No Comments

very professional

His classes were primarly lectures, not much student involvement so it made class boring. He taught the class as if everyone should have known the information already. I had a difficult time keeping up with most of the recent HS grads...In addition, I didn't like his grading system, but overall he's fair.

His class wasn't as bad as the previous comments make it seem. I didn't really like the RTAs though. Sometimes I had absolutely no interest in the topics! Overall, it's not a horrible class...you just have to be prepared to work for a good grade!! :)

I had Castellarian twice in one semester - for english 102 and creative writing. All though difficult with his millions of papers and requirements, I learned so much from him. I couldn't have asked for a more challenging teacher.

Prof C will make you work for your grade, BUT he is a decent professor who will teach you what you NEED to get your degree or continue on to a 4 year college. You will become an expert at essay writing. Prof C was very understanding of my health problems and allowing me to keep up, and very fair. His classes can be a bore, but you learn a lot.

I thought his assignments were very purposeful and productive. All of these other people that are giving him bad ratings are people who just either sucked at writing or didn't like to do WRITING in a WRITING CLASS. So if you're actually interested in getting good at writing (with a good thesis/argument) then I recommend Castellarin.

He is a good teacher, however very serious about his job. If you are looking for a easy A this is not the class, but if english is your thing and you want to be challenged this is your class.

The lectures are in depth and dissect argumentation to a fine level. The work load is high with two major papers and short papers each week. If you are an average student skip this class, if you are above average and are able to complete the assignments you will learn much. Papers are graded late which is a huge negative.

he is a very powerful speaker...LISTEN! Also,read the book cause he references it in class. Class is easy if you listen and just do your work...with EFFORT.

Taking this class online is not easy. Even if you're a talented writer, with skills far exceeding mine, expect a challenge. Two 10-page essays are 52.6% of your final grade. Note that MLA is used on the first paper, and APA on the second. Pay attention to all due dates and communicate with him when you have issues--you should do fine.

He gets straight to the point with his lectures, I appreciate that he does not mess around and starts and ends class right on the dot. Most student do not like him because they do not listen or ask questions or put any effort in their essays. But if you actually want to improve your writing, Castellarin is a great teacher.

Make no mistake, this is not an easy course. He is challenging and can come off as very cold shouldered, but it helps you in the long run,IMO. After taking this course I feel far better off intellectually. If you want a challenge I would highly recommend this course. My only complaint is how long it takes to get grades back.

This professor is not too difficult. I think he grades practically and provided feedback on assignments as long as you paid attention to blackboard success is not out of reach. He also seemed very intelligent and wanted to keep his classroom involved during lecture. Understanding!!

Professor Castellarin is a tough cookie to crumble. I had him for both 111 and 112. He wasn't nearly as critical in 111 as he was in 112. He is very challenging. That's something I like because I tend to get bored if I'm not. Listen to him, check blackboard regularly, and do all of your work and there's no reason you won't get a good grade.

I wouldn't recommend him to anyone who isn't already a really decent writer. He doesn't do peer editing, he's extremely picky, and he's pretty unsympathetic. However, I learned a lot in his class, much of which has helped me a ton in my other classes. Lectures are painfully boring but if you can manage to pay attention, he gives useful information.

Great instructor. He may be particular and a tough grader, but seeing as this class is meant to enable the student to become a strong, academic writer, then the difficulty is warranted. I personally like a challenge and I want to learn a skill from a college course. This class has been challenging and has made me a better writer.

Hard grader but if you put in the effort he will recognize that. Pay attention to the lectures because they will help you write the two major essays due in the course. Doesn't use a powerpoint or any visuals so lectures can be boring. One presentation at the end of the course. Most discussions are between classmates.

I liked Mr. Castellarin. His lectures are funny and the assignments are interesting.

He is a solid professor. The lectures can be a bit much for anyone who has a hard time focusing for a class period. This is because he enjoys talking. However, someone like me does well by gathering meaningful points in the lectures. He is very clear with expectations and as long as they are followed -- so will an A. I learned a tremendous amount.

Professor Castellarin is very clear about his grading and expectations. In this class, we had 2 big essays to write. I learned to be a better writer and I am thankful for it. It is a lot of work, but if you use your time wisely you'll be just fine. There is plenty of help and information for you. If you don't do well in this class it's on you.

He is very passionate about what he does. This can lead to him giving you tough scores, but he always provides meaningful feedback about how you can improve to meet his expectations. He cares, in that he wants you to experience English in the way that he does. Take his class with an open mind, there's a lot of reading, but it's all for a reason.

Excellent Professor! I became a better writer because of him, he makes you work for your grades but he provides in depth feedback and is always available for office hours so utilize them if you get in his class. He doesn't assign a lo of work but when he does they are worth a lot of points; assignments are spaced in by week so you have time do it.

At first I really had a hard time in this class but I learned very quickly you just need to pay attention closely. He does ramble a lot in his lectures, but he also makes his expectations/want he wants in your essays very clear if you actually pay attention. This class was a pain in the @ss but I can acknowledge it made me a much stronger writer.

His teaching style can be difficult to understand at first, but if you pay attention, the class becomes easier. Some people say he talks a lot during lectures, but he clearly explains his expectations. He responds quickly on Canvas and gives helpful feedback on homework and drafts.

I loved this professor. He yapped a lot, but that made it easier for the people who did not understand. He explained things really well. I am pretty good at English and Composition so I used to watch movies during lecture and he never got mad. He saw my work was turned in and gave great feedback. He works with student's schedules.

Prof. John Castellarin is a very engaging instructor. I took ENG 111 with him and then ENG 112, too. Both were shorter courses but he brings so enthusiasm to his teaching which makes writing and research more manageable. Overall, Prof. Castellarin is very concerned that every student gets a good grade in his class.