Very good teacher. Helps you out with your questions and your work, IF you let him know that you dont understand. He also explains the material very good and is willing to work with you on make up assignments, etc.

Loved this class. Really helped with writing skills. Hes an awesome teacher. You'll be glad you took him. (I am!)

An incredible speaker, Mr. Pekins honestly transforms essay writing into an understandable art. His assignments are clear, and his feedback is incredibly useful. Take this man's class, he will help you.

excellent teacher, everyone should have an english teacher like this; i learned things in his class about writing that i use every single time i write anything for school! His class is absolutely invaluable, take it!!

Great teacher. Really helped me develop as a writer. A little cooky. Went I went to his office to have my essay proofread, he told me I needed to harness the powers of the universe to improve my writing skill. Ok Pekins.

good teacher, really tries to help students he will give you all the help u need. i enjoyed him.

Very good professor. Makes sure everyone grasps the concept and always stresses the value of writing. He's not there to get paid, he really wants to help his students. Get your money's worth, take his class!

He is great teacher. I got A .My friend got him ,and she was afraid to fail, but she got B at the end of the semester. Even though she got three D and and one C on her paper. It is so easy

This guy makes you think!!!!!11

class was okay but not structured very well. I can't say I really learned too much from the class besides the awesome guest speakers and the writers he showed us like joy hargow (sp?). teacher's a really smart guy who wants to help his students tho.

This teacher lets you think for yourself, which is a good thing!You learn by trial and error with your writing. He gives you an idea and concept to work with, then you take it and make it to whatever you make it out to be. He lets you try new things which is more than I can say for other teachers!

Had him and loved the class. wasnt to interested in taking the class, but he worked with me in any way he could. Very good guy and an easy A as long as you listen and adhere to deadlines

He's ok in some cases...but he wants you to be one with everything and takes a life time to explain one thing that takes like 5mins. If you ask me, snoooooozzzze.

He's one of the best out there. You have to think in his class, and can express yourself. I get a kick out of people saying he's "unclear." It's *creative writing* people. If you don't know what you want to do, maybe you should be a rote learning class.

he was a great teacher. he helps you with everything you need. very easy to pass the class .

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one of the most enjoyable english classes i've taken. as long as you put some effort into your papers and meet the deadlines, the class is very easy. likes to talk and really gets into his stories/discussions. knows his stuff and can really help you out when you feel lost. i would love to take his class again.

Great teacher gave all his time to his students. Kind of whacky but really cares about his students and making sure they improve in their writing

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He is an EXCELLENT teacher......He actually cares about the students and their improvment, and he takes a very individualized approach. He does tell kind of long stories sometimes, but I get a kick out of it. Thinking is definitely a class requrement! Also, he looks and sounds exactly like Donald Southerland with a beard.

Prof. Pekins has to be the best English teahcer ever. I took his class for ENC1101 and Enc1141. Being that he made writing such fun I decided to take ENC1102 as on of my electives. If you do you work and meet deadlines there is no excuse for you not to get an A in any of his classes.

he is one of the best teachers at Tcc. He is so understanding and really wants to make sure you get a good grade. I was really sick for most of the course, and he understood everytime and accepted my work! he is just awesome and really nice.

awesome

i would come back to tcc to take this teacher again.

Resourceful Teacher!!!

He is a really good teacher. I have taken him twice. He will go out of his way to help you out with your papers. Easy class if you write all the papers and come to class.

EASY class. Very go with the flow type of guy. The class isn't very structured as far as an accademic calander. You do a paper, finish it, & move to the next one. He's very into making sure each student does well in his class. He'll help you however he can. If you're slightly good with writing, take this class. An A is easy to get!

Great teacher. Very helpful and patient. Will work with you. He brings alot of energy to his class. He is very inspired by what he is teaching. He's very down to earth.

Good teacher!

Very cool guy. Can be a bit silly, but has tons and tons of useful knowledge. My writing ability truly blossomed in this class.

good teacher lots of informating to give

very good teacher, my writing really improved in his class, just meet all of his dead lines and u will do fine,

Pekins is a funny guy and a great teacher. Passing his class is easy as long as you attend everyday, meet the deadlines, and show improvement in your writing. If you're a slacker, he will not show much sympathy. He truly taught me alot in becoming a new writer.

He's an amazing and funny teacher, and my writing improved so much! However he's a little melo when he tells his little stories, so if you fall asleep easily be wary of early morning classes with him. Otherwise, take his class!

Very good teacher. Extremely nice. Good class to take in the morning, he let me eat breakfast. Really enjoyed his class overall.

Mr. Pekins is one of the best english teachers I know. Honestly, he grades according to what potential he sees in you. He can tell if you're slacking. If you put in effort and talk to him every once in a while, you will get an A. He is very nice too as long as you respect him and don't talk in class.

VERY good teacher. Will give you help if you ask for it. Doesn't expect a whole lot out of students except being on time to class and showing improvement in writing.

Great professor. Works hard for students. Really cares that they succeed. Lots of individual attention. Knows his stuff and expects students to work hard too.

Mr. Pekins is the BOMB. I have been out of school for 20+ yrs and his injection of his life's learning and his way of grading by a final portfolio gives you alot of time to make the most of your writing, he appreciates the creative process and doesnt limit you to standard writing practices

Great professor. He puts a lot of time and effort into his students and it shows.

To all that are criticizing this prof, I can only say lack of commitment and hard work is the only way you will not be able to succeed in this class. He gives credit for just showing up. Meet deadlines and show commitment to become a better writer and you will be just fine. English is my second language, I worked hard and I earned an A. no excuses.

very good class

He is the man. You WILL get an A if you work for it.

One of the most inspiring men I have ever met... He is willing to go the extra mile for any of his students, he is my advisor and i have the utmost respect for him. He has one of the best personalities ever he's an awesome person and it is an honor to have him as a teacher.

He Doesnt Base It On Grades He Bases Your Grade On Progress

A or B is obtainable, but you will haft to "work" for it. He know his stuff but is also a little older thus is not as lenient as younger professors might be. Your work in this for this course anything but ends after class. Great for English and writing majors, properly not the best for 1st time/first semester students.

Excellent teacher, he does expect you to do your work and not be a slacker, but he's very easy-going and grades according to how much effort and progression you really put forth. Gives a lot of creative feedom. He is very knowledgeable at writing, you can tell he is truely passionate about English and teaching it.

Mr. Pekins is more of a university level teacher than a community college teacher. You have to work hard to get your point across in your papers. He wants nothing but the best from his students. I dont recommend new students to take him especially if you dont want to write. BBUT if you want to become a better writer, TAKE HIM!!!!! IT'S WORTH IT.

one of the most inspiring teachers i have ever met.. english never really meant much to me i just figured it would be an easy class to have but he really got me to enjoy coming to class he truly cares about his students and will help a lot if needed, so hippie like its great LOVE HIM!!! TAKE HIM!!!!! I HIGLY RECOMMEND HIM!!!!!!!!!!!

John Pekins is an incredibly inspiring teacher! In my opinion he is above instruction, however, he seems to really care about preparing students for upper-grad and for life. Invaluable!

This was one of the best teachers i have ever taken at TCC he helped me alot and let you resubmit all essays making failure impossible A easy A if yu actually do your work

Great professor, very encouraging and willing to help you with your papers. I really enjoyed this class. He does usually have at least one writing assignment a week and he had a ton of abstracts for us to do, but I really enjoyed it! Definitely should take him!

John Pekins IS a rare event. I wouldn't have missed it for all the cigars in Cuba. If you care; he cares. This is a Real Teacher. Do not take this teacher if you are goofin' or lookin'for an easy A.

He is incredibly helpful and willing to work with you one-on-one to develop your writing style. The literature was wonderful and the essays were a lot of fun to write, although quite challenging. He has a very creative and unique teaching style. I would suggest this class to anyone who enjoys writing.

Goofy and funny guy, but a great professor. Very willing to help you grow as a writer as long as you make the effort to improve. Really takes time for each student individually and makes sure you understand everything. Lenient and understanding.

Alright this guy is the perfect english professor. I HATE writing but he made it interesting and fun. He's a pretty chill guy and very helpful, just trying makes a world of difference with this guy. If you don't care he won't either. Great class.

If you take his class, he will work to make you a better writer. But you have to work, as well. As an Engineering major, if I were to do it over I would have gone for an easier teacher since high-level english is non-essential for me. However, if you enjoy english then Pekins is definitely the teacher to take.

A great teacher who is willing to go to the farthest you are willing to go. He has a great sense of humor, and keeps the lectures interesting enough!

Definitely on a university/conservative level of teaching. Thus you are expected to work very hard in and out of class to achieve a good grade. He grades you on your progress. Not a class you should expect to BS your way through.. He has been teaching for a very long time and spot that in a student easily.

I had John Pekins in the 80s as a high school teacher. Very detailed teacher. Not easy. However i learned alot and still remember his teachings almost 30 years later! I was just leaving TCC when he was starting. For what its worth English was one of the harder subjects for me, but John is a great and memorable professor. TAD

Very respectful and helpful teacher. Willing to look at your paper many times until you feel comfortable with your wark and he is willing to go the extra mile to help you succeed.

Phenomenal professor! Genuinely wants you to understand the importance of writing, despite if it is your career path or not. He is thorough in his teachings, willing (and encourages) to meet with you individually to discuss qualities/concerns to your progress, wonderfully supportive. He is an ideal college professor.

Dont know what these negative comments are about. He made the class very easy and taught very well. He is a very intelligent man and meets with students for one on one conferences I was taking 4 other classes for the summer and taking him made it so less stressful. He gave me A's on everything and showed a general interest in my progress.Good teach

Ms Perkins is awesome... very helpful... made class easy and fun.

Took this class in the summer of 2011.John Pekins is a very intelligent person, and helps you think for yourself what you want to say for the papers. Not a hard class assighns 4 papers and the length has a min and max but as long as you get your point across he is ok. He also assighns bonus work

I'm not sure about the negative rants. Pekins works hard for students, has our backs. I trust him completely and learned a lot from him. He expectss you to work hard, but he works hard too. An inspiring teacher.

He offers many second chances on papers. I started out pretty bad grade-wise but I kept revising and folowing-up meeting with him and it looks like now I'm tracking for A or maybe B. One of the best teachers I've had.

At first I wasn't sure what to think about this class. After the second conference though I got it. Pekins wanted me to do well and he was ready to work with me as much as I wanted so I could. Thank you for YOUR effort, JP

One of the best. It's true that he doesn't give anything away. I never had a teacher tell me though that he believed in me and just keep working my best. That made the difference for me in this class.

I learned a lot in this class. Great teacher. Challenging and fun.

I really don't know what all the negative comments are about. Mr. Pekins is an awesome teacher and has a passion for seeing his students succeed. Assigns 4 essays and gives you the opportunity to revise them over the semester.Gives bonus point opportunities. Thank you JP for your best efforts!

I really liked Mr. Pekins. I thought he was very helpful, especially in his one on one conferences. I did struggle with my essays, but he did his best to help me. If you show him you are trying to improve, you'll do fine. I ended with an A!

I had my first conference with him this week. Didn't do too good on the paper. He talked about my strengths though and showed me how I could do well in the class. Even though the paper didin't do so well, I am encouraged now and know I can learn and do better. He does a great job.

I trust him. He wants me to work hard...us to work hard. He works hard too. The teacher student conferences are the bomb. I am learning so much...

Pekins is one of the best. He knows his stuff, is passionate about the subject and cares about us students doing well. A+ for Pekins

I loved Pekins. He made me discover a passion for writing that I never knew I had. He is a really great and sincerely wonderful guy. I would recommend his class to anyone. This is a class you look forward to attending.

A very positive teacher. Meets often with students and builds on our strengths. I'm glad I took this class and am taking many benefits from it.

He is a nice guy, but grades very difficult (if you're coming straight out of high school). He works with you and gives you lots of advice for your essays. My only complaint is that he doesn't upload to Blackboard, so I have no clue where my grade is standing until the end of the semester.

He showed me how to find the best in myself and then just kept reminding me of it for the rest of the semester. Great course, great teacher. Thanks, JP!

Amazing professor. The semester I spent with this class was my best semester in terms of graded papers both in his class and in other classes. I learned a lot about my writing with him and as long as you put some interest into your work, you'll find yourself obtaining some of the best grades for your best work!

I took John for one class in the 80s. It was his first time teaching at TCC. John was not just my professor but my mentor and guide and became my friend for life. Though he is a fine teacher, there are better ones I am sure. But John was the right teacher for me at the right time for this lost, immigrant kid. My gratitude for John runs deep.

Pekins is an incredible teacher. He grades based on how dedicated you are to improving your writing. He knows exactly how much work you're putting into the class and will judge appropriately. If you want an easy time, he's not for you. If you plan to ever write again after his class, you will benefit from him.

As is the case with another post, I also had him as a high school teacher. He was AMAZING! Creative Writing, 7th period, was always such a wonderful way to end the school day! I will never forget him and the many friends I had in that class way back in the day!

Great teacher. Always really kind, gives you plenty of ideas to think about, and is very laid back. He is also very flexible about his timelines. Give him great work and he will be happy. Very encouraging as well, makes you feel like an author...even though you clearly aren't lol...feel good kinda class :) would take again

Very helpful, very nice. I loved this class. Would recommend him.

Mr. P is the MAN. Coolest guy you will ever meet. Very flexible about due dates and really makes things interesting. Also makes the corniest jokes in the world and yet somehow he is still hilarious. If you have a chance TAKE HIM. You wont regret it.

Mr Pekins is awesome. You have one or two simple hw assignments a week and 4 essays. Very awesome guy and will help with anything. Got an A in his class and im not even that great in English. Definitely take him!

Mr Perkins is an awesome teacher ! You will need your book! But he really helps you with your grades, 3 main essays. The entire semester drops the lowest grade and you get a chance to revise the best one ! There's no way you can get less than a "B" ! S/n attendance and tardiness is important

A smart and caring teacher. Happy I took the course.

Work hard and care and you can have great success with this teacher. He's 100% for his students.

Excellent professor!! He is very passionate about writing and desires to help students. Essays make up 70% of your grade and writing assignments make up 30% of your grade. If you do the work you will pass the class

Great class, great teacher. The one-on-one conferences really help a lot. Happy to be in the class!

He's fair and knows his stuff. Very helpful even with a slacker, and I should know. Many second chances in his class

Mr Pekins is an exceptional professor, who clearly loves what he does and it shows to each and every student. I loved his class, and if my major, didn't require me to take another English that he didn't teach, I would have taken him twice! He is the type of mentor and professor that today's college students need. Take him, take his class now!!!!!!!

By far my FAVORITE professor! An amazing person! Sad to find out he retired though.

Professor Pekins is an engaging lecturer, though his teaching style takes some adjusting. The work is challenging but manageable with diligence. unstuck study proved helpful for essay prep.