very snobby, but also very smart

Super smart

He is very enthusiastic which makes the class more interesting for the students.

Very organized, and explained all concepts clearly. Excellent Prof!

Let's not forget about the Royal Commission on GMO's from lecture 14

i think that he teaches quite clearly and he has a very good voice and patience

Enjoys talking about himself, but overall an okay prof.

Hates when people ask stupid questions, loves to talk about himself

His favourite subjects: evolution and himself

ok yeah, i'm not too sure about this guy

EXCELLENT prof, very enthusiastic!

only sexy if you close your eyes and just listen

Name one other person who gets excited about finding the ancestor of cotton

Awesome prof. Very exciting.

pretentious ****

Maybe I'm the only one, but I didn't find him pretentious, just interesting

pretentious sure, but didn't he discover cotton? not a bad prof.

Pretty decent professor

very enthusiastic prof

thinks too much of himself

Arrogant, yes... but perhaps he has a right to be. good prof

obvious passion for evolutionary bio., exciting lectures, fascinating readings.

He's a very good lecturer, though a little opinionated. Also has a cool accent.

Good teacher, but too full of himself.

Smart, attractive, but harsh if you're slow.

mature and sexy. his accent makes me swoon.

very interesting guy

great lecturer

very good lecturer, very passionate about biology

he knows his stuff

Arrogant, made some people feel very stupid, i guess it was a bit humorous

The only guy that would carry a picture of Darwin in his wallet. Made me horny.

learned. and hot.

Can't say I like him as a person, seems a little too arrogant and pretentious to me. He is great as a prof though, very clear in his lectures

Prof Barrett is great! Some denounce him as arrogent, but I would be too if I was as super smart as he is...he finished Darwin's work with those trysyles plants for G-dsake! (And if I, too, attended Burkley). Love the accent!

excellent prof!

very attractive accent, great prof

i luv this guy...he is simpley the best...i love how excited he gets talking about the topics which makes learning fun aswell..i really want him again

Very Passionate

Very Good.

He is smart.

He is the Best.

he's not that approachable, but he's a great prof and his test was easy!

I loved his lectures!!! One of the BEST!

He's the coolest!! :D

Great prof, great lectures - but a little arrogant sometimes....

my fav prof! he's sooo smart :)

So inspiring. Makes me want to be a biologist

Barrett is the sexiest prof at uoft. His love of plants really turned me on. I went to all of his offic hours just for fun. His hippie apparel was what really got me going.

inspiring and clear

An excellent and knowledgeable lecturer. Although BIO150 is a hard course, I suggest you to think twice before you ask a question to him, especially with 500 people around. His explanations are great, but he's condescending and cocky, and makes you feel stupid after you ask him a question. He should at least give us first years a chance.

his enthusiasm is inspiring!

inspiring and fabulous!!

Very intelligent man, although his notes could have been more clear. The tests are TRICKY, so beware! Some questions are a little too vague, but overall, made the class very interesting.

Very enthusiastic. really knows his stuff. always adds very interesting personal experiences that enrich the learning experience. tutorials are not very helpful in terms of raising marks up on a test, but interesting and worth attending. best bio prof in first year bio!!!

He is such an interesting person, a great writer too (lecture book he wrote). his lectures were cool and interesting but the test wasnt :(

He's so funny! I love how he pronounces "E"volution with his accent!

evolutionary biology isn't everybody's cup of tea but i think barrett did a tremendous job with it. his enthusiasm for the material as well as his broad educational background really came through in his lectures and who can resist a guy with a british accent?

Very enthusiastic in his teachings. Great Professor overall

A great lecturer. Truly inspiring and has made me realise my ambition to persue a career in Plant Biology and Biotechnology. His tests are fair, but always prepare well for them and read them carefully.

One of the best profs I've had

excellent enthusiastic prof!

SUCH a nice guy, one of the best profs I've had. Coming from an arts degree and trying to complete my science credit, I was not looking forward to the course at all, but prof Barrett explained everything in everyday terms to really make us understand. Greatly appreciated, i only wish he could have taught the whole course! (instead of 1/4)

Absolutely brilliant! He is an inspiring man who puts so much enthusiam into his lectures. He really makes you proud to be in BIO150.

GREAT PROF!!!!

barret is an awesome professor, he knows what he's talking about and he gives amazing lectures that are extremely interesting. to get a good mark you just have to know your stuff and DON'T CRAM. loveee his accent. sometimes i just listen to his lectures for fun because they are so interesting.

Prof Barrett is a fantastic prof. No one can argue that he's not passionate about what he teaches. As an Arts student taking BOT202 for my science credit, he did an awesome job keeping concepts simple and applicable to everyday life. Still, I felt shafted on the test because I really knew the material and I only managed a B!

passionate and eloquent. the educated british accent doesnt hurt either.

Very good professor, kept me into the material even though in my opinion he taught the least interesting sections. Incredibly fluent in his teachings, great past experiences and pictures.

You won't fall alseep when THIS prof is teaching!

Inspiring! One of the best parts about taking BIO150. He's so accomplished and it shows.

His enthusiasm is infectious! Thoroughly enjoyed his lectures!

love the accent

I actually thought he was kinda sexy. It helped that he had the accent and the arrogance.

Barrett was awesome, made comming to class not so much of a chore anymore :) I'm glad to be having him again this upcomming year!

he's pretty cool

bloody brilliant >___>

Amazing professor, I started to LOVE evolutionary biology because of him.

Has genuine interest in the course and everything related to it. Is very clear and his accent never gets boring.

He's a good professor; very enthusiastic about what he teaches. The lectures are always interesting.

CLONE!!! SURVIVE!!! hahaha ... he is so cool!

Professor Barrett is a very organized, enthusiastic and helpful prof. His tutorials were very helpful. He provided great examples and details to help his students in understanding the major concepts being taught. A great prof!

Very enthusiastic and knowledgeable prof. While BIO150 is divided into sections based on professors' specialties, he occasionally has to lecture about something outside he area of expertise, and when he has to do this he admits he's slightly out of his subject area and refers us to another professor or resource for clarification.

He's awesome! Very energetic and passionate about his subject (Evolutionary biology)...his enthusiasm sort of rubs off on u after u attend his classes. He is also very organized with his slides and lectures. And of course, his British accent makes biology even more interesting ^^"

Great Prof!

Absolutly amazing professor. He is constantly enthusiastic about his material, well spoken and knows how to address an undergrad audience to both maintain their interest by making things simple, but still not talking down to them. This man has changed my major based solely on his enthusiasm, and interesting presentation of normally dry material.

the best lecturer of life - i came into bio with zero knowledge b/c i dropped out of highschool, he got me up to speed fast. he is interesting, enthusiastic and funny and explains things in a simple and easy to understand way.

Amazing researcher and lecturer. I could not have asked for a better first year instructor in biology.

Amazing bird course! He makes plants interesting!

Great lecturer; however, not that great of a teacher. He explains all the concepts clearly but I never felt comfortable with the answers he gave to my questions. The final exam he wrote was extremely difficult even after DAYS of studying.

He was extremely clear and got across ideas well but the exam was just unbelievably off-topic.

definitely enjoyed reading 'Why Evolution is True'. really makes you think. you might be intimidated to approach him in tutorials, but once you get to it, he's not bad at all. he's a good prof that makes the course interesting. test was fair.

Good lecturer - clear, concise and got his points across. I don't understand why people thought of him as self-centered. Jeez guys, this is evolutionary biology...if you want "creationism" don't take this science class. I agree that the exam was badly made, though. There's no point in asking "What were the main ideas from chapter 6?"

I love his laugh. Some people say he's arrogant but I think he just teaches with conviction. He can come off as rude, however, I think he's just a no-nonsense, straight-forward person. His test questions do seem a bit weird, because its based on material from his lectures, but incorporates details that was not taught.

awesome

Great professor honestly, but the tests and exams are quite hard, perhaps it's the course.

Honestly, he wasn't that bad. he was probably the best bio prof so far. His lectures are really clear and concise and he's pretty big on stuff he teacher in the lecture. Evolution is true is probably the only textbook that I enjoyed reading!

Good prof, I liked the fact that he gave a lot of examples. A lot of readings, but if you read through everything and make sure you understand the concepts, you'll be fine.

I miss Spencer Barrett, he was awesome. I throughly enjoyed his teaching style, the subject matter, and his voice. You can hear the passion he has for the subject. The midterm was easy and straight forward.

An amazing professor. I would love to take more of his advanced courses or perhaps do some research. He explains concepts very clearly and he's extremely patient too - especially in the tutorial after 2 long hours of lecturing.

One of the best professors I've had at U of T. Not a science student, and didn't do particularly well in his section of the course, but it was out of no fault of his. A remarkable and interesting man as well as a clear lecturer. Nice and approachable too.

I found him engaging and helpful. He tried to be extremely clear on concepts and would often let us know what was important to remember and what was not. One of my favorite prof's thus far.

the final exam was very fair. i studied all required readings and listened to every lecture and all the concepts were familiar. those complaining about it obviously did not study enough. extremely cool and funny prof!

Great prof, lectures were always very interesting

He is the one of the most knowledgeable profs I can ever met in the first year, his lectures are quite helpful and entertaining, except that the exam questions are very detailed so it would be helpful listen to the audio. His exams are not hard, either, you just have to pay attention and come to class. Awesome course.

Enjoyed very much of his lecture. A humorous and knowledgeable man of his field. He's there to answer any questions you have. Tests won't be too hard if you understand the concepts. Recommend!

Barrett is one of the best professors at U of T. He is extremely clear when he states that if you do not attend his lectures, you will not pass. Many students are annoyed that they fail the exam because they expected to memorize his PP slides & ace the exam. That is not the case. The exams are a breeze for those who understand the concepts taught.

Great lecturer. Is quite funny, and makes lectures interesting. However, can be condescending and unwilling to answer questions that go beyond the scope of the class. Enjoyed choice of textbook (Why Evolution is true); easy read, and very clear. What you need to know for tests is made VERY clear. Go to class & do readings, and you will do well.

Tests are word-playing

Funny old guy, although his accent may take a bit to get used to initially. He's got a bit of a fetish for the Water Hyacinth plant, since he literally brings it up in every lecture and every example he gives. Due to the nature of his teaching, if you skip class, you will miserably fail the evaluation.

I dont understand why people say you have to attend his lectures, I have only went to 3 lectures of BIO120 out of 24 and my avg is 85 above atm, the lectures are recorded so I just listen to them later. I like thomson more but he is a good prof His accent can be pretty annoying for someone like me that hates british accent

Wonderful professor, amazing British accent, very prepared for his lectures. His tests are reasonable and he is absolutely adored by the students.

Great prof. Knows what he's doing. Can easily ace his part of the course.

An amazing professor. Very passionate about the subject matter and his lectures were always very engaging.

Professor Barrett taught the first-half of BIO120 about evolution and biodiversity. His lectures are always clear and concise, and there are lecture notes available on Portal for use in lectures and for studying. As long as you know the processes that are emphasized within the lectures and in the book, Why Evolution is True, you will do well.

He is truly a great professor. His lectures are fun, clear, entertaining, full of valuable examples. Highly recommended

seriously one of the best profs ive ever had. MUST LISTEN TO RECORDINGS!!! If you copy everything he says down, and UNDERSTAND things, youll get 90+ on the test guaranteed. also has a british accent which makes things more engaging lol. awesome guy, fair tests

His lecture material is not very difficult. But you will need to revise the material in order to do well in his part of the course.

Very clear and concise. Has a knack for explaining concepts in a way that you'll remember them. Loved the course much more than BIO130, with the exception being that we had to know the names of the scientists for the tests. Loves his water hyacinths more than life itself. British accent is an interesting touch.

Prof. Barrett's lectures are intricate and amazing and I often stayed for the extra tutorial hour. He didn't seem very approachable one-on-one, but it is not surprising in late night first-year courses. I would absolutely recommend this lecturer.

Found him to be a quintessential lecturer of evolutionary biology. Really good at what he does.

His bio lectures were the best. Great prof; I'm going to miss him :(

Prepare to see more than a few "cartoons." Barrett is an exceptional lecturer whose passion for evolutionary biology (particularly water hyacinths) is contagious through his every British word. He's been teaching for decades, and can convey the material in an eloquent and engaging manner. Easily the best lecturer I've come across at uoft.

A good prof whose lectures and required readings were interesting!

He taught one of my favourite and what I believe is one of the most important biology classes anybody could take. His lectures were great and his passion for what he taught showed. Thanks for teaching Barrett and I hope you enjoy your retirement

ppl saying 'too much unnecessary detail; idc about who went to what university" etc shouldn't go to UofT. this info wont be tested, but is impt nonetheless. It's impt to know history, legacy, and impt people in the field esp when you go out and work. learn to learn, don't learn just for a test. itll get u thru 4 yrs @ UofT. Barrett was the best.

Barrett was an excellent lecturer and his passion for BIO120 was very evident, which made attending lectures fun, especially from 6pm-8pm. His tests were definitely challenging but not impossible if you put in the work and listened to lectures