He's a great physics prof. I hated physics all through high school but needed it for my bio course. Not only does he explain everything perfectly, but he also makes physics fun too. He's very approachable and encourages people to come to office hours. Actually kinda like physics now thanks to him!

Awesome prof, super enthusiastic about what he's teaching which makes it way better to learn. He puts his slides up in advance and they're very well laid out, so it's easy to review them before and after lectures to understand what you're learning. He's extremely helpful at his office hours and is very easy to approach. Definitely recommend

James is a great prof and a great guy. He really cares about the success of his students and is willing to take the time to help them out. Lectures are very unique and interesting. He does a great job of engaging the class. Make sure you go to his office hours they're really helpful.

James is a very great prof. He's very engaged with the students and is always willing to explain things as many times as needed (make sure you ask questions or he gets sad :( ). He has amazing office hours and if those dont work for you he is always willing to see you outside of them. He definitely makes physics enjoyable for someone who hated it.

James' lectures were always entertaining and engaging. He took a topic that most biology majors dread and made it fun. He was very approachable and caring towards students. Would highly recommend taking his classes for physics if you can!

James does so much to keep us on track. I got an email from him when my first quiz didn't go well and we worked together to help me improve. I got 10/10 on all of the following quizzes. I am not excited to be taking PHYS*1070 next semester. However, I am excited that he is going to be my PHYS*1070 prof. If you are struggling, ask and he will help.

James is an amazing prof that its super helpful in his office hours. He is willing to explain concepts and encourages an understanding of what you are doing which allowed me to really succeed in this course. This says a lot as the course itself is quite difficult but James is willing to put in the time to ensure that his students will succeed.

James is hands down the best prof I've had at Guelph. Not only is he funny and nice, but he's also a great teacher. I wish he could adopt me lol

James is one of the best profs at Guelph! He does his best to make every lecture interesting and makes jokes as much as possible. I hated physics all through highschool and James made it my favourite course. He generally cares about all his students and has help hours outside of class every week. If given the opportunity to be his student, TAKE IT!

I loved having James as a prof. He was super accessible, honest, funny and nice. His lecture intro songs and specials before the weekend were a nice way to make us enthusiastic about physics. He genuinely wants you to understand the content. Don't hesitate to ask questions during the lecture or at help hours. I will miss lectures with him.

An absolutely amazing prof! gives great advice and is always willing to help out. He's very respected because he respects his students too. He tells great stories at the end of his lectures and makes sure to play music while everyone is settling in. He makes me actually want to attend class. Hands down one of the best Prof's at UofG.

Great professor overall, for a conceptually difficult course. He provides smooth slides that are easy to follow. Great organization with his material with excellent practical examples after he introduces the concepts. You have to respect the man for making his 'Friday Specials' and overall putting his students first. He's a G.O.A.T. in the books.

I hated physics in high school but James made it not so bad. He goes through the lectures with high clarity and at a good speed. He's always willing to answer questions and offers lots of office hours. He gives good hints of questions that might appear on quizzes as well. You definitely have to work hard to do well in the course but James is great!

James is the best physics prof! He tells you what is on the quizzes if you come to the lectures and drops hints for the final! His office hours are really helpful, if you do the study guide questions then he helps you out. He is also really inspiring and at the end of every week he does a motivational speech/ fun story! Super understanding and fun!

James Howard is a great prof!! He has songs at the beginning of each lecture, his examples are from movies making them easy to remember, he gives exam + quiz-like questions, and helps so much during his office hours. Also, he is very inspiring, funny, and makes Friday lectures interesting to go to!

James is an amazing prof. He made class really enjoyable; he explained concepts really well and gave practice problems to help us understand. He is so approachable, he held office hours where you could chill in the classroom doing your own problems, and ask for help whenever you got stuck. I would 100% recommend him as a prof

I've never enjoyed physics in highschool but professor Howard actually made me really enjoy it. He's a pleasure, always making his students laugh and ending each class with a pun and a song. He has helped me understand various concepts during his office hours and is very prompt when answering email questions. Love him!

This man must be protected at all costs. So sweet, funny and engaging. I HATE physics but having James as my prof made it so much better. Hes a great teacher, he does a great job of explaining, will answer any questions and most importantly is kind! Having a kind, caring professor is key to succeeding in their class. Thank you professor Howard!!!

One of my favourite profs to this day. Amazing personality and such a great teacher for explaining things. Everyone raves about the Great Orbax, but in my opinion James is the best physics teacher

James was a great prof overall! I was sort of dreading physics, but thanks to his great teaching and the great course setup, I got nearly 100% in both physics courses I had to take first year, and I was fortunate enough to have both with him. Physics is a heavy course, but he makes it more enjoyable with his joyful personality. Highly recommend!

I WISH ALL MY PROFS WERE LIKE HIM. Amazing teacher.I can't believe my best grade this semester is in PHYSIC. He took the time to explain what usually sounds like complet gibberish to me in a fun and brief way. And instead of uploading two hours long lectures like every other prof, he divides his work into 10 minutes videos that keep me interested.

best physics prof I have ever had! he gave really great examples and made me want to learn.

James is great. Really shook me to my core when he pulled out dual lightsabers for a topic in our optics unit. The most genuine professor that I've had so far. Easy 5 stars for the Jedi himself.

Loved James. He cared about the success of his students, and overall made the class fun and made me want to watch lectures and show up to class. Overall a very genuine guy and made me love physics when he was teaching.

He is literally the GOAT take phys1080 with him

Literally helped me survive physics by giving quiz hints. I went to his Friday night help sessions every week and he always answered all of my questions. Lectures were often finished early and his Thursday specials were the best. He purposely gave shorter lectures after we had midterms in other classes. Excited to have him for half of 1070 as well!

Love the guy. The way he explains concepts is so clear and he really puts effort into helping his students understand. His casual delivery and overall genuineness is a huge relief to my stress. Also, even though his audience is often tough, he never stops making his corny jokes and I respect it.

This guy is great, lecture content is made easy to understand, plenty of examples, quiz hints, corny jokes, and he even pulls out light sabers for the optics unit. Lectures are concise and to the point, and he explains it well. Would take again 10/10

i love this man. i hate physics so much but he makes this course tolerable and I look forward to attending his lectures. makes sure we understand the concepts, says a few corny jokes, and drops quiz hints that are extremely helpful. love u james!

this man makes his lectures so fun omg! he makes lectures engaging and so fun (even for physics) i literally love him! gives hints for quizzes and genuinely cares about students.

I took this class a while back, was just on this site and wanted to say that he is an incredible teacher, really knows his stuff and is really nice to students. Super entertaining lectures as well and still covers all the material in depth with them. Take these classes with him if you can!! :)

AMAZING, really loved having him as a professor. Super engaging and clear lectures, and a super friendly person overall. You couldn't ask for a better professor honestly.

This professor made 1st year physics a blast.

Overall excellent prof but lacks at defining formulas. He's got an amazing sense of humour and keeps his lectures interesting but I often found that I had to teach myself because his lecture notes weren't sufficient. Great guy just has poor explanations.

Mr. Howard was a great professor for PHYS*1300. He helped us students learn the fundamentals of physics in a fun and engaging way. He always tried to keep his lectures entertaining with a good song and a laugh. I would 100% take this class again.

An amazing professor who cares a lot about his students. His lectures were very interactive and kept students engaged, even if we didn't like physics at all. I would definitely take him again if I had the chance to.

He truly cares about his students for sure! He is always willing to answer questions and says that no question is a dumb question. Sometimes it was difficult as he does not keep pace with the quizzes (he is always about a week or so ahead in material). However, he does like to give a lot of hints for quizzes and the exam!

James is clearly passionate about both physics and teaching which shows in his ability to convey the material clearly and in an interesting way. I greatly appreciated the time he spent on example problems in class and his fun Friday presentations which taught something just for fun that we wouldn't be tested on but complemented the material.

Dr. Howard saved my physics grade. I never went to his lectures, as I was in a different class, but I went to his help hours every week and he was funny, understanding, and helped me to understand this course SO much better. Just a great guy that is willing to make sure you learn. He even answered my questions at his office right before the exam.

My favourite prof. His lectures are amazing.

You can tell he really cares about getting you interested in physics. I thought I would never pass this class as I didn't have high school physics but he really helped with getting an understanding and not just memorizing.

Amazing professor! Really cares about his students and genuinely wants you to understand the material. I was nervous about taking this class, but attending help hours and trying practice questions made me improve before the final exam. Taking the 1080 class now, and it's my best grade this semester! Would love to take one of his classes again.

He was a super funny prof who is very considerate of your other courses and would make content lighter when midterms were approaching. He doesn't like people talking when he is teaching but has really fun Friday specials and his sense of style is awesome.

Lectures were interesting and super funny. Included demonstrations in class as well as answering questions. Super helpful during office hours and willing to meet outside of class time if needed. Definitely recommend him for PHYS 1080 -- the course itself is a mixed basket. Quizzes can be hard (average in the 50s) and exam is always a mark dropper.

What isn't there to love about this professor? He's such a down-to-earth, nice guy...

Sick fits. Great with lightsabers

He is a great, down-to-earth guy who cares about students and is always willing to help. In terms of the course itself, it is a somewhat difficult course that requires you to teach yourself most topics; quiz grades range around the 60s. James, however, is very engaging in lectures and can make you actually excited to attend physics lectures.

I hate physics as a subject but because of him it was the only lecture I didn't skip even once. He takes the time to properly explain things and goes over many example questions. He's also really funny and just overall such a positive person, I ended up actually looking forward to his class

I ended up dropping his class because I was switching programs but continued to attend his lectures because they're so entertaining. Be sure to attend every friday class. James Howard is the goat

As everyone has been saying, he is a great prof. I did have to re-teach myself tons of stuff for the quiz, but I believe that comes with many classes. I never bought the textbook, and I did just fine!

Caters a lot toward first years where much of the class was not, tends to be a little cocky about the material and the course. Definitely an overall great professor though. Explains really well, lectures make sense and he prepares you really well for assessments. Fits always eat.

He was awesome! Very helpful and always accessible through email if not in person.

James has a great attitude no doubt. He does a lot of examples and gives out tips for quizzes. This worst things about this course are 1. its paced way too quick and 2. your quiz grade literally depends on how nice your TA is. But James made the course tolerable. I would def recommend him.

James is my guy. I never liked physics and he fr changed that for me and I did well. Very entertaining during lectures and was always open for help on the quizzes. Plus has an awesome collection of fits.

Awesome prof! I hate physics and he genuinely makes me interested in learning the concepts. He wants his students to succeed.

A genuine professor looking out for the well-being of his students. Cared about more than just academic success, but also mental health success. Always looked forward to his "Friday Specials"

Very funny

Funny professor who made physics easy to understand.

Very funny and makes physics interesting, however I find it hard to learn from him since he solves questions before instead of going over it at the same time as he teaches concepts. Answers everyones questions though.

James was a good prof

James was a great prof and was made the concepts very easy to understand. He was at his office hours and was very helpful. Highly recommend taking one of his classes!

He reads off his slides. Very funny.

He is a great guy. He knows physics isn't the greatest, so he makes his lectures very entertaining, making many jokes to keep us engaged. His actual lecture content can be difficult to understand. He often skips steps in his calculations, and his algebra can get confusing as he does not explain it. Utilize his office hours, the textbook and TA help

Great prof. Actually feel like he wants you to succeed.

James is amazing. Super willing to help students, available for indivisual appointments always and answers emails within 3-4 hours. Wants everyone to succeed and makes class as fun as he can! So grateful to have learned from such a passionate and caring person :)

I love James. He's fun but also a great prof who will give you good tips and strategies to do well. I'm disabled and he was great at making sure I was a accommodated. I sat in accessible seating and he always made sure the desk was in place and could see the slides. He also had a tendency to let the class out early + fridays featured fun specials.

Great prof, very engaging

James was an amazing prof, I know some people disagree with his teaching style but i think that comes down to personal preference. His lectures were easy and fun to understand and going to office hours made it a comfortable and easy experience with him.

Started every lecture with a song and always showed up in a fun little shirt, definitely a very caring professor. He moves fast and doesn't always explain concepts in depth so if physics isn't your strong suit it can be hard to follow. It felt sometimes like he forgets this is the first time some people have taken physics but is available for help.

James is incredible. Very personable and funny, and it's clear he really cares about both what he's teaching and who he's teaching it to. Lectures were funny and well put together and he's very easy to ask questions to. Really recommend him for anyone in the biological sciences.

James the man that you are. I had James for both 1080 and 1070 and I don't love physics, so I already didn't wanna be there but he made me show up to my 7-10 lecture because he teaches well. He's funny and does awesome specials at end of the week. Additionally he rapid replies to emails and wants to help you. Take physics with James if you can.

James is the prof every prof wishes they were. He was always available outside of lectures, loved answering questions, and made everything so much fun. I wish they kept him for both halves of the semesters, he started every lecture off with a bang, and really made me look forward to coming to class every monday wednesday friday. Best guy out there

Never really showed up to his lectures. Wish his slides were more detailed, overall he seems fine.

Great prof! He had a strong understanding of the concepts taught in class and was able to explain them well. If you had further questions, he could break it down to provide a greater understanding. You're not left wondering the "why" which is extremely helpful in application.

James is the man. He has a very fun and engaging lecture style, and his terrible humour adds to his charm. He makes every subject clear and understandable, and they all relate directly to what will be found on the quizzes/exam.

LOVE HIM SO MUCH!! So engaging in lectures you'll never want to miss a class. The quizzes are daunting but the practice questions make it easy to be well prepared.

Love this guy! If you got a foot fetish this guys the one for you! Never seen him actually wear his shoes, only socks with holes! He's great at explaining the material and is funny about it too. The quizzes are good too, TA's try their best to make you pass the quizzes. Overall, wouldn't want another physics teacher.

James Howard is an amazing professor, he would always tell us what was going to be on the quizzes as well as the exam and always properly explained everything.

He is an amazing teacher who goes through so many examples in class and explains them throughly.

I enjoyed James' lectures, he is a very funny guy and always brings up the mood. However, sometimes it feels like he is reading off of the slides so some concepts can be quite hard to grasp.

Great Teacher.

Great prof that genuinely cares for his students and is very passionate about what he teaches. He tries his best to make a difficult course fun and will make sure everyone understands before moving on. The course itself is difficult extremely test heavy as you have a new quiz almost every other week but follow the study guide and you'll be fine.

Lectures provide awesome explanations of course material/content, very easy to follow along and navigate. He can get off track sometimes, but putting that aside James does well at teaching. Also has peak music taste every morning :)

James is the goat! His lectures were great (explains concepts very clearly) and I genuinely looked forward to class. Friday specials and his beginning of class music choices were also so fun! 10/10 prof and person :)

James is the best prof ever, I hate physics but I actually looked forward to his lectures, he's clearly passionate about what he does

hes a great prof and always is thinking about students well- being

hes a great prof and really cares about the wellbeing of his students.