually listen to him. Very interesting and passionate.
Professor Toop's lectures consist of him talking at the front of the class the entire time. No power point or even writing on the board. I don't find it necessary to attend his lecture as long as you do the readings on your own time and make notes. Hardly talks about the week's content. Tests are mainly long essay format. Lectures are VERY dull!
Note for eng students: NOT AN EASY "A" LIBERAL There is a fair bit of reading to do, but no textbooks, extra purchases, or powerpoints. I really enjoyed his lectures and the connections he makes to current events. Don't slack on readings or the term essay or you'll have a depressing (but feasable) time catching up on the day before.
Never posted marks on time. Boring lectures with no power point. Overall he is a nice guy but his classes are boring and you never know how youre doing in them
Not a good introduction to Philosophy.
Gary Toop comes across as quite arrogant while spending too much time rambling about inconsequential side topics. He expects students to be experts at thinking like him after a few weeks of taking this course. He spends too much time telling people why they're wrong when a simple, "Try harder," would do. His approach discourages discussion.
Lectures difficult to follow, just talks or asks questions about the readings - no blackboard points or slides to help students follow, does provide a list of questions after the class (mostly 3 days later, but sometimes a week or two later - this does not help us to follow the lecture - only 3 evaluation items, is accessible but not very helpful.
Professor Toop is the most useless professor I've ever encountered. His lectures are a bore, and he gives assignments on a whim. His weekly reading responses aren't even helpful, and he does not make the effort to grade papers in a timely fashion. Additionally, he laughs at his own jokes. Alot.
He certainly means well and is very informed about his subject. However, the vibe of his lectures are hostile. He seems irritated with students and won't take their opinion into consideration when engaged in discussion which then discourages people from participating, which then makes him angry. A bizarre dynamic all around, but good movies.
If you didn't keep up with readings then you'd struggle. No slides which made you have to actually pay more attention instead of being given everything. Class built around discussion but without participation marks which actually made you want to talk more not less. Caring, passionate and funny. Greatly enjoyed the course.
If you can, find another prof for this course. Lectures are dry and incomprehensible. He requires you to memorize definitions, and has no interest in finding out what you've learned beyond regurgitating the text book. Why he continues to teach is beyond me, he clearly feels like it's a waste of his time.
By far the worst prof I've had throughout my education. He goes off topic every lecture, and skips around the main arguments of the reading expecting that you have read it and understand it completely at his level. Exams are essay format and never seem to relate to lecture discussion. A complete nightmare of a course.
An arrogant child. He actually spent time scolding the class because some people were late, and telling people how if it were a job, they would be fired for all sorts of things - he needs to learn to shut up and just give a decent lecture. He laughs at his own jokes, repeats himself and backtracks constantly. He can barely form a coherent sentence.
Took this class as a liberal. This professor tends to go of topic A LOT. Wants you to do well in the tests and assignments, however talks on and on about material that doesn't explain anything from the lectures. Also, does not want you to use other internet sources for help to better understand the course material...
Often went off topic in his very long dry lectures. Does not tolerate when people stop listening. Often calls out students who even glimpse at their phones. Laughs at his own jokes, and generally is not engaging. Essay format exams. Philosophy of Art - Really doesn't contain anything about art, just really old texts. Avoid.
He wastes valuable class time beating concepts from readings to death while repeating, "You'll have to apply theories on the tests!" He should incorporate more case studies into lectures to make his material less redundant. Dr. Toop rants at people when they express an opinion while ridiculing anyone who says they have real-world experience.
I took Prof. Toop's Early Existentialism class at York and it was amazing. He was always really accessible, his lectures were super interesting, and I learned a lot. He doesn't teach easy classes - be prepared to work - but he does teach good ones.
This is easily the worst course I've ever taken. This guy comes to class (sometimes late) with literally no power point, doesn't write a single thing on the blackboard, just stands there and talks for 2 hours straight at a rapid pace and somehow expects you to retail what he says. Extremely dry but somehow still manages to laugh at his own jokes.
About 10% of each class is spent actually discussing relevant course information and the rest is spent trying to stay awake while he unnecessarily goes off topic (which helps no one) Professor actually tries to prevent you from going to the bathroom during the class and cares nothing for his students Not an appropriate intro to philosophy AT ALL
He is actually not that bad compared to what others think. One bad thing about him is that he does talk about things that don't even relate to class, I would sit there and zone out for the entire time. Other than that he was actually okay, he grades you on 4 things and is willing to help you. For the exam's he does give the questions before hand.
I barely ever went to this class and I passed with a B, all I did was read the text, the exam was essays only and he posted what the questions would be online beforehand, this class is an easy pass but the prof talks down to his students. the lectures are annoying and repetitive & all his own opinion, not allowed to disagree with him in discussions
Everything that comes out of his mouth is an opportunity to really learn something. Write everything down. Really makes you think. I have had him twice and he always amazes me with new things to think about.
Easily the most boring class i've ever taken. No powerpoint, just 2 hours of constant talking , he manages to laugh at his own jokes non-stop. Sometimes stops you from going to the washroom. Read the textbook, stay caught up with your readings and it should be fine. boring boring class.
Not worth it. Good films but horrible lectures and the midterm and essays were ridiculous
His lectures are long and they drag on because he goes on tangents. He doesn't post any slides so if you're not in class you're definitely going to struggle.
Speaks faster than one thinks, unapologetically.
The class is all based on the readings. All of his lectures are a review of the readings -- no teaching, just summarizing. With that being said, he gets very off topic & the class is very boring. If you do your readings you do not need to attend class to do a good job. His quizzes and assignments are pretty easy and broad.
Gary is a good prof, he tries hard to make his lectures relevant and if you go to class and take solid notes you'll get at least a 75. Try to do the readings, if not sparknotes works just as well. But do email him or go to see him if you have questions he is very helpful and willing to explain things you need help on.
Not a prof anyone would want, especially if the course you're taking is to boost your gpa. This guy talks constantly about nonsense during lectures, it gets very boring. You can't even look at your phone without him yelling at you. His exams are quite difficult so you should show up to class and pay attention.
He wants really specific details on exams/essay. He's passionate about his work but his class is really boring.
Toop is a nice person, but his lectures can get very dry. He summarizes the book in extensive detail, getting off topic often. I've nearly fallen asleep many times. As long as you do the reading when you can and jot down the main ideas of what he's saying, you should be fine. He's a good marker, but I cannot stress this enough: show up to class!
He did a pretty good job at explaining the readings, though sometimes he goes off topic, he is nice and fair. He is also very honest with everything which is bittersweet, overall reading is important and going to the lectures and actually staying is suggested since when he does explain things and when you do ask for clarification, he does try.
He is very nice and is available outside class. He is a really tough grader tho. You really have to be a philosopher to get A+. The way he teaches is kinda boring. He doesnt use slides or anything. You just gotta take notes of everything he says. Also he digresses from the main topic. If you really love philosophy, you could find it interesting
Gary is one of the most BORING profs one will encounter in their undergraduate studies. A straight up boring speech for 2 hours plus tutorial which is also held by him. No slides or use of the gigantic whiteboard behind him at all. He does post practice questions based on the readings on d2L. 10% midterm, 20% midterm, 30% essay, 40% final. AVOID
Lectures are long and drawn out and VERY boring. He goes on about things that are completely unrelated to the course content - in a Philosophy of Film class, I feel like I'm sitting in a history/politics class. Very specific with what he wants on his exams (if it isn't his idea, he disregards it).
He's smart, educated, and interested in a variety of different topics. However, he rambles on tangents unrelated to what you'll be tested on in a disorganized way and has trouble staying on track. On the plus side, he gives out test questions beforehand, so you can prepare well. Evaluation is back-loaded. He's old-school, and kind, in his own way.
I am glad I took a course with this Prof despite bad ratings. He suited my learning style. He doesn't use power point rather delivers a lecture, so stay awake! He is engaging and shares his knowledge which encourages curiosity rather than making it all about getting a good grade on exam. I worked hard for a B but I learned so much! #IntroToPhl ��
Found him to be bit of a lovable goof, but a pretty challenging prof. I feel like I ended up teaching myself and feeling stupid whenever he spoke.
Idk if he reads these things but if he is, I'd like to just suggest cutting the material down wayyy more. Each week, first year students are expected to read an entire book's worth of dense material. The lectures are sort of helpful but not nearly enough to be comprehensive. Rambles for way too long. Doesn't engage students or use visual aid.
Not the best but a sweet guy who cares a lot about the material and his students. LOADS of readings each week, but that's philosophy... No slides, lecture summaries or any out of class aids. Lectures kinda dry and confusing (especially if behind on readings...) 2 midterms (10%, 20%), 1 essay (6pgs - 30%), 1 final exam (40%) Tough-ish marker
Doesn't explain the material well. He ignores the students questions and answers as if he were talking to himself. Gets off topic when lecturing and completely misses the point. Do not recommend and he doesn't have what it takes to be a professor.
No powerpoint slides. rambles like nothing I've ever heard before and makes you feel stupid if you bring up a point or ask a question even though he pushes the class to do so. By a few classes in no one was raising their hands anymore. AWFUL experience. Would not reccomend.
Do yourself a favour and dont take this prof, Unclear teaching style, no slides, discourages class discussion with unhelpful and rude replies, goes off topic, super strict in class. I didnt enjoy this class at all and ended up teaching myself the materiel.
He talks a lot during the class and often goes off topic, making lectures boring. He grades tougher than engineering profs, yet he has his own weird standards of writing essays - he won't give you above B just because. He is not bad at explaining stuff, he is just very strict about grading. Expect B+ at most despite applying a lot of effort.
This is one of the worst classes to take during COVID-19. The modules are really vague and he just expects you to do the readings and learn on your own. Despite the fact a lot of profs have been a little bit more lenient because of COVID-19, this professor isn't. He doesnt even teach lol.
PLEASE don't take this course with this prof. There's NO POWERPOINT OR LECTURE NOTES. He just spends the 3 hours talking and rambling about who knows what and it's IMPOSSIBLE to follow / stay awake in class. He's straight up rude when you ask a question and marks ridiculously hard. If he disagrees with what you write, you wont pass. AVOID.
Great Prof. explains everything in detail and answers questions really well. You have to do the reading and do practice problems as he suggests. If you do your part the course will be a breeze!
doesnt care about his students. worst prof I have had in all four years of university. takes the entire semester to grade your work so you better hope you're passing before course drop date. ignores your questions via email if he does not feel the need to answer it. narrow minded. has his own way of teaching and refuses to do it any other way.
Not worth it. He doesnt answer your questions despite saying he wants everyone to ask questions and even if you do ask a question, hell simply tell you to rewatch the recorded lecture, I already covered this he gives everyone 70s no matter how much effort you put into the midterm/exam/assignments. Would not recommend
Despite everything negative said about Dr. Toop, he does explain the content of the book and makes sure to cover all concepts in details. However, no matter how hard you study, or how much you think you understand the course, he is a tough grader, and will give you a mediocre grade. Also the course is very text book heavy, prepare to read a lot!
I had Professor Toop for PHL 101 in the Fall of 2019. He's honestly not a bad guy, but his lectures can be quite insufferable and I found myself leaving at the break most classes. The course is reading heavy but I got a B+ from like 2 classes and the book so I would imagine you can do well in this. That said, I took this as a 3rd year ...
I had him for PHL110 in the fall of 2020. He is a very hard marker, also rambles on about material not pertaining to the class. He doesn't provide good feedback, and what he does provide is given about 2 months after the assignment has been handed in.
Gotta say PHILOSOPHY is not my FORTE. I dislike the topic a lot and never see myself taking it again. That said, Professor Toop was somewhat monotone in lectures but gave good feedback in regards to reflections. All of the assignments were structured the exact same and I didn't struggle even though I did none of the readings. Not a bird course tho.
I thought critical thinking was going to be a fun course and I even enjoyed it in the beginning. Disliked it a lot at the end, he zoomed past the slides and wouldn't let you copy notes, best way to do good was to read the textbook and do the problems. I was 1% away from an A- and he wouldn't bump me. Was very confusing and not clear at all.
This guy is absolutely the worst teacher I have ever had.
I graduated from Ryerson and remember Dr. Toop. Lecture style is verbally intensive with little visual aids. With this teaching style it is apparent that this professor is knowledgeable. He is passionate about his field and the material which makes you want to learn. He can go off topic however it makes things interesting. I would recommend him.
he just rants too much... he is certainly passionate and knows what he is talking about but he does not post lecture slides before class and rambles on during the lectures... very difficult to follow his train of thought, nice guy, somewhat interesting content, terrible lecture-er though
I had him in Fall 2020 and honestly it was my favourite class. Sometimes he can be a little monotone but he knows what he's talking about and the content is interesting. The assignments were very straightforward and he gave good feedback BUT it took a long time for them to be graded.
Did not feel very well supported as a student. Rambles a lot, more than what is typical of a philosophy professor. Unfortunately, would not recommend him.
Prof Toop was alright, I barely went to his lectures and mostly just did the textbook readings since most of the lectures are purely based on the readings. Hes very monotone so most of the time I didnt want to go anyways. If you do the readings youll be solid. I bombed the last midterm because I forgot about the readings but here were are :)
Critical thinking was an exceptional class, and I learned a ton throughout. Prof is understanding. DO NOT take this class as a bird class, I put more time into this elective than any other class this semester. regardless, the prof is a fair marker, and if you put in the work, your grade will pay off. very interesting topic, everything is txtbk
You only need to read these 4 things. But we'll discuss the 15 other readings in class as well for background so really it would be good to read those too.
I can totally understand him not appealing to some students learning styles, however, philosophy is more abstract. I really loved taking his classes because he likes probing thoughts. He explains things well and you can tell he cares about what he teaches. He has also been very understanding and accommodating during the pandemic, so kudos to that.
He gives thorough lectures and covers a lot of materials and practice questions in the class. The textbook is very useful but not technically required. You do 4 midterms quizzes and one final paper. The paper takes a lot of time and effort so start it well in advance! If you do practice questions from the textbook the quizzes are decent.
When there's a very confusing part of the reading, he will read the paragraph in a sort of "reads off the slides" manner and will explain it to you like that one "this is a tree, and we know its a tree because of the way it is" guy. rambles, talks kind of slow, WILL use the entire 3 hours of class. Horrid examples to explain confusing concepts.
Mr. Toop is a rare prof. Chill, understanding and lenient, was not the typical "no remorse" professor. You can tell he is passionate about philosophy with the amount of tangents he goes on in lectures, captivating for some students but hard to comprehend for others. Genuinely enjoyed him + course. Sparknotes, readings, recordings = ez B or >.
Prof Toop doesn't structure his lectures very well, it's really just him rambling. You're going to have to totally rely on the textbook if you do this class, and it's not easy. It's quite an unreasonable amount of reading for a chang course that only goes on for a month. He's also unaccommodating about COVID.
I only recommend his class if you are in the philosophy program or at least familiar with philosophy because he marks hard and is picky about interpretations of texts. Also, oftentimes he posts slides and posts lecture recordings, but the slides aren't detailed, so attend class. But he gives good feedback, however, he took a while to grade papers.
I dont like that he doesnt post his slides as he does his lectures, you need to take notes just from what he says seems very intense, i am unsure if i will enjoy this class - although it does seem interesting. He also laughs at the end of almost every sentence which can be irritating if you begin to notice it.
DO not enroll with the Toop.
I think Gary Toop is an amazing professor. If you choose a class of his keep in mind he talks a little faster than many other professors, but he takes the time to explain each of the points on the slides in depth. after a long day of classes, i look forward to my 6-9 pm class even though it looks really intimidating. You will learn a lot.
I counted how many times he said "hahaha right" in a 2 hour lecture and it was up to 40 within the first 30 minutes.
a disappointing class, save yourself the trouble and take another course
very smart guy
Definitely quite a passionate lecturer, I stayed in his class just for that. I will take an eccentric rambler over a too-organized, systematic professor I may get an easy A+ from. Pretty limited to pre-21st century works & though, which made it seem a bit incomplete! He challenges students in good ways which may lead to negative reviews here
Professor Toop was an okay professor. We were not graded on many things and we did not receive any feedback or grades until very late into the course due to extenuating circumstances. This course was very lecture heavy and it was difficult for someone who is not a philosophy major to grasp.
He's okay, it's clear that he's passionate about what he's teaching. His lectures are hard to follow as he sometimes goes very in-depth on philosophy and forgets that students might not know what he's talking about. Really hard to take notes in his class.
He does not do a good job at connecting the readings to the films, nor does he highlight any kinds of concepts we should be following. He speaks at you for what feels like 8 hours straight and by the time you leave the lecture you'll be even more confused.
I'm convinced this course would have been so much better if another professor taught it. All he did was talk for 3 hours straight with no sort of guiding material.
He is very passionate about philosophy but he doesn't really understand that a lot of students are taking it as a liberal credit and don't have background knowledge/experience on the subject. That makes it a really difficult course to keep up with even when attending every lecture. He also is not good at preparing students for success on exams.
This prof is very good despite negative reviews. Marks returned after 1 week. Comments are super helpful. Communicate well with students. The workload is manageable. Assignments are clear.
Lectures are very heavy! He either reads off something or just talks on and on about random things
He should teach history rather than philosophy. Instead of analyzing and confuting arguments, you get a lecture full of historical facts that wont help you on the assessments.
so so so easy, if youre looking for an easy lower liberal course take it
If you're going to be taking PHL 101 then try and get Thomas Hart as your professor instead. Professor Gary Troop does not upload slides on the D2L, his assessments and exams are in person where as Thomas Hart has them online, he doesn't let you wear headphones or use your phone in class and he loses his focus a lot when talking.
just bad, like not worth it at all. the course sounded really interesting and he absolutely ruined it.
He talks fast and doesn't write much on his posted slides as he expands in class. This resulted in me not collecting good notes from his lectures. So, attend class at the least. Quite a knowledgeable prof. Don't go on your phone unless you want to get called out. He's a fair grader though who gives good and valid feedback. The work is manageable.
His lectures are extremely entertaining, but your success will be heavily if not entirely dependent on how well you read the book on your own. If you are one of those kids who wants to show everyone how smart you are he will put you in your place, so choose your words carefully. He wore the same purple shirt every single day. 11/10.
*rolling eye emoji* i took PHL710 last year and just got reminded of him because i was searching for another philosophy course to take and his name popped up. i just found him extremely unclear and convoluted. not sure why thats the case maybe his ego is huge and so as long a he gets what hes saying, he could a sh!t if students get it.
nope! i wouldnt take a course with him, not worth it. he is: pretentious, arrogant, unwelcoming, passive aggressive, confusing, etc. I love philosophy, but it takes a certain kind of person to teach it with genuine passion and understanding. Instead, he teaches with an ego so massive it eclipses the subject itself.
He's honestly not that bad but does have a habit of humiliating students in class. He makes himself available for office hours and gives clear feedback. The course is honestly easy as long as you read your book and understand it.
Strange guy, I did well despite not going to class. Attendance isn't checked but if you do go, he calls you out if you're not paying full attention, and you're not allowed to leave unless it's an emergency, hence why I didn't go. You'd think his lectures would be good if he's forcing attention, but they're not. He's extremely hard to follow.
The most boring class I've had so far. he can be somewhat rude if you're asking a question similar to what another student has asked. readings were posted and free to access which was nice but some of them can be quite long,he won't teach anything else besides the readings he provides. not a horrible grader
It's not that the professor is a bad one, as apparently suggested by some students. It's that students like to cheat. If you study and attend classes, you will pass. Why blame professors, when the problem are the students? Study more, think more, don't use ChatGPT. You are at a prestigious university, not at an elementary school.
he takes FOREVER to get grades back so don't expect them back fast
not friendly, not welcoming, not encouraging. egotistical, dry, self righteous, disrespectful, boring. try to avoid, its not worth the stress. philosophy of film sounded fun and interesting but it wasn't, it simply wasn't.
very passionate about the course material but rambles without realizing students don't know everything about the course. Very difficult to take notes in his lectures + he does not post any slides.. He marks generously; the course overall had two reflections, one essay for the midterm and 2 essays for the final in person.
The professor doesn't teach well. He jumps between topics too quickly so it is hard to understand things. The lectures are usually boring and don't motivate you to explore philosophy more. The professor is highly rude honestly and doesn't respect his students. I will not recommend anyone to take his course if good grades are a priority.
The professor gets really mean at times .He is really arrogant and egotistic and thinks he knows it all which is why he criticizes the students when they make a point in class as well. Plus if you're late to his class , it will not be good for you as one student came late and he told him to leave and just not enter. He has no respect for students.
PHL709- phl of science & religion: listen to the reviews. talks too fast. doesn't teach anything, literally talks about the readings the whole time- not engaging. im in my 4th year & he is the HARDEST marker i've ever had- for a LIBERAL elective. this class will ruin your GPA and its really boring. save yourself the headache. take something else.
The professor doesn't teach well. He just says stuff about the readings in class and just keeps on asking questions. The slides contain just the questions and no answers to those. Its hard to take notes as he speaks fast and perhaps arrogantly. He is a lot egotistic.The classes are boring and the overall vibe you get from being in class is dry.
Lots of reading plus 6 non-mandatory hours of lectures every week (spring term), which I recommend listening to if you want to do well. Be sure to use effective quotations in your writing (that feedback was quite repetitive). He often proctors his exams, so I'd only recommend this upper-level lib if you're passionate about the readings.
He's ok but really likes to talk and is very strict about people interrupting him or using phones in class, or arriving late, or just generally doing anything else besides listening to him.
Boring so so boring
Paying for this guys class is like paying for someone to rob you. This professor cannot teach for the life of it, and refuses to improve his slides
Not good, he just likes to hear himself talk. He goes on tangents and you don't even realize when he's done talking about nothing and started talking about the subject. He is kind when you answer in class, but often takes things literally and says your answer is wrong because you used one wrong word. Hard marker too. Just overall unpleasant.
Clearly knowledgeable about philosophy. I respect this. HOWEVER. the readings are not easy and usually very long. He doesn't explain or go over in a way that is easy to grasp. Readings take up a lot of personal time. If asked a question or answer a question he will say that its wrong even when you have right idea but don't word it the way he would
Very reading heavy class and his lectures weren't posted on d2L so attendance was mandatory. Could sometimes go off on a tangent, but covered every topic needed for each individual reading. He's a pretty tough and slow grader, but did provide some useful feedback. Only had 4 marks with the exam being 40%, so that sucked. Be prepared to read A LOT.
2nd hardest PHL class Ive taken. Not because the material was difficult, but because theres SO many readings and he makes the exams very challenging (cumulative final). He allows prepared notes for them but when you are taking other classes you simply dont have the time during finals to create meaningful notes for EVERY reading. Very smart guy tho
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