4.4
Quality2.3
DifficultyN/A
Would Retake108
ReviewsN/A
Would Retake
108
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
84
4
10
3
2
2
5
1
7
What Students Say
“John Bonnell is a man of honor and dignity”
ENGL1210 - 5.0 rating“a firm believer in human rights”
POETRY - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A+
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.04 avg changeRatings by Course
1220
5.0
(2)POETRY
5.0
(1)ENG221
5.0
(2)ENG121
5.0
(1)ENG281
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ENG120
4.0
ESC
4.0
POETRY
3.0
ENG281
3.0
ENG1220
3.0
Reviews (108)
Very knowledgeable...a firm believer in human rights
more teachers like him please
I LOVED THIS PROFESSOR AND THE CLASS!
Wonderful instructor! Recommend to all.
Professor Bonnell is very clear in telling his students what he expects out of
He gets a lot of **** about swearing in class, but hes a wonderful professor!
Excellent teacher, a true champion of free thought.
Original and Brilliant, never a dull moment in class. Able to explain ideas in true socratic form with an endless array of knowledge and example. A rare teaching gem in a field littered with pebbles and corrupted by a feeble Administration.
he makes class so exciting with all of his stories
Very imformative, helpful and most importantly educational. Would highly recommend this professor.
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Great teacher. Funny and off the wall.
He has some interesting insights that will help you look further into the stories.
I liked his class, he's a good teacher and I would like to have him as a teacher again.
He is a great teacher, I enjoyed his class.
Excellant teacher- keeps the interest going in a subject that is not always interesting. My detail to reading material has increased dramatically due to his class. Advise: do the papers as they are assigned and you will do well.
I loved this class. In fact it was the only class that I could not wait to go to. I hope Macomb doesn't give him a hard time about his teaching ehtics...because it would be a shame to loose such a great professor.
he's incredible...smartest teacher i've had...he knows so much, it's so interesting to listen to him talk about so many different things...and a great teacher, awesome teaching style
People are dropping out like flys cause the course is hard with his standards but it is required. The teacher is a **** **** who finds evey chance to talk about sex. He even talked about abortion the other day. Why is he a teacher?
He is great. If you are someone who is easily offended---get over it! He is an excellant teacher. Those of you who are offended... you probably talk worse among your friends. He is helpful and kind. A great guy!!
he is a great prof! expects a lot of reading and comprehension from you. extremely intelligent and the discussions are the BEST! Prof Bonnell believes wisdom comes from experience,learning cannot come from just a book but by the examined life. familiar
I love the discussions that we have. He makes the class enviornment very comfortable.
One of the best! John Bonnell is MCC's diamond in the rough. His knowledge of literature is simply amazing. He made attending class delightful. I would take him again in a heartbeat.
i have yet to meet a more brilliant man.
He is so incredible! you learn so much about life past and present. Too bad some people are paranoid. a few people have ruined this mans carrer and future students learning experiance. This was his last semester, but he was one of the best teachers ever!
I learned a lot from his class, about literature and about life.
What an amazing professor, i need not say more.
Bonelle is an awesome teacher. Very, very funny. He is very entertaining. I even sat in on his class when I wasn’t even in it! He swears a lot—that’s ok though, but if you can’t handle it—don’t sign up and then ****
Bonnell is the best teacher and man I have ever met. If you are easily offended by swearing or discussion on sex or religion, do us a favor and don't take his class. College is for adults. Sadly, a few closeminded people have ruined this man's career.
If you can't control your language and you are a language teacher FIND A NEW JOB! Very offensive man. Too bad for Unions or he'd be fired !!
This was The Greatest Class i ever took! was a few semesters ago, But when i saw him again on the roster I HAD to have another of his classes :) Unfortunately when I got to Class, I was saddened to learn he had been replaced, at least for the semester
I'm 45 and I learned so much from Bonnell. I hated missing class-it was so very interesting. Yes he's crude, but so were authors whose stories we read. I loved learning what the author really meant as we dissected stories. John is a gifted teacher.I wish MCC would realize that and leave him alone!
This class is easy if you pay attention. Rather than only providing his meanings, Bonnell is very open minded, and open to all different interpretations and viewpoints. A teacher that is as objective as him is a rarity, especially in college. I've never had a better teacher in my college years.
He is an awesome teacher and I hope I can take another class with him as my instructor again. I would recommend him to anybody interested in his class.
This is me second semester with him, and he is an awesome teacher. Very open minded, i had to wait 2 semester so i can get my 2-nd class with him. Every student is a grown up, because they are in college and are able te understand and "handle" his way of explaining. I recommended him to everybody.
Bonell is an awesome and fun teacher. He's a fantastic teacher. The best I've ever had. He's kind and helpful but doesn't like disrespect. WARNING FOR THE SENSITIVE: don't take this class. Bonell is not afraid to be frank in discussion about class topics, including sexuality and swearing.
It's unfortunate that a minority of close minded individuals have made this man's career controversial and problematic. He believes in what he does, regardless of the consequences, and therefore is a rarity. His class is a must for the aspiring english student!
He was the greatest teacher that i have ever had!! I'm not really into reading at all, but he took it to another level by pointing out things that you would never have noticed in the authors writing. We also hadd great discussions in the class and if he wasn't teaching it, i wouldn't like that class
For somebody whos not very good at reading, writting, or attendance i loved this class and passed it with flying colors. He's the best teacher at Macomb.
Bonnell's class was fascinating. We read interesting literature, and he would help dissect it with us. Within weeks, I was able to find hidden meanings in the lyrics of songs I was listening to and stories I read on my own. If MCC doesn't fire him, (which would be an amazing shame) his class is a must for the aspiring English student.
Bonnell ROCKS! His interpretations of literature are unique. I highly reccomend him to anyone who struggles with English. He has an awesome sense of humor. Mr. Bonnell has a very laid back personality. He really invites other points of veiw. I am taking him again this semester!
Great teacher.also cares about if you just need to talk even if its about problems at home....
one of the best teachers at macomb
This teacher is terrible.He is **** in his comments. AND IMAGUY!! He says things that have absolutly nothing to do with the topic.THIS IS NOT A DAMN RALLY IT'S A CLASSROOM!!There are students straight out of highschool in this class!I don't give a hoot about his opinions on the sexes.You all must be stupid to not see this! WARNING!AVOIDTHISTEACHE
He is seriously a great teacher. The person in the comment below me is obviously immature and doesn't understand the way he teaches. Maybe they need to go back to high school. Take this teacher, he is excellent.. the best I've had in high school or college.
He's a pretty funny man, i really enjoy his class!
he's a wonderful teacher
Yeah, sorry I have to agree with the other person. This man obviously never took any college courses on the art of teaching. If anyone learned anything from this man, even I'd be amazed. He is a waste of time, energy, and certainly money. Terrible "Teacher" if you can even call him that.
This guy is a bit much at times. I think that he is hilarious. He always gets way off the subject and talks alot about stuff that we all know that he should not ever be talking about. He is way outside the box. And this is the world, folks. We need people like this to get us out side of the box. He can be very offensive, but he really gets to ya!
Fantastic professor with clever wit and sardonic sense of humor. His recitation of the literature really keeps you interested, important when taken as a 4-hour,6-week course. Grading policy is easy, basically keep on writing papers until you have an A. The higher the quality of each paper, the less papers you have to write throughout the semester.
The class is alot of fun, and Bonnell is very flexible, so the class is very relaxed, and the grading evaluation is awsome!!
He was very difficult if you weren't a male. He had a lot of **** comments, and made you feel bad to speak out about being offended. I just kept my mouth shut and tried to do the best I could. He is a difficult grader, and he has little respect for others feelings. He thinks it is "cool" to use profanity, but some people don't.
I didn't have a great time in this class. I felt like he used a lot of useless profanity. Maybe he thinks it's "cool" to swear, but I know he has more vocabulary than that. I wrote a great 6 page paper, but I guess I didn't include enough phalic relations to objects for his liking. Maybe it's just me, but I felt like he did not like women...
He's terrible. enough said
Iloved this teacher I had him twice for two different classes. He is very easy if you do the work you should get no lower grade than a b. He doesnt care if you come to class or not. He also lets you express how you feel about the writings not what everyone tells you you should view it as. You are able to have your own views on things.
Great teacher but don't take his class if you can't handle profanity. It doesn't bother me. this teacher is great becasue you can turn in as much or as little work as you want when you want(as long as it hasn't been covered in class yet) He doesn't take attendance either. Very flexible for those with busy schedules. Easy A.
He is the best teacher ever. I took 3 of his classes, easy A. If he taught something else except english i would take him for all classes.
HE is the greatest teacher at MCC. HE is extremely intelligent and his realisitic usage of thought and language was refreshing. Yes he uses profanity -but it was great!!! And he does warn you at the start of the class. Take any class that you can with him!
Terrible teacher, that's just that. Terrible.
worst teacher ever, he is a waste of time, money and space. He fails you if you don't agree with him absolutly completly. what a jokeass.
He is funny and intellegent, tries to keep students interested. you'll get what you put into the class. if you do the work you'll get an a. however, if you're a generally conservative person you might want to seek another professor.
John Bonnell was my professor for two classes. At least six years ago. What he taught me changed my life. Not only in terms of literature, but in a way of thinking as well. I appreciate this gift on a regular basis.
This professor was great! I am actually shocked to see the mix of comments, everyone in my class loved him. It was a 3 hour class and he kept us interested all the way through, we were laughing and on our toes! He basically lets you work at your own pace. You earn points for the papers you do, once you reach the max points your done! Easy!
I thought he was wonderful! I didn't agree with everything he said but then I didn't need to. I thought this was going to be my worst class and it surprised me to find it was my favorite. I have signed up to take two more of his classes for the winter term. He is by far EXCELLANT and I would recommend him to anybody!
My favorite teacher at Macomb!! I LOVED HIM. He is SO FUNNY and keeps you entertained through out the whole class! I dont understand how people can have negative things to say about him. Everyone in my class LOVES him!! He tells it like it is and is not scared of what others think. If u dont like him..you probably arent mature enough for his class.
Excellent teacher. Explains all the readings thoroughly in class. He allows you to do papers on your own time. Very helpful if you have questions and willing to do the work. His class will definately increase your mental awareness.
The Best Professor at MCC!!!His style of teaching is awesome. He really made me what to come to class everyday!!! Also the best teacher I have ever had.
This man is a genius. He is witty and wise, but if you are a conservative person or prude then take someone else. If you have an open mind and are mature and would like to really learn something about literature, then this is the man!! He is brilliant and never boring.
EXTREAMLY easy. A blowoff class - you earn the grade yourself and attendence does not count. He swears alot and the class is very boring. I do not reccommend him. I earned an A+ in the class and yet I learned nothing from him. All you did was read the stories and write about them or take a quiz. He read every single story to you. Pointless
I have 2 degrees and have been going to school now for about 19 years and John Bonnell was one of the best teachers I have ever had! I just don't get the negative posts. Yea, he is full of "old stories" from his past, but I found most of them are hilarious! He is an all around good guy and a GREAT teacher. I'm very glad to have taken his class.
I love Prof. Bonnell! If you're easily offended, I wouldn't suggest taking him though.
i can't stand this class. grading is wack and his topics are too. i learned nothing from this class. it was easy bcuz all you do is write papers on stories. in class theres no point of him to read these stories all hour. it's boring and not needed. you don't need to come to class at all, just write your papers and get your points and your done.
A GENIUS at literary analysis and historical relavency. He nearly has every line of every story memorized. Not for the faint of heart. If you have never been told that there are such things in this world as sex, cursing and other religions and interpretations, then stay in nursery school. A VERY FAIR TEACHER AND WILL GIVE AN A IF YOU EARN IT.
The most intelligent professor i have ever met. He breathes life into literature. you have to have a Brilliant Mind to understand and "go there" with his teachings. Mr. Bonnell has the most powerful mind at mcc. INSPIRING! I pity all those who cannot comphrehend his greatness, and belittle him because they do not understand true literature.
BRILLIANT !! Yes, he swears, but ususally in an attempt to get the attention of the slacker children who do not pay attention or need "slang" to get it through their thick skulls. He speaks as an ILLUSTRATIVE tool with relevance to writing. He tells old stories, but draws LIFE PARALLELS with LITERATURE. Not a traditional teacher---HE'S BETTER!!
Very interesting & knows the subject matter like the back of his hand. If your squeemish or adolescent, then stay away. If your truly interested in learning about literature & can take it if it's sometimes vulgar, not politically correct or not watered down, then you will appreciate him. He is real-life, and he is brilliant!
The best ever!!!!!!!!! Take him if you wish to learn.The man has changed my life. many thanks to him for that.
worst professor i ever had. all he would do in class is sit in front and do his monotone voice reading everything. i fell asleep so many times in there! i expect for the classes i pay out of my own pocket to at least educate in some way, not just have a gossip hr twice a week.
I had this professor 35 years ago. I seems that his style has not changed at all. I am still influenced by the things he taught. I uncovered talents and skills that I was not even aware of. He taught me that I could succeed at whatever I tried to do. He taught me the value of being able to laugh at myself. He made education painless and enjoyable
One of the best classes i have taken at macomb. He makes you look a literature in a different way. Just write your papers and you will succeed
I have a masters degree and John is one of the best instructors I have ever had. I learned things from him that I still remember and use today....25 years later.
Amazing professor. I truly looked forward to going to his classes. I had a scheduling conflict mid-semester and ended up not making it to about half of his classes but he totally worked with me. He is funny, interesting and just an all-around nice guy. One of my favorite classes ever.
The best!!! Plain and simple. I recommend that everyone take his class.
Alot of students bad mouth him because he is opinionated. Welcome to the real world! He is not afraid to talk about "controlversal" topics. He is brilliant, funny and an amazing person. I recommend him to anybody who needs an easy going class. The class is easy if you have an open mind. Also, he is NOT ****. I'm a female and we get along great.
I've never met an awful prof like Bonnell.Teaches nothing.He has been prohibited from teaching in the past but unfortately came back to teach at macomb.He shouldn't be teaching.ONLY talks about SEX.
Professor Bonnell is unforgettable.
Here is what you need to know: Yes, he does talk about ?controversial? ideas, and it's completely relevant. He is the most insightful man I have ever met. The class is easy. He will impact your life in a beautiful way, but you have to seek him out first (please do!). Please go out of your way to get to know John! He has helped me grow so much.
This man is hilarious, I still think of things he has said and I took him 2 years ago. He is super vibrant and entertaining and he really makes you look at and think about literature totally different. He's very liberal, but that works for me! :) He is awesome, bottom line, and a very spirited educator.
He gives great lectures and teaches you to read with a more "in-depth" and observant approach. Very funny too. As long as you write a fair amount of papers you will get a good grade. If you are offended easily I would not recommend him because he doesn't hold back on anything he says.
Bonnell taught me to read between the lines while analyzing a work of literature. He is very good at his subject. Passing the class was quite easy (especially for me because I adore English). All you have to do is read, think, and write. Bonnell is a little unpredictable; he talks openly about everything. Sometimes students feel uncomfortable.
Probably the most fascinating teacher at MCC. He's very eccentric. I found myself wishing the class lasted longer because I just wanted to listen to him talk more. He's absolutely hilarious. You earn points by writing short papers on pieces of literature... It's not hard to get an A in this course. Plus, you'll be entertained at the same time.
He is a very good english professor but teaches his students nothing about english. He sees the true meaning behind the stories we read in class that i never saw until he pointed them out. Wrote papers on the stories we read but never knew what he was looking for. Hard to get an A but good class to take to make you look out of the box.
I absolutely loved Prof. Bonnell. Homework does not have a due date and that makes it easy to put off.. Which is why I got a B. Do not procrastinate and it is an easy A. He is funny and I wish there would have been more class time. Not one time did I leave class without a smile on my face. If I had to use one word to describe him it would be wise.
I'm taking him right now for ENGL-1220. A down-to-earth professor who uses his own "point system" which determines your final grade. Just write a lot of (literary analysis) papers--on your own time (since there are no due dates)--and you will do fine. I'll be at an A by next week, LOL. :)
I enjoyed this professor very much. Grades are earned on a point system. Earning an A will be hard if you do not like to write. Att. is not mandatory. This is not your "average" Eng. class. If the use of profanity or talking about sex bothers you...you may want to choose another professor...
1968. That's when I first had John Bonnell as my English instructor. Probably the most interesting and progressive instructor I ever had. Outstanding teaching ability and approach. Never missed a class although attendance was not mandatory. Great teacher. Took him for a second class in 1969.
This class was incredibly interesting. The knowledge that Professor brought to the material was amazing. Knows more about words and history of language than any teacher I have ever had -bar none.
John Bonnell is a man of honor and dignity. It shows in his teachings. This is English!
Really friendly teacher with alot of life insight.
Great instructor. You have to write analysis based on the reading and hand them in. There are no due dates or test or a final. His lectures actually made me learn something about what to look for in my writing and others.
I was terrified to take English as I have been told i was stupid and couldn't read. How differently do I feel now after have taking John. He has so much passion you almost want to cry after leaving his class. The way he dissects the material you read is brilliant and mind-blowing. Take Bonnell. He will change your life. He's free and expressive.
John Bonnell is dedicated and very wise. Wish he was a close friend that i could be around daily to assist me in dissecting lifes mysteries like he does our readings. John you keep doing what you've been doing! Not many have been doing it as long as you. You go boy!
Finding a teacher as passionate and as knowledgeable as John Bonnell is a truly rare occasion. He encourages independent analysis, as he did not always agree with my analysis, nor did I his. He pushes you to strive for not just an A, but for enlightenment and knowledge. I'll never forget him. It has sincerely been an honor.
I am sad to say Professor Bonnell passed away during my semester. Loved him, he taught me how to really understand material I read. Respected the views and opinions of all. Such a huge loss, he will be missed so much.
Professor Bonnell was a great teacher!!!! He was so knowledgeable and worldly. He was an inspiration and I feel blessed to have been instructed by him. He will be surely missed. Good Bye Professor.
The first explicit night of John Bonnell's comp 2 class I rushed home to transfer classes. I am so glad I stuck with Bonnell. For those who will not have the chance to learn from this brilliant man, I am so sorry for you. You missed out on lessons on life and love that can never be reproduced. I will miss you my professor, my friend.
John was a wonderful man and professor, I loved him very much. He will be missed.
Class Info
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A+
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.04 avg changeRatings by Course
1220
5.0
(2)POETRY
5.0
(1)ENG221
5.0
(2)ENG121
5.0
(1)ENG281
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ENG120
4.0
ESC
4.0
POETRY
3.0
ENG281
3.0
ENG1220
3.0