3.3
Quality4.1
Difficulty41%
Would Retake102
Reviews41%
Would Retake
102
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
40
4
16
3
9
2
14
1
23
What Students Say
“I had him for Calculus 1 and received an F grade”
MATH180 - 1.0 rating“Not so great as a teacher”
MATH180 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
76%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.13 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH101
5.0
(1)CALC1
5.0
(3)MATH220
5.0
(1)DIFFEQ
5.0
(3)MATHANY
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
MATH099
5.0
CALC
5.0
MATH220
5.0
CIS180
5.0
M210
5.0
Reviews (102)
Great teacher, lots of fun in the classroom. Very clear in explanations and is very helpful if you need it.
Good guy willing to help you out of you need it. Explains exactly what he expects from you. Fair and made and 8am class "liveable" kept me awake.
Really good teacher knows exactly what hes doing. No surprises. Keep your laughing in class. good guy
Awesome!!! Knows his stuff and more
Is a good teacher, really helps you understand the material. But fails to prepare a test that follows what has been covered in class.
HE CAN'T TEACH!
Excellent teacher, I wish I could of had him for all my math classes. His professionalism, is an asset to HVCC. I've been through many torturous math classes and never understood the material. However through his skill as a mathematician & teacher made my understand what I never could!!!
He is very smart, But he cant teach. I found it difficult to understand what he was teaching and didn't find him to be very helpful. I felt like he made things more complicated.
He's a great teacher, who makes the class fun if you have the ability to laugh with (at) him and his anecdotes. The homework is harder than the tests (not his fault) and the final was on par with his tests.
Best math teacher I have ever had.
Excellent teacher....he is a rain man
Nice guy, but he can't teach. Makes material seem very complicated and grades nothing in the class except for the tests which are also very difficult. If you are not that great at math and also not a good test taker then do NOT take him as a teacher.
Definately does not know how to teach. Knows his math but just is a pretty louzey teacher. Gives the most ridiculous easy examples in class of how to do something, than on his ridiculously hard tests gives the hardest problems. He sucks as a teacher.
Smart guy...bad teacher!
Nice guy but horrible teacher. Tests are very hard and not like what you learn in class. He doesn't make points clear he just keeps on doing problems that are very hard to use up class time. I do not recommend him at all.
I was horrible in math untill I took his Calc 1 class. He made everything very clear to me. Not to say it was easy, because it was not. If you want an easy teacher go elsewhere, if you want to understand take Tenny. Also you have to do much of the homework, simply going to class will not do.
I was absent from a test because of a family death and to make it up I had to present something along the lines of a death certificate. So if you have bad attendance, don't take this class. Besides that he really can't teach and not very helpful. I do not recommend him. If you can take MaryBeth Hampshire's Precalc. She is the best.
Good profesor but his test are wicked hard....this class is all conceptual
All of the people who said that he can't teach must be as dense as a brick. He explains things so that they are very understandable, as abstract mathematics goes. If you take notes and do the homework, there is no reason why you can't do well, he provides more than enough bonus opportunities.
He really makes math fun. He explained everything perfectly and had plenty of office hours to get help from him.
Tests are pretty hard but he prepares you for them. he makes calculus a fun subject. never ask for a take home exam though. he makes pretty hard questions.
Very bright guy, Quickly caught on to some other things I was going over with him in another field. Very helpful, has a sense of humor, and explains things well. Tests are a bit hard (moreso than the in-class examples), but you'll be fine if you do the homework. Plenty of bonus oppurtunity.
Best teacher I've ever had!! He is hard and his tests are hard but it makes you learn the material. He is good at preparing you, and gives opportunity for extra credit. He makes classes fun. He is goofy and very intertaining so it's easy to pay attention. I recommend him to anyone taking higher level mathematics!
Smart guy, knowns calc in and out. Be ready for problems on the exam way way WAY harder than what he covers in class and whats on the assignments.
10e is on one of the craziest professors I've had, he gets sidetracked often but gets alot done in class. I never had to go to his office hours but I know he split them up so they could fit into everyone's schedules. Knows the material rediculously well. Plus how much you learn is up to how much you want to learn.
A legend! We made as many thats what she said jokes in class as possible while still getting an A
Absolutely brilliant professor, wish I could have him for all my calc classes. As long as you do the homework, you'll ace the tests, which are very reasonable. He's really helpful when you ask him questions, and he'll keep you laughing in class. Recommended.
Great professor. He makes lectures fun and is very clear in explaining the material. Assigns a modest amount of work and if you do the it the tests are cake.
Dr. Tenney is an amazing teacher. If you are a Math/Applied Math (Physics/Engineering) he is a perfect choice for you! His tests are very fair in my opinion, and he rarely has the harder problems near the end of a section on the tests. He gives tests corrections for 1 exam (2/3 of points lost) and has extra credit every exam. His knowledge is vast.
I hate math but he made it interesting i took it with him twice he was a great teacher if you want to go into the eng/math/science field but other than that steer clear. tests were fair but a little more challenging for non-math majors
good teacher, very fun, makes class exciting. optional homework, but if you dont do it his class will be much harder. homework really helps and he always goes over things when you ask. tests are somewhat difficult, but makes the final seem like a piece of cake
This man is my hero :) I think he is the sole reason I'm in love with math. No one can make classes such a job to attend, I wish all professors were like him :) he's the man :)
Tenney is a really good professor. He does a pretty good job of explaining the how's and why's of the subject matter. HOWEVER HE IS A RIDICULOUSLY TOUGH GRADER. Usually his grading scale is based on tests alone, so if you're not the best test-taker you won't fare well. I won't take him again.
Very difficult teacher. I found it almost impossible to follow him and the tests were ridiculous. I ended up dropping the class and retaking it with a different professor who made him look even worse than I thought. Not recommended
This teacher is ridiculously tough grader. His grading is based on the exams he gives and his exams are nightmare. Don't think you will pass the class easy just by showing up.
Good guy and great teacher, but he is SUCH a tough grader. I've had A's in all other math courses (including calculus-based stat's I took w/ him). Calc 2 is hard no matter who your teacher is - If you "NEED" an A, spend a LOT Of time on hmwrk & extra help. He'll be a great recommendation to "bigger & better" things if you stay on his good side!
He's a really great Professor but he is really tough grader. He is Literally what you call a genius. I always got A's in my math classes but no matter who you get for calc2 it's the hardest math class you will ever take. He's really helpful during office hours and a very Reasonable person.
I ended up dropping the course last semester just because i failed all the exams. However he does know how to teach and you HAVE TO DO THE HOMEWORK EVERY NIGHT in order to understand the material even though he doesnt grade it and they are from the textbook. Grades are based off of exams alone (which are pretty tough so good luck)
Dr. Tenney is the greatest professor ever! :] If you love math, you will love him. And even if you're not really a math person, his lectures are very interesting and enlightening and you'll definitely learn a lot. He's a wonderful person in general, very approachable and helpful and will go out of his way to make sure you understand the subject.
This man is a genius. He puts more personality in his lecture than any one I know. He is extremly helpful and explains things perfectly. His tests are difficult, and 100% based on homework problems. SO DO THE HOMEWORK
Mark is a great guy, he makes you work very hard for a good grade. Just be ready for a lot of fast paced learning of tough material.
Loved Professor Tenney, good guy, super intelligent, and hilarious. However this was the hardest class I've ever taken. Tests and grading are extremely hard and are your only grades. Doesn't give much extra credit. Would recommend him only if you're willing to put in tons of time and do the homework every night- slack at all and you won't pass.
Tenney is an unbelievable person to give a lecture. Absolutely hilarious and energetic. Goes quick, but is very informative. Tests are hard. Likes to make you think out of the box.
Mr. Tenney is a very enthusiastic and hilarious teacher who makes learning fun. He usually gives a five point bonus on all tests except the final. However, the tests he does give are very hard, and the questions force you to think outside the box and remember your pre-calculus methods.
takes forever to explain things in class and usually spends an entire class on one example that doesnt really show how to do the problem
failed the course before midterms due to harsh grading and inability to comprehend lecture material
I had him for Trig and Calc. He's COMPLETELY different in calc. I loved him in trig, very helpful and explanatory. Calc, he was a completely different teacher who gives RPI's test but only teaches at a HVCC level so getting good grades in calc are nearly impossible. there were only 6 people left in my class at the end of the semester.
I take Tenney for Calc 1. Unlike other professors he did not review trig, which I think would've been a big help. He assigns more hw than other professors. Hw is not graded, but if you don't do the hw you won't pass the tests. That also means tests are your only grades. Don't expect an A unless you have mastered the course. Would not recommend.
Great guy. hard tests, but its Calc 1 so that probably normal. very good teacher
Yeah if you can take another Calc teacher for HVCC i would. He is a nice guy, wants you to succeed, but the tests are killer. and you HAVE to do the homework to pass. oh yeah and the tests are you only grades so better do good on those.
lots of homework, you'll need the notes for it. tests dont allow any resources though, so if you get too reliant on them you're screwed.
Tenney is very good at presenting the material and very knowledgeable. But his grading and tests make this course impossible. It is not the place for a teacher at hvcc to expect us to master the subject we just learned 3 weeks ago. Many of us need good grades to transfer and this guy just makes life harder than it needs to be. Avoid if possible!
Tests are very hard plus tough grader. You will need to do the homework every night if you don't then goodluck 4 weeks in and half my class dropped it take it with someone else he doesn't really teach the material to well
He seemed like a very nice man, incredibly smart as well. Not so great as a teacher. Didn't seem to care if we were learning anything, and when I asked for help he said "either you get it or you don't, I don't know what else to tell you ". Not what I expected to hear from a professor. Writes horribly rude comments on your tests as well. Not ok.
Prof. Tenney is a super solid choice to take for Calc III. His lectures are structured well and extremely clear. He makes you do homework assignments that are relevant and help you learn the material well. He grades fairly IMO, and often has extra credit problems on the exams. His final was tough however!
Mark Tenney teaches all the different Calculus types at HVCC (1,2,3,4). I had him for Calculus 1 and received an F grade. (Never took him again after that) The man is smart and intelligent, but the way he conveys the material is the WORST. He would throw a problem, show you how to do it, any questions, and that is the end of class. AVOID HIM!!!
He is a good and smart professor. He follows the book and explains the material pretty well just be sure to do the HW in order to succeed not to just take notes.
Cool guy, real goffball
Terrible. Just Terrible.
He respected his student... but he is a TOUGH grader.
His class is VERY hard, and his exam is also tough.
Unclear instructions... Very hard tests.
Professor Tenney Is Brilliant, He is exelent at articulating the corse material to his students. He truly cares about your understanding and grades however, effort must be put in for you to pass, I have Had Professor Tenney for Calc 1 and 3. Same story Both times. Kids dont do work, complain, then drop. Do the homework, put in effort, get an A.
Had him for calc 1&3 Hes a total genius, loves what he does. lectures are entertaining and hes hilarious. People get bothered by his comments on your test but take them as what they are-serious but also A JOKE. Dont be a baby show up to class and do the HW and youll get an A, then you wont get comments that make you cry. And youll love calc
Professor Tenneys lectures are very interesting and humorous, but he goes way too fast. A downside is that the only grades for the course are four exams and the final exam. He is a very tough grader, so doing all of the textbook problems is necessary. If math is your strongest subject, then you shouldnt have much difficulties in his class.
Professor Tenney is a VERY smart man. That said he was the worst professor I have had thus far. He was fun in class but what he would teach was nothing like the test. I kept up with the homework but it took about 14 hours a week, which often didnt truly cover the material on the test. Do yourself a favor and take it from a different professor.
Tenney is a an overall great professor, but his class is very tough because you get very few opportunities to raise your grade. He is hilarious and does care about you as a student, taking time inside and outside of class to help you, but there are only four pieces of graded material. GO to the LAC!!!!! This will really help you master your stuff.
Really funny and nice guy, but this class was horrible. The only grades in the class are 4 tests and a final, even when being assigned homework every night. The tests are only 6 questions long so if you don't know how to answer 1 of them you're in the danger zone immediately. Hard to turn grade around. Good class if you're solid in math already.
Professor Tenney is indeed a smart man, but not a good professor. At all. His homework does not match his tests in any way whatsoever. Class is only just one student cherry-picking the hardest questions and he happily goes over it and handing he/she a gold star. Nothing else. Pretty much a self-learning class. I do not recommend whatsoever.
Terrible professor. He takes points off every little thing and the content on the tests are nothing like what is covered in the lecture notes. Also, if you fail one exam you are basically set behind for the following ones. Avoid taking a class with him if you can.
Has a reputation as a hardcore Math prof, which he is, but he is also fantastic in the classroom. Very funny and dynamic- great at making connections among Math ideas. LOTS of homework, so be ready.
During COVID, this class was only online. Prof Tenney likes to make random noises which can often be quite distracting. His notes are like a rainbow of highlighters with no legible writing. Recording isn't allowed so all you're left with is memory of weird sounds to be funny and horrible notes. Don't try asking for help either- makes you feel dumb
Mark is passionate about math likes questions. your fault if you dont get B or A
After failing test 1, 10e had the college contact me about getting help. He emailed me when i missed class. I turned it around in time to get a C. Took lots of work but i started getting B. gonna get A in calc2
Mark is a really great professor. Scored poorly on the first exam but that is completely my fault. He gives you all of the resources you need to succeed. Do the textbook questions and the online assignments and you will be in good shape for his exams. Great lecturer and a golden sense of humor. Super solid choice.
Only uses multiple choice for his tests so there's no work credit or anything. Tests didn't make sense (really puzzling questions) and didn't seem to match what was taught in class at all. Almost seem to make fun of you if asking for help. I realized it wasn't me, but entirely him since I went on to ace Calc 2. A good prof makes all the difference.
I took Calc 3 with him when classes were online due to covid. The absolute hatred I have for this man and his class was stowed away for so long! His notes are a joke just like his tests. Had I known how bad he was, I'd rather have dropped the program than deal with 1 more day in that class. I'm one of TWO that survived till the end. Do. Not. Take.
Very effective at explaining the concepts and connections behind the math. If you take him, make sure it is in person (the textbook itself is a nightmare if you don't hear him explain it)
I took Calc III Online, not remote, because of COVID. Even in an online course would one except the professor to provide good notes and resources, but his note packets are literal skeletons. They are mostly formulas with some practice problems. I felt the textbook was teaching, not him. He also assigns unreasonable amounts of homework.
DO NOT take this class! Prof. Tenney has no recorded lectures or online office hours. You are expected to learn the material by reading the notes provided and the chapter. You can email him questions but his responses are very unhelpful. I 100% regret taking this class regardless of the grade I receive. How can I learn if the teacher won't teach?
This man is the best professor I have ever had. He's so raw and real and tells you how it is. Don't listen to the negative comments- they're definitely students who put in minimal effort. Such a good guy, and funny, too!
DO NOT TAKE ONLINE! The course does not include any recorded lectures or online office hours. So get ready to read the textbook and notes. LAC is the only reason I passed with an A. I spent the whole duration of the course wishing I had just dropped. Not worth the effort. For the record, I spent AT LEAST 12 hours a week working on this class.
course is asynchronous so don't take if you still need a teacher to hold your hand. posted notes are very thorough with lots of details that problems in textbooks never show. reference sheets for tests just have formulas. read directions carefully
Amazing lectures. 10E makes difficult concepts very clear. He is a genius not just about math. But his expectations are rediculous. He thinks people actually read yesterday's notes before todays class. He thinks people do all the assignments. He thinks people read the handouts. Nobody does that
I am about to fail this class because Tenney doesn't teach in class. He just posts the lectures online and expects you to study them as a pro, do the homework and prepare for an unfortunate exam. When you ask him for help, he doesn't explain the problem, just gives you some instructions that don't really help. The worst course ever.
Do not do the mistake that I did and take a class with him, if you don't put at least 5 hrs every day in this class the grade will be awful. He wastes his time in class by making jokes. All the positive reviews will not help, honestly if you love your GPA then avoid him. Especially if you work and study, he is the worst option ever.
The math is tough but he makes it more digestible with amazing and funny lectures, he's a really great guy. Although it's hard, try to do problems after every class and ask him about the ones you can't do, it's the only way to get a decent grade. He's the best lecturer I've ever had though.
bf was in bzlaw when he saw 10E outside looking in the window. turns out 10E was taking video of ants on window sill. he showed us video of ants crawling to discuss if it makes sense to test null hypothesis that ants dont do stochastic path .another video of clouds moving. wanna see world thru his eyes
Don't do homework or put at least 10 hours a week into his class? Won't pass at all. His lectures were somewhat enjoyable, and he made some pretty funny jokes. He is very engaging and cares for his students. If you want a good grade, you must put in the effort and thoroughly understand the concepts, especially on tests.
he is a very fun and energetic teacher, but his jokes get in the way of learning the material. limited office hours. !!tests deviate from what is in the notes and on the homework!! be aware of that. writes slightly rude comments on test papers when grading. use LAC for homework they will explain it so much better than he ever will. do not recommend
Hard to talk to one on one and kind of mean
There are no review sheets for any tests (even the final) and you make you own reference sheets. You can't use your big calc that you have been using in your hs years. He does the bare minimum and if you ask for help he tries to avoid going the extra mile to help the student. He would just say to look at the syllabus or to review the material.
nice guy to talk to. outline of topics for tests. practice problems online and textbook, and online random problems to practice for tests. clear expectation. lots of reminders , bonus on tests. review packet for final exam. weak students wont like
online class with very detailed class notes, videos from MIT, and textbook. He gave specific suggestions for how to excel. you will actually understand what your doing. Multivar calc gets tough at times.
test problems come from homework
He's good overall. He tries to make you think he does care about you, but he does not cares about you. When I asked for a clarification on a minor problem I had on a LECTURE problem, he referred me to the syllabus and his office hours. He gives out helpful material, but some test problems come straight out of nowhere.
At first, I didn't understand his teaching style, but as time goes on I came to like it. You could clearly see that he likes teaching and cares about what he is teaching. He makes jokes and makes class fun. Definitely take him. As long as you put in the work, you would pass. He gives bonuses which is nice and gives you a boost for your grade.
This man is so mean. I got a new haircut and when I walked into the classroom, he burst out laughing. He said it looked like an obtuse triangle and that I needed to shave it off. He then kept making jokes throughout the whole class and people kept laughing at me. I left the room crying that day and didn't go back.
Late nights and hard stressful class- he ALWAYS came in positive/made the class pleasant. I learned /retained skills bc he guides you but doesn't give free answers. His email/written voice is very harsh, but that's just bc it's blunt. I went to Ohours ALWAYS, and he was always super kind and clarified tough topics. Loved this teacher. Take 4 calc!!
Mark Tenney is one of the greatest educators this country has to offer. If you rate him less than 5, not only are you wrong, you simply didn't take his course seriously. You will need to use the textbook and practice daily for an A. Tenney will instill in you a genuine love for mathematics, It is due to him alone that I am pursuing pure maths.
The lectures and the test questions are two completely separate things and subjects. If you want an easy fail, take the class. If not, take it with a different professor.
Mark Tenney certainly fancies himself! He does not care to help students learn, he just wants to boost his own ego. Which is quite funny if you read his PhD thesis and then realize the guy has not published anything else, it shows that it's just a facade - not a real academic. Tenney, you maxed out a non-research community college - get a grip.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
76%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.13 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH101
5.0
(1)CALC1
5.0
(3)MATH220
5.0
(1)DIFFEQ
5.0
(3)MATHANY
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
MATH099
5.0
CALC
5.0
MATH220
5.0
CIS180
5.0
M210
5.0