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Down-to-earth, funny, very willing to help, pretty reasonable, BUT, it is very difficult to get A's with this guy. He doesn't grade very low, but he doesn't grade very high either.

Great Prof! Makes philosophy fun and meaningful. Class has a lot of work but it's worth it.

Personally I hate philosophy, but I can't imagine how much worse it would be if Matt wasn't my prof... Plus he is gorgeous.

Prof. Halteman leads a great class - always fun, and makes philosophy truly interesting and applicable to our lives. Besides, if you take his course, his wife may bring cupcakes (and a dog in a pumpkin hat) for a special treat.

Great Prof. with a cute butt! He is young and energetic, which makes class very fun ;-) If only he were as cute as Prof. Clark. Don't get me wrong, he is quite a stud, but not exactly Clark material. Maybe if he started doing analytic...hmm

Halteman is like a Caucasian version of William Hung: his mind is wide open, and he is very up on the Zeitgeist. Sometimes he even asks us to call him "Zeitguy" in class :) If I could be him, I would. Also the Best Derridean on Campus, by far

Young, energetic, apparently the ladies think he's hot. Explains things well, is excited to be in class, knows not everyone is going to be excited about philosophy so he makes it bearable.

Matt's an incredible Prof. He's extremely helpful and tries to convince everyone to enjoy philosophy. I'm still not quite convinced but there were some great moments. Bonuses: His course is discussion-based, he recaps often, and his wife brings snacks.

Funniest prof ever. Is one of the most forgiving profs when it comes to homework. Is willing to bend over backward to help you do well. Ask him a beat box or rap a few of his original lines. You might also be able to bribe him into growing a "stash.&

He really does bend over backwards for you, and his use of humor (e.g. fart machines in class) makes me love this guy! A Count Yorck specialist, he also has an interesting view about stalking-horses and rolf-petering in the 19th century.

Prof.is totally gorgeous. I like to just watch him teach class. Is totally interesting - has made me approach my major in a completely different way. I think about things in a completely new way now.

His class was my favorite this semester. He really explains everything well. He just loves philosophy so much that it makes you love it too. You do have reading assignments practically every time that come with reading questions that you have to type responses to. Get him. He's awesome.

Great prof! Loved this class despite hating philosophy. Halteman is hilarious and really goes out of his way to try to show how philosophy can relate to even those of us that won't ever take another phil. class. Tough on papers but very fair. Try to take his class--he's awesome!

He made this class very interesting! I loved going to class each day just to see him get all pumped up about it. He tries so hard to interest the students! He did an awesome job! I went in not knowing anything about philosophy and now i love philosophy! He is my favorite teacher ever! and HOTT!

One of the best profs I've ever had. He articulates each topic in a way that can impact YOUR life. Does a great job integrating faith into philosophy (or the other way around). Energetic, animated, and excited to teach others about Philosophy.

He's an excellent prof! He's very clear and able to relate the topic to other disciplines. He's also very helpful when you go to him for help. Very approachable.

He tries hard to make the class interesting, and to an extent, he suceeds. There is WAY to much work in this class and unless you keep up with everything and study hard, you're not gonna be too happy with your grade. Not a class to slack off in.

AMAZING CLASS! Very passionate about Philosophy and is really fun to be around. He makes me want to take more Philosophy classes just to have him as a teacher even though I hated the actual stuff!

He's very animated and keeps the attention of the class. He's extremely helpful and caring. He'll do whatever it takes to get a student interested in Philosophy. Definitely get this prof for intro Philosophy!

Quite possibly one of the best profs I have ever had, Matt is so energetic and fun to listen to. Definitely take intro from him if you get the chance. If you don't have an interest in philosophy now you will by the end of the course.

This class was AMAZING, I would recommend it to anyone. He was very animated and passionate about the material. Also very organized with notes and covered everything carefully to make sure everyone understood--this class changed my life.

He's one of my favorite profs. I'd say he's the best prof Calvin has. He's fun and energetic, and he's always really into what he's teaching. If you have to take phil, take him as your prof

Well, I don't know where to even begin! Prof. Halteman is a great dude. He is very knowledgeable and is just fun to listen to. Suffice it to say, you never have a dull moment with Matt around, and you're challenged by his thought-provoking ideas. I've heard a wise person say, "Matt is so smart, I want to get in his brains!" Always remember, behi

great helpful professor who will make sure you understand everything he teaches even though most of the time the first explanation is great. Tests are for your benefit and he doesn't try and give you questions you can't answer. he wants you to do well.

He does not accept a position without thinking about it carefully first. He helped me to become a deeper person.

Not only is Matt an excellent professor, he's also extremely passionate about life and makes philosophy interesting and relevant. He's very clear and covers a great range of philosophical writing - it's a fantastic syllabus. There's a lot of work in the class, but I actually enjoyed doing it. This class literally changed my life - take it.

actually an interesting class, which is a plus, especially because it was an 8:00.

Great Prof, he gets a little too excited and if your aren't excited with him then it can grind on your nerves, but he means well. If you are a person who gets easily offended in a debate when someone doesn't agree with you, you might want to consider a different prof, but if you are OK with conflict this is IT! (take honors if possible)

Super excited about philosophy, which is a little annoying if you're not. Tries REALLY hard to 'be cool', would be a lot cooler if he toned it down a bit. Readings interesting. Gives great study sheets for the exam/final. Coddles the freshman a little too much.... Course material is thematically organized, which is really interesting.

This was one of my favorite classes this semester. Prof. Halteman was always enthusiastic about each topic and challenged us to think critically about what we believed and the way we think. It was challenging, but definitely worth it. Probably the funniest professor I've had also :)

Loved this class! It was SO applicable to life. Matt really stretched my thinking of the world and of my faith.

never a dull moment! a pretty tough class but i enjoyed going

GREAT TEACHER. Very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Explains the material we cover in depth. Alot of reading and homework assignments, but very worthwhile. Extremely applicable to life. Want's studets to get a good grade in his class, very open to questions. VERY FUNNY GUY! Freestyle raps and beatboxes quite well.

His excitement about the material translates over into the class, so even if you don't like philosophy, this class will be fun simply because he is a fun professor. Keep up with the readings or you will be lost, and the notes taken in class are very helpful. He's tough grader, but the feedback he gives on the grades he gives has helped me so much.

enthusiastic and good personality for teaching. will learn important stuff about life and phil. lots of reading and HW writing but if you have the time can do well. his i-know-what-your-saying look at the top did not influence me :)

Dont take Intro unless you get Halteman. He is hilarious, easy to understand and you will not regret taking the class. You'll love it so much, you'll never want to miss a class.

Love this guy! Highly recommend for any class, especially intro. Voluntary response in class. Really funny character. For this class, there is a lot of writing and response, but only 2 tests and a paper.

LOVE HIM! Halteman is the man. Get him get him get him get him get him get him

This guy is a great teacher, really, loved his class. HE GRADES SO HARD! I thought the midterm was easy after taking it and I get it back and see a big fat F on my page, best grade I heard anybody get was a high C and they studied their butt off. Be prepared to be extremely thorough in your exams.

Matt is a brilliant man. He is very passionate about philosophy and really wants you to do well in the class. There is a lot of work, but it is worth it in the end. He grades hard, but I would not take this class unless he was your professor. SUCH A NICE GUY.

Matt is a great guy. His intro class is different from the others, but in a good way- you read works by a lot more diverse, interesting people. His exams, though, are ridiculously long, but they're the only truly difficult part of this class. Definitely take him. You won't regret it.

Matt is a great Prof and true pursuer of wisdom. The tests are straight forward and have no surprises. Make sure to - I can't stress this enough - read the material and keep up with the assignments. Reading will ensure that you, hopefully, get a good grade.

Humorous and likeable--Professor Halteman really does his best to make people who are not Philosophy Majors interested in the class. Yes, He does expect your tests to be thorough. But you won't find anything unexpected on the exams--he goes over it all with a review sheet. Great Prof.

Loved this class, even though I was just taking it for core. Halteman is hilarious (ask him about his beat boxing sometime), keeps class interesting, and is open to discussion anytime. Generally two readings and reaction essays per week, plus one big paper.

Don't take philosophy 153 until you can take it with Matt! I was dreading the class, but he is very entertaining and even fun. He genuinely cares about his students and wants them to do well. One of my favorite profs.

Fantastic prof. My favorite so far at Calvin. Really knows his stuff, and is a funny guy. Tests are difficult, but if you're thorough with the review sheet, you'll do fine. Has leeway with homework assignments. Is open to meeting outside of class, and answers e-mails. Take him if you can!

Great prof! He's HILARIOUS and really knows what he's talking about. A lot of reading is required but the homework for it is really easy. There are only two tests and a paper. Plus, he pretty much tells you what you need to know for the test. As long as you do the work required, this class is easy.

This man is brilliant! I was hearing so many bad things about philosophy and he made it all worth it!! He's always there to help!

He is absolutely amazing. My favorite professor so far! I was nervous for philosophy before taking this class, and now I want to take more. He genuinely cares for his students and wants them to do well. You have to take him for philosophy!

Good news! thanks to Matt, philosophy is relevant to your everyday life! He almost singlehandedly interested me in Philosophy. Wait to take 153 until you can take it with him. It will seriously change your life for the better. Also, he beatboxes and hands out dum-dums in class, just for what it's worth

Definitely my favorite professor at Calvin so far. He's extremely quotable, and I laugh in each class. Besides, he wears cool shirts.

Caring; hilarious; takes you seriously as a scholar and as a person; can articulate the most complicated ideas with perspicuity and flair; evident mastery of food and animal scholarship; a person to model yourself after; a rigorous but fair grader; teaches excellent courses; puts maximum effort into students; wise; wonderful; a paragon of hope.

Professor Halteman is a great guy. He is funny and really good at teaching philosophy to all. I would recommend taking his class,. However; be prepared that he is a very tough grader. This is the only part of him that frustrates me.

His interim class was incredible; I learned more in a month than I did in some classes over a whole semester. He is dynamic and passionate about teaching, easy to understand and relate to. All-around awesome guy.

If you want to float through philosophy without having your morals challenged don't take Matt. That being said, his class is really interesting and thought-provoking. He makes great study guides, tells hilarious stories, and allows a lot of discussion. It was a throughly enjoyable class. Oh, and ask him to beatbox at some point.

Very enthusiastic, loves what he is teaching.

I love professor Halteman! He's hilarious but the class to me was tough. The exams are essays and you need to know just about everything that he has said in class and what you've read. I thought overall the class was tough.

Excellent professor; by far the best I've had at Calvin. Is very relatable as well as passionate about what he teaches. His class is by no means in easy A, but regardless of your grade you will learn far more than any other introductory philosophy class. His class will change your life. Take him. Seriously. You won't regret it.

Matt has the most interesting lectures I have ever heard. They are practical to life in every way. Honestly debated taking more philosophy classes just because of Matt. Really funny, great guy. Readings and exams are tough, but doable. Take Matt

I was nervous about taking Philosophy but I have never been more pleased w/ a classroom experience like this before. Prof. Halteman is extremely intelligent (like a genius), he cares for his students (very quick to respond to emails,gives you enough time to finish tests) and he truly makes the content interesting. I have developed a LOVE for Phil.!

He'll challenge the way you see and think about things, to ask questions and disagree with him. I attacked one of his views in class and he relished in the discussion. He is invested in his students, but gears this class to prepare you for life, not academia. If you want an easy Philo credit look elsewhere, but if you want tools for life go here.

Great lectures, interesting and engaging. Can be a bit on the dramatic side. Expects you to do the readings and write about them too, feedback on the homework is a bit lacking. Tests are long but fair.

Great prof. I'd definitely recommend taking Halteman's courses. He knows his stuff and he cares a lot too.

Prof. Halteman is the reason I'm going vegetarian, and he's also the reason I'm applying what I learned in class to becoming a better person!

A phenomenal prof. 1 short paper, 1 final paper, 1 final exam, plus about 10 reading write ups. If you do the reading and engage in the class, you'll get a decent grade. But with Matt, the grade doesn't matter. His class can change your life if you let it (or regardless of if you let it). An exceptionally gifted prof. You won't regret taking Matt.

I really enjoyed Prof halteman's class. His lectures are engaging and hilarious, but also informative and thought provoking. He is willing to respond to questions and takes everyone's thoughts seriously. I felt respected as a thinker, despite having no background in philosophy. He also gives fantastic feedback on papers. Highly recommended!

Matt is the best professor I have ever had in my life. That is no lie. He is very inspiring and genuine. I got so much valuable wisdom and knowledge from his class. Hope to have him again.

Really passionate about teaching and lots of humor (for some people) makes for an enjoyable class throughout the semester.

A man who can turn half of his students vegetarian without trying and can capture the attention of ALL students in a philosophy class is indeed a real gem. His practical life advice and authenticity brought many students to tears. From his hilarious stories to his real advice about being in the pits, you will not regret taking Matts class.

His lectures are scintillatingly interesting, and he is intelligent and hilarious. He makes us think for ourselves, which I think is the goal of his class.

He is very passionate about what he teaches and believes, but if you challenge him with solid arguments, he will listen and provide his thoughts. So challenge him if you can!

Halteman is definitely a good prof. He tells stories that help us to understand the concepts. We learn philosophy methods instead of having to memorize names and dates. Get a tutor to help make sure you really know whats going on. Halteman expects a high level of writing and critical thinking, but if you put in the effort its not too bad.

Professor Halteman will actually teach you philosophy and tell you how to apply it in your life. He cares about his students. Thus, you will not regret taking his class. However, be aware that his class is *very* lecture heavy and there will be a lot of readings to do. However, the things that you learn from this class is worth the effort.

Probably one of the best professors from Freshman year. It is lecture heavy but he makes class so interesting by telling stories that relate to what we are learning about. Readings are difficult but as long as you give it your best effort you'll be good. Would totally take this class with him again.

I am considering a Philosophy double-major/minor because of Halteman. He is that good. He's so passionate about what he teaches and it is applicable to your daily life as well. Even if you're taking this class for core, you'll come out a different person (if you pay attention). I can't recommend him enough.

There is a lot of work in his class that he assigns but he looks for good rather than the correct interpretation. He is very inspirational and gave me more of a desire to pursue the love of wisdom in my day to day life.

Halteman is great! He is super engaging and makes tons of jokes. Philosophy is a blast with this guy. Most of class is discussion oriented and open for everyone to speak and think freely, which is neat! I will say, however, that his paper grading can be pretty harsh at times. But hey, that's what you get for taking an honors class I suppose.

Professor Halteman is one of my favourtie professors at Calvin. I took his interim course, Peaceable Kingdom, for DCM credit and he was great. He made it really interesting and I liked the discussions. 10/10

His class is always fun and basically just big group discussion. You read some Philosophy Texts outside of class but only have to do write ups on 6 out of the 9 he assigns in the semester so really homework friendly. He's hilarious and honest but never grades based on his opinion alone which I really appreciate. If you get the chance take his class

He was a really nice guy, very optimistic and outgoing. Great philosopher, and I learned a lot. Readings are pretty simple, as simple as you get with philosophy. He seemed very understanding, participation not required, but attendance is. 10/10.

This was an amazing class where I learned so much. It was like a personal upgrade. I never wanted to miss a class because his lectures are awesome, and if you pay attention in the lectures and do the readings you will do good.

If you need to take philosophy TAKE IT WITH HALTEMAN. Most of the class is just discussion, which is awesome because conversation just bounces around the room. He will make you think deeply, but you'll also laugh a lot and feel super smart. Would 10000% take again. I'm not a vegan by any means, but he's my fav vegan

Awesome philosophy professor. Get ready for deep discussions about interesting topics. Really cares for his students and wants you to succeed. You follow his guidelines and you will pass.

Professor Halteman is a great professor! He cares about his students and is always willing to hear their point of view in class even if he disagrees with it. Believes strongly in "philosophy as a way of life" and wants deep thinking and engagement with the texts we read. Would highly recommend!