Very kind and understanding teacher. He will help you if you don't understand the material. He lets you write in a journal almost every week. The class is both interesting and engaging.

There is a lot of reading He makes you think and gives you an understanding of the material so you can enjoy the authors and their works, which makes it a pleasurable class to attend. He is interested in your success and gives a lot of his time and attention to his student. I enjoyed the class

safdie is very helpful and just wants you to backup what you believe. he really enjoys michael pollan, an author im sure you will study. pollan is great though. show up to class and participate in his discussions. he is a tough grader and a bit harsh on his comments. just take what he says and learn from it. don't complain

He picks interesting reading material and comes to class with insightful ideas. He allows his students the freedom to express what's on their minds in writing assignments and during class. He expects that his students already have basic writing techniques. (Perhaps that's why some of the previous posters felt neglected.)

He is a very good teacher. If you are really interested in learning he is the one. He is clear and all the work he makes you do is to help you put together your essay. Is you are looking for a teacher who does not demand anything from you then don't take his class, but if you really want to learn and take him. His class is interesting and the readi

Professor Safdie was great. It may have been my hardest class, but I certainly learned the most from it. He may be pretty tough when it comes to the first paper, but when he gets the feel of his class it becomes more personal - he just wants his students to learn.

Professor Safdie does demand a lot of his students, but justifies his work load by reminding us that this is COLLEGE english. He is blunt, but I never, personally, found him to be rude or insulting. I also thought he was very invested in the success of his students, so long as you were willing to put forth a genuine effort. I enjoyed his class.

he is great. He demands a lot from us, but if you are responsable you will have no problem. Many people think he is rude; however, he was never rude to me,he did write "harsh" comments at times, but they were always meant to improve my writing.I would take him again but just don't take him for creative writing since he is a hard critic.

He's a cool teacher. He's very interested in his student's work. Sometimes his comments are harsh, if he's not into the genre you write about, but i guess it's to improve us. I enjoyed the class. I just wish he made students write more short stories than poetry. We wrote only 1 short story for the class each. I didn't like that. But good class

This prof. is tough, but fair. He wants you to become a better writer. He does assign a lot of writing, but it is what makes you a better writing. If you actually want to become a better writer take his class.

I loved this professor! He is very abrupt and to the point, but it?s because he really tries to teach his students to become better writers.Don't expect an easy A or B. He puts a lot of effort into his class and expects the same from his students. This was the hardest class I ever took and by far my favorite! I learned so much! Thanks Joe!

I took Professor Safdie online and loved him. He was super helpful and made our online class fun and exciting. I guess theres a huge difference between the in-person Safdie and the online safdie. Anyways, if your looking for a fun, productive, worthwhile english class - take him online!

It appears some of my classmates don't need a prof as much as they need a babysitter. The amount of lit assigned is standard for this kind of survey course. You will be expected to write cogently and THINK. Take this prof if you want someone who will prepare you for university writing & reading. Don't take him if you expect an A just for breathing.

All the people writing about how he's mean are the most overly sensitive people who can't take constructive criticism! His comments are honest, professional and helpful. Clearly the negative comments are from people who shouldn't be taking college classes because they have poor writing skills and expect easy courses requiring no effort.

I just finished his online class. It was a lot of work, but was by no means excessive. He's not nearly as mean as the posts on here would make you believe. However, if you turn in crap, he will call you out on it. Overall it was an interesting class and I got a lot out of it. I would take it again.

I really enjoyed Professor Safdie's class. I think people need to realize that college (and life for that matter) is not about compliments. Criticism is a part a life. The class requires a lot of effort, but most of it is on discussion boards. Overall it was a great class, and I'm taking his next class this spring.

I'm amazed by these comments. You're in college, people! I went to a college prep high school that required 40 mins. hw per class everyday (6 classes = 4 hrs./night). All of you who didn't do as well as expected should go back and hate on the instructors who passed you. They obviously didn't do their jobs. I got an A. Try working harder.

Good teacher. I actually enjoyed being challenged in a class for a change. Take Joe if you want a class where you'll be challenged to grow as a writer and thinker. His honesty, though tough, is meant to help students see their weaknesses and improve on them. He will give you the grade you earn.

This was a terrific class with a professor who loves what he teaches. Yes, he's a tough grader. Joe is available to students with questions and will help you to write a better college paper. I got a 'B' and if I wasn't transferring, I would gladly take another of his classes.

Good professor except the grading is not efficient. My advise to coming students: put your effort, you will learn. The only problem is you have to put plenty of time in his class. He is tough but fair. I had no choice by choosing his class; however, he is not that bad as many students listed before. Trust yourself, study hard. You will be fine.

I took him for English 201 & 101 and he was an awesome for both. His classes are interesting and a lot less boring that other english classes i have taken; he chooses material that students want to learn about. You still have to work for your grade, but that's what a college course is meant for. It is clear that teaching is one of his passions and was always helpful with any questions. The only negative is that he is pretty slow when it comes to returning assignments. I highly recommend!

Joe is genuinely enthralled by Shakespeare and truly wants to get his students interested as well. Yes, he's extremely opinionated BUT I disagreed with him on many points and it didn't affect my grade. He's more than fair and will bend over backwards to help you any way he can. More respectful than he gets credit for!

He is a unique teacher and yes he is honest but sometimes it's necessary. He expects the reading to be done and for you to give your input good, bad, or indifferent. He is definitely not one of the easiest teachers i've ever had fo if you're looking for an easy A forget about it. If you want to learn something he's your guy!

Great class. Moderate amount of work (2, 8pg papers+weekly online participation), loved how it was almost entirely discussion based (no lecturing). VERY HARSH, HONEST, CRITIC. He isn't afraid to tell you on your paper if it sucked, even if the paper was stellar (no really, he compliments and criticizes at the same time). TAKE FOR THE EXPERIENCE.

Joe is definitely a unique teacher. He is very real and will tell you exactly what he thinks, good or bad, all the time. Discussion based class, 2 papers, weekly journal entries, 1 oral presentation and 1 EASY in-class essay. Attend class, take your time on essays and submit them to him ahead of time for approval, and you should do fine.

I don't think many of the scores posted here are deserved. Took 8 week ENGL 101 class and got an A despite giving C effort (doing all assignments, turning them in by the due date, min. req for participation). Somewhat heavy reading (but not unreasonably so). Don't recommend if you're super busy, lazy, or have thin skin. Can improve your writing.

Professor Safdie is not for people who: Know what MLA it but still don't know how it works, who are looking for an easy A, those who have too many other priorities, and/or those who can't take real, raw and constructive criticism. He will teach you things that other professors cannot and will not teach you! I enjoyed writing for this class.

Professor Safdie is not an easy teacher, however he is very helpful and wants his students to learn something from his class and succeed. You must be dedicated to earn a good grade and don't get offended with his criticisms, which are very constructive. Be prepared to work hard! I totally recommend professor Safdie :)

A challenging teacher, but absolutely worth it if you're will to put in the work. Yes, he'll call you out when you're being lazy, and not very nicely, but he will tell you when you're getting things right. . Overall, one of the best english teachers I have ever had. My writing wouldn't be the same if I hadn't taken his class.

He's not a bad professor - he challenges us, which I like because I do feel like I've learned a lot in this class. He also is really good at getting discussion going in class which I enjoy because it doesn't feel like everyone's just asleep the whole time. I say take him, but don't expect to just float through his classes.

Joe is a champ. He is probably the best professor of English Literature in the city. Do not take him if you aren't willing to learn. His biggest enemies tend to that camp.

Good teacher. His online 8 week course is very fast paced and I do not recommend it unless you have time to put in the effort. His online course is very well put-together. 4 Essays. 3 Journal entries per week. 1 portfolio. And numerous blackboard questions.

I've taken a couple of Joe's classes. Great human being who really cares about his subject but he is not patient with those who don't read or try. He isn't always clear on deadlines and assignments so show up to class and ASK if you have any confusion. Make sure your paper is well formatted in MLA. He really appreciates when you do the reading and participate in discussion,

Cares a lot about teaching and it really shows when people participate. It's a discussion-based class so be ready to discuss! There's a lot of reading involved. The assignments are really easy since all he asks of you is your thoughts on the readings. Your input is really all he wants from you. Overall a great professor.

The class was very interesting, but I felt as though he didn't utilize lecture time very well. He often uses class time to talk about his own agendas, and is very pushy about his opinions. Although you are not graded down for disagreeing with his opinions. Not a very enjoyable teacher. I felt like my time was wasted every time I went to class.

I had Professor Safdie for a short-term online ENG205 class. It's a fast-paced class, with lots of writing, but informative and useful. By far the best online class I've ever had, and in contention for the best English class I've had so far. If you're lazy or hate English, stay away. Otherwise, I highly recommend Professor Safdie.

Safdie is truly an inspiration. If you are an English lit major like me, you MUST take a class or two from Safdie. He knows his stuff and not just that but he's, PASSIONATE and I mean truly in love with literature. Three IMPORTANT essays, journal entries and one oral report. Attendance is mandatory, reading the criteria is too!

He is a good teacher and he knows his stuff. He expects a lot, he's good to take if you actually want to learn something and better your skills.

I put off taking Safdie's Eng 249 class because I was terrified to take it based on negative reviews. My experience was completely positive and he was well-liked by the class. His feedback on my writing was the clearest and most specific I have received. I felt he wanted everyone to succeed and his passion for lit and poetry was inspiring.

He isn't always specific but is very knowledgeable and introspective. The class is mainly lecture and group discussions on the pieces we read. You have to read a lot but he goes over everything in class. 1 Oral report, 5-6 journal entries every 3 weeks, 2 essays, lots of discussions on blackboard that are your opinion on the literature. Take him!

The guy's the al deal

I took Safdie's 8 week class and I really enjoyed it. If you want real feedback and to better your writing take Safdie. His criticisms are very constructive but if you put in the work his comments aren't "mean." If you got "mean" comments you probably dished out a load of crap. You can't expect to get an A for half-assed work, it's college.

While his class is difficult, he truly prepares students to transfer to a 4-year uni. He refuses to give way to the common mentality of show up and youll get an A that plagues Mesa. It must be difficult to teach at a school with so many apathetic students. If you want an easy A, don't take his class; if you honestly want to improve yourself; do.