Go to office hours! He cares about his students.Hard tests,but from the book.

nice person.. HW is done in small groups. kinda Hard..

he is nice guy, fun....he know the material pretty well...He is recommended...smart

GREAT GUY! Enjoyed comming to class. If you need to take 2B take it with him. Its great! Loved learning the material it was fun.

Makes sure the class understands, tries to make math entertaining and actually knows how to use a TI-83.

A great smart teacher who maybe "loves" to fail students as his exams are tough. However, if you are majoring in Mathematics, I suggest this teacher. His class is interesting and enjoyable!!

He's a very energetic teacher who explains things well if he does assign a lot of homework. Some people find the class hard but it's the material not the teacher.

Very interested and good at math. Tests are tricky.

Good teacher, hard tests, but makes you actually understand math.

Hard but fair. Homework assignments everyday that you have to do to keep a high score but it makes you do it. Dr Sawka is good but his test are hard.

He is a wonderful teacher who loves Math so much!!You need to complete HW everyday in order to get an "A". He will give you exams from HW problems.

Very good teacher. Explains things well. Tests are a bit tricky though.

Good teacher, will take time to help you if you're totally lost. Nice guy, a little wacky though. Watch out for his homework grader, she is WAY brutal! Takes off points for stupid things that aren't relevant.

Was utterly bored in class. he is a good teacher but treats you like a child. Explains everything in detail but makes you feel like you dont know anything, like a child. Tests are trying but easy. Keep up on homework!

fun to sit through the class. it was easy.

harsh grader, but test questions relatively easy. very willing to help during office hours and lectures well

He's a bit corkey guy, but explains things clearly in detail. If you attend his lecture regularly, you don't even need textbook...except for hwk problems. There's tons of Hwks assigned everyday, and they are greaded.

He is a funny guy, but he really treat you like a child. Much home work but easy tests.

Great teacher. Really cares about his students' success.

Sawka taught me math 11 last spring. he does teach slowly, but effectively. he grades all his homework assignment, that way you kind of have to do it. i got through with a B. attend class regularly and you will at least get a B.

He is excellent in a way that he explains the abstract ideas in the simplest way. And he presents the calculation steps very clearly so that the class can understand.

Although he treats you like a 5-years old kid, but I don't hate him at all. His lecture is pretty clear and funny, and the tests are not that bad. If you can do your homework nicely, you will get at least a B in his class.

Ignore all other ratings. 1st, Sawka is a PhD. This is not the norm at community college. 2nd, he is probably the sharpest dresser on the faculty at Foothill. 3rd, suck it up, dude. Math is writing, so write some math. 4th, for a math teacher, Sawka is frikken hilarious. 5th, he will help you, but he won't defeat his purpose by giving you answers.

Great teacher, a bit nuts with the homework but it helps you really learn. Great sense of humor too. He always made class intersting.

Best math teacher I ever had. Listen and do the work. He tries hard to help but you have to give your part too.

Mr. Sawka is a great professor. His lectures are exceptionally clear both verbally and physically. Although he expects a lot from his students, in return, you gain an enormous amount of mathematical knowledge, which is essential for upcoming math classes. He really makes you struggle, but in all honesty, the struggle is what leads you to success.

Best Math Teacher EVER!!

U noe what. This is one maths teacher who knows how 2 teach. He makes lessons interesting, he explains concepts clearly. He ROCKS!!

He expects a lot of you, but in return you can learn a lot from him. If you do your homework you will come to his tests prepared, but that doesnt mean you dont have to study. His lectures are clear and he tries to make things interesting. He loves what he teaches and I deffinatly recommend him.

excelent teacher spends alot of time givving multiple examples and multiple ways of solving the problems. carfull overconfidence will doom you. make shure you understand the hw every night or ask him for help if you fall behind it is hard to catch up.

Sawka is great, he's a really nice guy and has a genuine interest in what he's teaching. Gives you homework that he grades every day, but that keeps you on top of things. I'd reccomend him to anyone.

PhD. Yale University... He is an amazing teacher. HOWEVER, if you cant manage your time with your teammate will be a Big problem. No tests but only homework, so if you dont do your homeword you will fail the class for sure. Exams are quite hard, each exam is worth 20% Unless you are really INTO maths, orelse dont take him.

Wow this class was tougher than I thought it would be. Sawka is a very clear and helpful instructor. Be prepared to write alot notes in the lecture though. The volume of material he requires you to know is alot, but he presents it well. He assigns some of the harder HW problems in the book, but the exams were relatively reasonable. Recommended

Took calc 1a. Fantastic teacher, he's devoted his life to math and it shows. He did a great job of explaining the material from many different angles, while still making good use of class time. Homework had to be done in groups, which was both helpful and a pain (I ended up doing much of it twice). Still, highly recommended.

Without question one of the best teachers I've ever had in any subject. His preparation is meticulous, and he has a gift for explaining mathematical reasoning. Having our homework graded forced people to actually do the homework problems, which is good. Charming and delightful person to talk to. Tests are reasonable if you do the HW carefully.

He really does want everybody to learn more than just the mechanics of doing math problems. His ability to explain complex math problems is unparalled. Tests are reasonably difficult since the problems test you on your understanding of the big concepts, not just on how to do math problems. Not an easy A.

Sawka was a good prof for Finite Math. He taught well and was funny too. You should attend class and do homework, since that will affect your grade. Test questions are similar to homework and inclass problems. Tests were hard, but no surprises, all material already covered in class. Fast grader on homework and tests. I would take him again for math

well he is a cheerful man and a good lecturer for sure, but he is really picky on the homework assignments. He makes the concepts clear!

He's okay...has issues...

he definately has his favorites. if you're not one of them then don't expect any kindness. He is extremely unsympathetic to any needs or problems you may have. he has a good sense of humor and is pretty entertaining on the upside. but unless you start off on his good side, don't expect much sympathy or understanding.

Very structured class and follows the syllabus. Don't blame him if you hate math or you're not good at it. He definitely has favorites which are people who are taking him again. He's old and makes lame jokes sometimes. Do homework and do well on the tests and you'll be just fine. Worst thing is he almost always lets you out late. No matter what.

soo funny, soo helpful, the best math teacher i never had!!!I Finally figured out what is maths having fun at the same time lol

Good explanations. Makes lots of jokes, some good some not. Tests, bookwork, and classwork are well matched. PLAYS FAVORITES/PICKS ON STUDENTS. This guy has made me walk out of class in anger, and it all started with me asking a question about the math.

Crystal clear explanation but sometimes a bit repetitive. Loves to use graphs a lot for explanations. Group homeworks (find good partners!), slightly tricky tests and final... but you should have no problem if you do all homework well.

Great math teacher, always cracking jokes, makes the class interesting. Clear and helpful, recommended.

At first I felt like dropping the class but I had never experience a Math teacher like this before and needed a professor just like this to truly understand Calculus. His attitude is directly proportional to the amount of effort you put into the class so you have to be serious. I wish I could have taken him for my other Calculus classes and find hi

He is a good teacher! if you wanna get a good grade in his class, you have you do all the homework problems. it helps alot with midterm and final. otherwise, u might think he is the worst teacher u have ever had. Good Luck!

He is one of the best teacher, ever I had met.

Great class! Sawka is very clear in explaining the ideas and shows you exactly how to do the problems. He is very enthusiastic and energetic. Every day he would come in with very interesting examples. Never dull. Unfortunately much time was spent every day repeating things from previous class for those who skipped class. Very patient instructor

Of course it's hard - it's Calculus! Sawka was great! Energetic and enthusiastic. He helped me learn how to read, write and THINK mathematically. You can't just memorize things and expect to pass so it is hard for non-English speakers. You have to understand the math.

Sawka is great! Always energetic and enthusiastic. Very clear explanations and interesting examples. You do have to do the homework and remember things you learned in previous courses.

He is a nice and fair guy. He goes by the book. Tests are straightforward. Cares about students, encouraging, helps u stay motivated. Just do hw and keep up. Ask ?s, he will help u. Material in class will help in math 49. Cons, he can get cranky, went too slow for me, spent too much on how to use ti83. He is better than faun maddox! A is possible.

Has really helped me understand math better. Homework and tests are hard, they really challenge you to think. You can't get by just memorizing formulas. Prompt feedback. Answer key as soon as test is over, graded tests returned the very next class meeting.

If you are smart, appreciate being challenged, and really want to learn some math, take Sawka. If you are not so smart and just want someone to read the book to you and ask you easy questions so you can get a good grade without thinking or learning much, take someone else.

he is VERY organized and professional. he comes to every lecture very prepared and has the class mapped out way ahead of time. HW is a must, keep up with it and you'll do fine!Everything from the tests are what shows up on the hw and handouts. No surprises, very direct. Grade consists of 3 tests, Final, and HW (paper and online). Highly recommend!

Tough class. Sawka is well organized, it's always clear what's expected of you and he grades exams ultra fast. That said, I learned everything mechanically from the book rather than from his boring lectures. No way to make algebra interesting, I guess. Personality wise he's actually a bit of a prick-- it may be hard to see but it's always there.

The best math professor I've ever had! He is always there to help the students, his classes are fun and well organised, and he really made me UNDERSTAND the materials. A lot of assignments though. Highly recommend him if you really want to understand mathematics.

As long as you do your homework it's an easy class and he makes stuff easy to understand. He is pretty generous with giving partial credit on tests so everybody in my class did well.

As long as you keep up with the homework and show up to class, its fairly easy to do well. Also, he is pretty generous with partial credit on tests.

Take his class seriously, and get the homework done on time. Serious. Take excellent notes. To do well, you really have to want it, but you'll also learn a ton. This teacher can come off opinionated and moody at times; he's great at what he does. This course was very challenging as I'm not strong in Mathematics, but I did well through effort.

He treats you like real college students, not high school students. He emphasizes the concepts and helps you learn how to think, not just copy an example. You really have to learn how to think about new problems and how to use the ideas he presents. And yes, you have to read the book, too. It's hard, but you will learn a lot!

He treats you like college students, not high school students. Explains important concepts clearly in several ways, and then helps you learn how to THINK and use those ideas to solve new problems not just copy examples. Yes, it is hard and yes, you have to read the book, but you will learn a LOT!

I always studied very hard in all the classes, and have been do well even though some professors were tough. I also studied hard in this class, completed all the homework, previewed, took notes, etc. I understood what I learned, but unfortunately I did bad in the tests. The tests are sooooooo much more difficult than homework and very tricky.

What a generous guy! Most of the class didn't study for a test and the scores were very bad. He gave us two ways to add as much as 20 points to our scores. If you WANT to pass this class, you can!

You have to learn to think like a mathematician. If you just memorize formulas and procedures, you will fail. Too many students try to get by with what they already know. If you just work without thinking you fail. He is always challenging you with interesting problems that are a little different than examples you have seen before. Hard but fair.

very good at explaining the material, as long as you go to class, pay attention, and do the homework the class is easy :) he is a really good teacher!

His classes are so interesting and inspirational! You will be interested in Calculus even though you were not interested before if you take his Math 1A class! I love Prof. Sawka!

Very clear lectures, good tests, no surprises. I would have preferred assigned reading for every class and I was not a big fan of the web based assignments, but that is beyond his control. Good lectures, great teacher.

Excellent at presenting concepts, but grumpy at times & holds archaic views. Wants his students to succeed, but has a tendency to be harsh. He's willing to go out of his way to help when asked, but one must really show effort & a willingness to try. Homework due daily & straightforward tests. Not recommended for those that don't have thick skin.

Sawka is the best calculus teacher I've had, and one of the better math teachers. He seems good at: use of pictures, English fluency, rigor, problem solving assistance, analogies to other subjects, sense of humor, personality, and level of professionalism. I would suggest doing the HW as you would on an exam, as opposed to B Sing your way through

He doesn't assume you remember everything you ever learned instantly. He gently "reminds" you of the important piece of information when you need it. Tries to get everyone to follow along. You do need to go home and practice though. It is never as easy as he makes it look.

Really good teacher. He is very helpful, understanding, and reasonable. Take him but make sure that you will actually do the work. Homework is worth a lot and you can try each problem over and over until you get a 100% its worth doing.

Great teacher and is very funny! Test are straightforward if you get the material.

The examples given in class are easier than problems on HW and tests. He explains material well but khan academy exlains material better. He is helpful when the right questions are asked. Doing HW helps reinforce material learned in class. Tests and quizzes are similar to hw problems. Textbook is not mandatory- math problems are math problems

Amazingly fast feedback. Tests and homework are graded and returned at the very next class meeting. Unfortunately the class was filled with a lot of lazy slackers who wanted a good grade for doing as little as possible.

Very interesting class, but different from previous courses. Is only hard because you can't just use what you used before. You have to read and think. Every problem is different. Not too much homework.

Mr. Sawka is a very friendly and helpful person. He is very hilarious too. He explains the materials very clearly. His exams are very straight forward and easy. He replies email very quickly and answered in details. I have transferred already and I miss him a lot. HIGHLY recommended!

What fun! Finally a math class that isn't just a bunch of recipes. You really begin to understand that math isn't just the cookbook stuff you learned in high school. Try to avoid sitting near the whiney students who just want to memorize stuff.

Very clear in terms of explanation, but unjustifiably hard. Online homework has no relevance to the test questions, and the homework he hands out is few and far between. He doesn't seem to understand that students need a lot of practice to learn math. Would avoid like the plague.

Very clear explanations. Good at showing the big picture. Tests were conceptual, not recipes, so you had to think a bit but they weren't hard. It was a good class. I learned a lot.

Mr. Sawka is the guy you want to math with. He has a sense of humor and makes you really comprehend how math can fit into your daily life. I hated math before I took it with this teacher. He is and a great teacher and very personable. Don't expect to pass his class if you sit in the back of class, talk and don't do the homework. Take Sawka!!

Sawka is the best. Anyone for 48A complaining about his tests obviously did not do the HW handouts or pay attention in class. He is the most fair math teacher I've ever had. The HW/class problems are what you get on the test. No nasty surprises. There is online HW, but that material isn't really on the tests. Very fair teacher, highly recommend.

Overall I like Professor Sawka. The way how he teaches is very clear and specific. He never goes off topic. However, his tests can be more fair. He only provides 8-10 problems, meaning that getting one full problem wrong costs you from getting a solid "A" on the test. Just be sure to always prepare thoroughly before each test and you will be safe.

Really interesting class that is actually about Mathematics, not just a bunch of formulas. Lots of pictures! I am really learning to think in a new way.

I'm truly grateful to Professor Sawka. He has increased my head knowledge in math by a lot. Moreover, he's gentle, serious, and never goes off topic, totally my type. Just be sure to self study on your own and review lessons and problems regularly, then you will survive his class no problem. Highly recommend him.

If you are the type of student that will learn well from lectures and you have good attendance you will do wonderful in this class, and learn a lot. If you enjoy group work or having your hand held while learning then I wouldn't recommend it.

I showed up everyday, even though I was terrible in his class. I still gained so much wisdom from him blending mathematics and philosophy. He's hilarious, knows how to do his job and the student should know how to do theirs. He is a master of his craft and I'm still learning it. I recommend this to any RESPONSIBLE student who wants a challenge.

He's will put you down for getting it wrong, then brings you back up with inspiration. I wasn't the best at PreCalc, but I got a peace of mind out of him and I can appreciate that. If you show up everyday, take the notes, you'll notice that he puts the material in it's most simplest form. It's almost like you don't need the textbook, just show up.

John Sawka was an amazing teacher. I understood math so much better when he was teaching it. It was clear, organized, and he knew what he was talking about. Definitely one of the best teachers in the math department at Foothill. There are three exams, one final and little online homework assignments here and there. Easy if you study off of hisnotes

He is a very clear instructor. I did not even buy the book and I was successful! I would recommend him!

Written and Online homework every week, 3 Tests and Final. That's all your grade. Be in time for class or he won't accept HW. His explanations are pretty clear, but get ready to study, he inserted text-book-written only problems a couple times. He's pretty funny and highly respects the participation

He's great, but he is not for the lazy student. You have to do your part, don't miss class, come to class prepared, do the reading, and do the homework! If you do your part you will learn a lot.

Fun quarter. Started off really slow, but the material got really tough by the end. He does a good job of explaining the concepts and the computations.

Had mixed feeling about him. He's hilarious, though sometimes he takes it too far and comes off as passive aggressive. His notes simplify the material all too well and inspires us with quotes. He's pretty harsh on those who don't get it right, never says who, but will mention the mistakes in a disappointed manner. If you're lazy, don't sign up.

Professor Sawka helped me enjoy math. I mean, lets be honest, it was hard. I hate math. Math makes me cry. But I enjoyed his class and did well in both math 105 and math 48B with him. He is a really kind professor who is more than willing to help you succeed. Make sure that you come to class because his lectures are what will help you pass.

Great instructor! Very clear lectures. Makes math so clear and logical that it isn't til the end of the course that you realize the whole course has been one interesting, interconnected story from day one and you realize how much you have learned. Makes it all seem so easy, and it IS easy once you begin to think correctly. Not for the lazy.

Great. Tells you exactly what you need to know. You get written homework that is gone over in detail in class, then corrected and returned. Then those are the problems that show up on the test! Final exam was mostly problems from the homework and midterms. Those who didn't pass missed too much class, didn't do the homework or didn't try.

Linear Algebra is a very abstract and difficult class. Sawka helped bridge the gap from computational to theoretical mathematics. Unfortunately some people kept trying to pass the class the same way they passed previous classes and that doesn't work in Linear algebra. You really learn to think mathematically.

Good, no-nonsense instructor. Interesting material. Great class - but it's not easy.