French 1,2,3,4,conversation & 120 french cuisine. The best french teacher.I've enjoyed every class I've ever taken with Todd. He passes his love for the language on to his students.

The best language instructor I've ever taken. He is clear, creative and fun. He is just as good as it gets.

He's a hard teacher but you'll have so much fun in his class you'll hardly notice. There's alot of homework and he actually cares about pronunciation. You'll learn alot. He's one of the best professors I've ever had.

very good

he got his phd in TEACHING FRENCH from berkeley, and it shows. he's the best kind of teacher: passes along his passion for the subject to the student. it makes learning fun and easy. an inspiration in many ways. a gem.

This guy knows what he's doing. There is quite a bit of homework but not tough to do just make the time. He is very clear with he wants from his students and really burns the material into you. Highly recommend him.

Simply the best teacher I've ever had. I've almost every class that he teaches he has held my admiration throughout. French was a second choice until I found his class; he's passionate, knowledgeable, articulate, eloquent, witty & understanding. He's won national teaching awards for a reason!

Todd is a great teacher. He's a sweet guy and a fair grader. His immense knowledge of french really rubs off on his students so that you come away from the class feeling much more knowledgable than you did before. He does a good job of mixing up activities in class so that it never gets too boring.

Good teacher. learned lots of vocab in his conversational class.

Tood is an awesome tacher and a great person. I would highly recommend any of his classes for someone considering a language course. He gives a lot of homework but it is all very helpful to learning.

An awesome teacher who knows and loves his subject. Not really a hard class if you keep up with the homework. Lots of different activities. Uses music, film, and literature to teach about the culture. Always interesting and frequently a comedian. Never a dull class.

amaaazing!

If there was a Nobel Prize in teaching, he would deserve it. He understands how the brain acquires a new language and is able to transmit this, as well as pure joy for a language. I will always be grateful for his class. Don't miss this opportunity!

Far and away the best foreign language instructor I've ever had. He's funny, but besides being funny, he covers topics multiple times to make sure the class understands.

expects hard work, but if you can do the work, he is a really great teacher. class is intense and fun.

PARTICIPATE IN CLASS! Do the work, ask questions when you're confused. He's very helpful and understands that learning a new language is difficult.

Todd was an excellent teacher. One of the best thinga about todd was that he believed in his students and is excited about the subject he teaches. I could sing his praises for ever!!

good guy

BEST TEACHER EVER!!!! Gets whole class involved! I love every class!! Going to french is a fun part of my day. You will learn how to speak french as well as write it. Take this class!!!!

Hilarious, very clear, knows his subject, always a fun class. Couldn't be a better teacher

Very fun class. Its more conversation than grammar. First you will learn how to say and then how to write it. it was a good class

This guy is great. He is funny and teaches the material without you even realizing that you're learning. He rocks. I would highly recommend him

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Probably the best teacher I've ever had and not just in French.

Does a good job of making the difficult tasks of understanding the grammar and enunciating the words achievable and enjoyable. Good balance of encouragement and discipline. I felt like I made great strides toward attaining fluency and I am beginning to think in French. I looked forward to attending every class.

I've had him for two semesters already and I'm going in for a third. He's a great teacher and he grades very fairly too. He also has a really good sense of humor and keeps even the most boring grammatical details interesting. I feel like I learned more in the last two semesters than I did in all four years of high school.

Todd is so helpful! He is actually concerned with your accuracy in speech as well as writing. He wants you to get a high grade, and you will KNOW the material if you do get a good grade. I learned so much more than I did in high school, and I'm going on to French 2.

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A truly exceptional teacher. Really there are no downsides to him as a teacher save for that he is not easy (which isn't really a downside). He works extremely hard and pays a lot of attention to the material you turn into him. I heartily recommend him.

Very helpful...awesome teacher

The guy's great. He's always enthusiastic when he teaches and actually makes you speak, which is the whole purpose of taking a language course. I've been doing private spanish tutoring and the guy has given me great ideas to teach my language. You definetly have to take his class.

You will not find a better French teacher. He is understanding and fun! He always keeps class entertaining and is always encouraging you to speak out in French even if you don't have it perfect. He forces you to learn French without embarrassing yourself and keeps class challenging and still realistic. I am never taking French with anyone else!

You will not find a better French teacher. He is understanding and fun! He always keeps class entertaining and is always encouraging you to speak out in French even if you don't have it perfect. He forces you to learn French without embarrassing yourself and keeps class challenging and still realistic. I am never taking French with anyone else!

Top notch prof. Every prof should have this man's teaching talent. Professional, smart, sympathetic, humorous, inspirational, and never, never boring. Unfortunately, he does not teach all courses I want to take; however, I will take every course for which I qualify that he does teach. How lucky is SRJC!!

A wonderfully comprehensive teacher. His every effort is dedicated to invigorating students to share a love for French. One could not expect more from a language prof. than: teaching ability, fairness, a well developed understanding of the subject, and an all encompassing love for the subject; Mr. Strauss is the whole package. Grading is abstract.

FABULOUS teacher!! He is so passionate about teaching that he makes the class so much fun and exciting!He encourages learning in all different forms, and always had us doing fun activities.He is very very helpful in answering any questions and very approachable.This professor is sooooo wonderful, I am going to miss this class a lot!

Over the last ten years, I've had a half-dozen different French teachers and Todd was definitely the best of them all.

This is my second time in one of Todd's French classes, and I'm going back for a third semester in the fall. He expects a lot from you, because learning a language takes a great amount of dedication. YOU WILL LEARN a lot from him if you complete his class, so his class isn't for the faint of heart. But you'll come out speaking some french!

Enthusiastic and well organized. Classes are fun, grading is fair and he is a top notch teacher. You will work hard in his class and learn more than you thought possible.

Amazing teacher!

Todd Straus was a great teacher. He was nice, funny, helpful, and easy to understand. Seriously, take one of his classes.

Todd teaches and exciting, fun class. You will work hard but make friends and have fun while doing it. He didn't use a textbook or assign homework. The quizzes at the beginning of each class were not difficult as long as you study. Attendance to every class is crucial if you want to do well.

Todd Straus one of the most dynamic teachers I have ever had! He is so amazingly good at what he does - I am so grateful for a professor like him @ SRJC. He makes learning a language fun and exciting with his engaging theatrics and music (not to mention he is brilliant - PhD from UCB)! I wish we could clone him and have him teach other subjects!

Mr. Straus is a very good teacher. You will leave this class knowing basic French if you really apply yourself. I won't say it's an easy class if you want all A's. There's considerable lab time (28 hrs.), homework, several tests/quizzes & exams.. But if you're consistent with lab, studying, flashcards.. you can get an A. He's exceptional. Sign up!

He's such an amasing teacher.

he is awesome! very fun and makes french easy to learn. he brings in french music to listen to and sometimes french plays. he is quirky, but he is an amazing teacher! would definitely take him again in the future.

An excellent instuctor-he really goes out of his way to make class interesting. This is the second class I have taken with this instructor. I think he takes it all a little too seriously but you can see it is because he truly loves the language and teaching it. Plan to attend every class or you will be missing out on a lot and your grade will suffe

One of the most, if not best, teacher I have ever had. He love what he teachers, he's funny, and makes class really interesting. I love French now, and want to master it.

Best language teacher I've ever had, and don't think I'll ever find one that beats him. So fun, and you actually learn how to speak french! You can really talk with people! Not just talk about french grammar. Best teacher ever.

Todd is the most effective teacher I have ever known. He knows each student individually and organizes the experiences in such a way that anyone who actually follows his directions and studies learns at a rapid pace. He expects students to work as hard as he does, which is asking a lot. Humor, accessibility, energy. This guy has it all.

Todd is a great teacher and he really keeps the class moving along. You will not sleep in this French class. I generally came out drained but happy. He gives 100% to the class and expects you to participate orally. If you are shy, that's OK, he will not push you over the edge :)! It's really important to learn some conversational skills.

Excellent teacher who knows his stuff.

TAKE THIS PROF. This class was fantastic. He made learning French so much fun. He does the best he can considering class is only 2x/week. He's very clear, welcomes questions and is very supportive. I loved this class, tho wish it had moved a little faster b/c I was far behind when I tried taking French 2 at a CSU.

Fabulous teacher, made French fun and easy to learn.

Awesome! Enough said but seriously! This guy is the best language teacher I've ever had asside for a sign language teacher I once had. He really makes you interested in the lessons and he reinforces vocabulary learned in the beginning

Todd... todd.. todd...todd.. hmmm. I am mixed with him. He can be judgmental if french isn't you passion. He is a great teacher, and a great helper, but he wants students who are into french. Advice: you can get an A if you 1) do all homework on time, 2) study moderately for tests, 3)take an interst in french. That is all I will say.

Probably one of the best language teachers ive had but hes hard if you have no french experience. French 1 was filled with high school kids with 3 years of french, so I was at a disadvantage. If you do all the hw and study vocab, youll get an a, but you cannot slack.

Great teacher as far as Pronunciation is concerned. Got an A, but I think I deserved less. He lets you turn in late homework for a C. Make flashcards and study vocab. If you have had Spanish, you will have an easier time in the class. He's obsessed with France.

A very good instructor. Classes are fun & interesting.

A very good teacher. He is makes learning French fun and interesting.

Todd is a superb teacher. He involves each student individually in every class session, and presents the material in a variety of formats that reinforce each experience. He expects students to participate and work hard, and he does too. He's funny, approachable and supportive. You will learn and enjoy it. Plan to attend every class.

He makes learning French easy and fun...never puts pressure or stress on any of the students. My vocabulary base definitely doubled and I have vastly improved with my confidence level in French. Take his class!

Loved this teacher! I've taken french before in high school, struggled the whole time and didn't feel like I learned anything, so I decided to start over with fren1. It was great, I learned more then I ever did in high school, and even though I still have issues with pronunciation, it was no fault of teacher. Funny, nice. Take him.

Todd is simply the best language teacher I have ever had. He expects you to work hard and his teaching methods are wonderful. If you put in the work the class is easy.

i loved this class and Im looking forward to French 2 next semester with Todd

Straus was a great teacher (the easiness rating is simply because of how hard and time consuming it can be to learn a new language). Straus was always willing to sit down and talk to you and help you with what's going wrong. I would highly recommend taking him to start off the French arc.

Todd's very helpful and tries to keep everyone engaged. He will turn on you if he thinks you're goofing off or not participating, but so long as you're giving a good effort and paying attention he'll be your best friend. Lots of homework, but it's not hard and you can do it ahead as it's all online.

Todd is entertaining, but he also knows what he is doing. Without realizing it is happening, students start to use verb tenses correctly in speech. That rarely happens in language classes. The text appears bizarre, but it is as creative as he is.

Although his textbook WASN'T the best thing ever, he was creating it from scratch. I learned a lot in this class, and I thought that his teaching style was wonderful. It's sad he's not teaching French 2 this coming semester.

Todd makes learning French fun and I always looked forward to going to class. He is the most dedicated language professor I've encountered and SRJC is lucky to have him. If you do your homework and attend all the classes, you will get a very good grade.

Although the book isn't my favorite thing since it's still not completely finished, he is an awesome teacher. I was so excited to take french this semester and I'm definitely going to continue with him next semester in french 2. My class is super early in the morning and it's the perfect class to help you wake up, he's fun and energetic! Take it!

This class was really fun. He had us talking to all of our neighbors so there was a lot of class community. Straus is really funny and has a lot of interesting life stories. His class isn't super structured which some people may not like but it totally worked for me. I definitely plan to take French 2 with him sometime.

One of the best language teachers here (I've had 9). Enthusiastic, knowledgeable, & encouraging. Lots of culture (yay, music) & a great focus on pronunciation. Although advancement felt slow at times, every minute was useful, with lots of practice. Overall, some of the best language-learning/teaching methods. Wish I could continue with him.

My favorite professor at SRJC!!!! he cares about his students and he is always happy to answer your questions after class! He wants you to participate in every moment but you will never feel tired of how he keeps pushing you. I deeply fell in love with French because of him and i have a great respect to Todd. Highly recommend him :D

Mr. Straus is amazing! Seriously one of the best language teachers I've ever had at any school, and I've had 4 or 5 by now. He is totally engaged in the class at all times, and he demands that you are as well... but it's so easy to be engaged because he always keeps class interesting! Love his energy, love his workbook too! Take his class!

Todd is an absolute genius. His book is incredible and well thought out. I spent four years trying to learn spanish in high school and in one semester of french I learned so much! You have to be interested to succeed though. I really whish he wrote books for other languages as well. Highly reccomend!

Todd is a great teacher and knows what he's doing. HOWEVER DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A LOT OF TIME IN YOUR SCHEDULE. There is homework in between EVERY class and also due on days besides class days. It is not a ton of homework but if you don't have a lot of extra homework time I do not suggest this class. You can fall behind easily.

Todd is such an amazing teacher. Super funny and interested in his student's interests which is nice. He makes french fun by showing french songs and clips on YouTube on the overhead once in awhile too. Treat your book nicely since it's like a workbook and textbook in one.

I've taken four years of French and was an AP student, just taking this as general ed. He managed to capture my interest everyday, and to still teach me new things. He gives amazing feedback, and always wants his students to succeed.

Any positive adjective I can think of-- in English or French-- I would use to describe Todd. He was my favorite teacher at the JC and is just a great guy overall. Highly, highly recommend.

Super Teacher with a positive attitude. He takes the fear out of talking another language. This calls is fun. He knows what he is doing.

Todd is a great teacher, his lectures are fun and interesting, but he's not a slacker. Attend every class and do all the homework, you will fall behind if not. He seemed to genuinely enjoy his job and he has a lot of little tricks to make learning French easier.

Todd is amazing. Very tough grader though. Definitely makes you work for that grade. He cares about his students and is a HUGE stickler about pronunciation. He jokingly picks on some of the students to help them learn and will answer the majority of your questions, except about how to say something we haven't covered. Highly recommend

Todd's class was by far one of the most entertaining class I have had at the JC. You for sure have to get the textbook because that is where you get the homework, or photocopy the pages you need at the library. His Quizlet lists are so helpful and make it easy to learn French. Participation is important and every week there is a partner assignment.

Awesome. Easy. Straight forward

This professor really helps you to learn french! He uses humor and online sites to really make learning french easy and fun!!!

This professor created interesting classes at SRJC such as Spanish 1 taught in French, French through Cuisine, etc. He is a GEM and the language dept. at SRJC will NOT be the same without him. In the early years, his classes were tough and a bit too fast paced. He seems to have chilled over the years and now they are more relaxed and enjoyable.

Todd was a great French professor. He really focuses on pronunciation, so be sure to practice at home if thats something you struggle with. I learned a lot from his class and enjoyed learning about the history/geography of France.

Todd gave me a really solid foundation for French. He really emphasizes pronunciation and teaches you how to figure how to pronounce a word you've never seen. He makes learning vocabulary super easy, and there is a lot of repetition so you feel like you'll never forget what you learned. I'd take him for all FR classes if he weren't leaving the JC.

Todd is a solid choice for French. Lots of repetition in class and he has a pretty predictable weekly schedule, which I like. One downside is we had homework due every day except for days we had class (including weekends and holidays). The homework doesn't take long. His class can be confusing if you haven't had french before. Overall, easy A.

Todd was an amazing teacher who always made his class interesting. Unfortunately, if you can't take a joke, this class is probably not for you

Todd was hands down the best academic teacher i've ever had. I took another french class at the JC and with no doubt can say Todd was better. If you dislike working with other people this class most likely isn't for you. But if you are anything like me when I work with other people I was really able to learn a lot because we always interact