Took this instructor for Native American History. really responsive to e-mails an involved in course. Tough grader on discussions but explained everything. Gave extra-credit which helped.

Discussion boards are like mini essays which blows but I thought he graded easy. He answered my emails faster than any other professor I have at AMU. Lots of worksheets which actually help the grade. Tests are open book. Lots of reading

Professor Derks was excellent. I enjoyed his course, it was challenging and interesting. He was easily accessible and was very helpful.

I thought this guy was easy. He makes noises at the beginning of the course like he is tough, but do the math, you would have to be a moron not to get at least a B in the class. He gives alot of help and has some good websites to help, so i would take this guy. Tests are a breeze.

Do the Math. This guy tells you that the Discussion boards count for 33% of the grade but even if you only get half credit for them, the tests are open book, the worksheets are open book. You will skate with a C minimum and probably a B.

Easy, helpful, and prompt.

Open book tests. Discussion boards. Worksheets. Interesting material. I did lousy on the discusssion boards and still made a B.

Sailed through. Easy and interesting. You do have to pay attention to the discussion boards but even on the one I fell apart on I still made a "C" Got A- overall.

Professor Derks is extremely helpful.

He wants you to write correctly but I noticed that my grade did not suffer if I was off, at least not alot. I thought he was extremely helpful and he accepts late work without explanation.

I enjoyed his class on Native American history. Prepare to write long DQ post and responds. The group assignments and worksheets are fun. Hard grader on assignments and 6 to 8 page report due at the end of class. Definitely expect to work hard in this class and he is extremely helpful if you?re confused on assignments.

A breeze, if you keep up. I can't write wort flip but I did OK on discussion boards. He answered my e-mails qwik and never talked down to me. Twice he let me turn in work late. He is not easy, but it is simple, if you keep up.

Hes easy. He will scare you at first makes you believe the course is tough, but becaue of the way the course is laid out, you would have to be a moron not to get at least a B in the class. He gives alot of help , so i would take this guy. Tests are easy.

Good clear teacher. You gotta read and write alot but does a good job with e-lectures.

I like history, his instructions were clear, he answered my e-mails quicker than any other prof I have had at AMU and his tests were clear. Lots of writing.

Very passionate professor. Very strict, always asks multiple q's w/ every DB post regardless of how much thought/effort it contains. I'm an A average student and barely got a C. I would never take any of his courses again. I concur that he does talk down to students. One good note, he is willing to spend a lot of time to ensure you know the content

Let me start by saying I have always sucked at History classes and was quite fearful of having to take 1 to meet my degree requirements (transferred one in from my previous degree). Professor Derks was awesome, helpful, insightful, and challenging in a great way. I would definitely attend any class he was teaching.

Extremely tough but fair grader with seemingly infinite patience. Many classmates struggled with following instructions; that was not Prof Derks' fault. The class was research and writing intensive. He was very quick to reply to e-mails. Due to the thoroughness of his grading, he doesn't get assignments returned as quickly as some do.

Very easy on extending assignments. Does not seem to take off for being late. Lots of reading & writing but that is every course. No failures from what I can tell.

Not easy but fair. Lots of writing & lots of reading but he never takes off for working being late. Thats a plus

Very good professor, always emails back if you have any questions.

Not easy by any means, but if you do the work you will get a good grade. Weekly forum work is high. I would rather take Melinda Zupon if available.

I was really dreading this class, but it was interesting and that was due to the passion of Mr. Derks. He is not easy but fair and he is flexible and helpful. This class has lots of reading & writing but this is college and that is expected. On the flip side, he never takes off for work being late and that is a plus. Great overall experience

Professor Derks is wonderful. You have to read and be prepared to write. He is fair in his grading and helpful. Grammar is important. If you read the book, handouts, and pay attention you will do well in the class. I loved it. So far it's been one of my favorite classes through APU. He set me up for future success with advice and grammar tips.

Mr. Derks is the best professor that I have had. He isn't an easy A, but if you work hard, do your work and read the directions you will do well. He does a great job of preparing you for more advanced courses at the college level. Absolutely the best!! A+ to Mr. Derks!!

At first he will scare you, but while he's a hard teacher, he is good teacher. He responds quickly to emails and really engages his students especially during forum posts. I hate history, but I have really enjoyed this class. Expect to work hard in this class.

Absolutely fantastic!! He expects hard work and for students to follow direction but he is there for you if you have a problem. He gives excellent feedback and is a fast grader so you know where you stand in class. I enjoyed the class and a lot of it was because of Derks. He is not an easy grader BUT he leads you to better grades in the future!!

Mr. Derks is a fantastic professor. It is true, he is a tough grader and really makes you work for your grade. The material was not necessarily tough, however. Basically submit one forum discussion a week and respond to three other students. No busy work, but the work you are expected to do is writing and reading intensive. Prepare for big final!

Engaged in the class. Giving honest feedback and pushing us to be better, the personalized questons in the forums is the best thing this teacher did. It made you stop and engage with your teacher. Derks was great working with me through a difficult family issue that arose during the course.

Prof. Derks is a great instructor. Prof. Derks was able to translate his knowledge in a manner that I wish other teachers would follow. Ttough but always fair. Because of this I felt empowered and encouraged to produce worthy material

Very thorough and passionate about American Indian History. Also tough but he gives great feedback, not like some instructor who just tells everone "good job" and collects a check. He will make u a better student. From looking at the reviews, you either love this dude or hate him.

I have never had an instructor give this amount of constructive feedback. Mr. Derks was different than the "cut & paste" responses that I am used to from my other professors. He put as much time and thought into the response and followed his own requirements (using references & such in the feedback to students). There for his students.

Prof. Derks is a fabulous instructor & extremely knowledgeable. Enjoyed his feedback (always on point and usually expounding further on the topic). Class is exhaustively (never use "very"!) writing intensive. I learned a lot, Prof. Derks knows his stuff. Tough class, but doable by working hard.

I cannot offer enough positive kudos for Instructor Derks. This class challenged me in a way no other class has. He requires college writing in forum posts and critiques all writing. He was a hard, but fair teacher. His teaching style was a perfect balance of critiquing, supporting, and applauding my work.

I have learned more in this class than I have in most I have taken in the past and that is thanks to Mr. Derks. He does an exceptional job of challenging students to strive for academic excellence. He encourages students to really learn how to format, and interact appropriately for a university classroom setting.

Professor Tracey Derks- Loved the feedback this guy gave during the class. He unquestionably gave me a better understanding of the topic and of how to write academically. He made me a much better student.

Derks took time to write what you did well or did not do well. Other professors just "good work" and "keep it up". That is disappointing after getting the kind of feedback that Derks provided. He challenged us to dig deeper into the material that was covered and showed us it from different perspectives.

There is a heavy load of writing in this class, however it is not dull in content. This professor makes the already interesting information even more entertaining. Each student researches something different each week and shares with the class. The abundance of knowledge being exchanged is incredible. You must put forth full effort for good grade.

Honest feedback rather than the usual "good job" non-feedback from other Profs. You will work for it but the material and his questions will engage you. He did not seem to grade off for late work.

This class will scare you at first but he is a teacher who helps. He replies quickly to emails and he engages his students especially during forum posts. Everyone gets involved and it just seemed everyone was enjoying the information. That is cause Derks has course organized. Expect to read all the time.

Professor Derks gives clear and annotated feedback. Especially useful when you are constructing ideas for major papers.

I learned more in this guy's course than in any other history course I have take. He holds your feet to the fire but you feel like you have had a real college experience with this course.

Professor Derks is more than a history teacher. He actually lives what he teaches. His knowledge on the subject of Native American History goes beyond what he has read. You can tell he genuinely is interested in the subject and participates in his free time in the native communities. Great Professor with a lot to give.

Mr. Derks was an incredible professor. He is so passionate about history and it made me want to learn more. He gives amazing feedback. It is not just your run of the mill "good job". He takes the time to really go over exactly what you need to improve on, and if you are doing a good job, he will tell you exactly why he thinks that.

This class was challenging but in a good way. No way do you coast in this class. He was a hard, but fair teacher. His teaching style was a critical comments, supporting instructions, and applauding my work. As he stated over and over in class, his goal was to make you a better student leaving the class than when you entered.

Professor Derks was probably the most knowledgeable professor I have dealt with in school. His understanding of the his particular field is quite astonishing. His is a tough, but fair grader. He actually eludes to this fact in his introductory post; he says that he is a harsh critic but if you follow the guidelines he sets, you'll be fine.

You do have to work in this class but he is one of the best teacher I have had for online classes. Most of it is research based but you learn a lot. He gives great feedback and clear grading criteria. Don't scare away on the first week, he clears everything up right at the beginning so there's no questions. Read and understand it and you'll pass.

Prof Derks class is a lot of work. I learned more from researching in this class than I ever have learned in any other class Ive taken. The posts and replies are lengthy. Tough grader but gives feedback. I spent HOURS researching for forums. He is very structured and seemed a bit OCD.

Professor knows his stuff and you can tell he loves it. Sure you have to work in the class, but you have to work in all classes. The difference is he cares about your work and attempts to make you better. Never had an instructor give such great feedback. Always seems available and is understanding of personal needs.

I can't say enough about Professor Derks. He engaged students, was immediately available for questions and asked probing and inspiring questions. This was my most valuable online learning experience- solely because of him. At first, I thought I was going to hate this class , but it turned out to be one of the best courses I have taken at the school

Great feedback. Engagement with the class was constant. The discussions and follow up assignment were great and made the students dig further into the weekly lesson.

He was quick with responses on discussion posts and grades. Grades for assignments and forums were always posted within a week, typically within two to three days of the due date. Not easy but interesting and helpful.

Professor Derks has clear expectations. One thing that stands out, watch your verbiage, and by that make sure your words have value. I know longer use the word very in my works, as he would say, how do you measure very? It has not history. Always cite your work, even in your peer responses and you will do fine.

I did not know what to expect from this class, maybe I was thinking a no brainer cruise class. It ain't that. You will work but this guys is so helpful and engaged. You will learn in this class.

History of the American Indian is a great course and should be mandatory. Professor Derks loves history especially the history of the Indigenous peoples of America. You will learn and it will open your eyes to a lot of issues still happening.

This guy loves history. Took him for two courses, 101 and American Antebellum period. He knows his stuff and will give you serious feedback. Lets history speak for itself but will not tolerate sloppy work. You have to prove what you claim or he will lower the boom. Plus side, you learn how to present strong material.

I don't even like history but he has a fresh take that will give you something to think about.

The most engaged instructor I have had at AMU & I've completed several classes here. He s passionate about the topic & seems dedicated to student success. He is responsive to students and his responses will teach you something new.

I believe that Deserves deserves a 5 star rating because of his passion for history. Really great feedback,plus he gave us more information to have a better understanding about the topics in US history.

Professor Derks is by far my favorite professor I've had. He is a bit of a tough grader but gives very clear and detailed feedback. You have to work for your grade but if you apply the feedback you will do great. You can tell he really loves his job and wants to help students learn. I would take his courses again without question.

I LOVED this class! I was overwhelmed by the amount of reading at the beginning but I was so fascinated that it didn't seem like too much in the end. Professor Derks gives you EVERYTHING you need to succeed and gives great, useful feedback. He also replies in a timely matter. Pay attention to his directions and feedback and you will do well!

Professor derks was an awesome teacher. He really makes you dive deep into the criteria and gives you great feedback on what you are doing good on. His rubric is very clear, all you have to do is follow it and you will get a good grade. It definitely takes some discipline and time management to get through this course, but you can do it.

Amazing professor. I would definitely take again. Received A+. Must do the work to receive a good grade.

This is a no-joke class. There is plenty of work to do but his comments actually build on each other each week and by applying them I found my writing improving. Expect to work but expect to learn something as well. Also, stay away from using AI, he checks everything to make sure its your own work.

Professor Derks provides comprehensive feedback on assignments, which has helped improve my writing while in his class. The workload was manageable despite the continuous reading and back-to-back larger assignments, even while working and taking other classes.

Do not use the word "very" in his class. A/A- is possible if you work. Grading is very hard. Frustrated me because felt he was more interested in politics and race than the American Civil War and he gets a kick out of student political arguments. But you will earn your grade and he is a tough instructor. But he is an expert in his field.

One of the most positive, motivating professors I have had the pleasure of working under. Quickly understands what parts of your argument need clarification/expanding, and where you excel. If you "get" the material, you will thrive in his courses. Sometimes tough, always fair. A gentleman.

Professor Derks is attentive, you never have to wait long for a reply when you have a question. His knowledge on the subjects goes beyond what he has read. He is genuinely interested in you becoming a better student and learning the history. A dedicated Professor with a lot to give.

I have taken SEVERAL classes with Professor Derks, and he is an amazing professor. He answers questions quickly, provides great feedback, and understands personal situations. He is a tough grader, but he should be. I would definitely recommend taking a class with him.

Professor derks was a tough but inspiring teacher. He makes you study the material and he doesn't budge much on standards for the course. He does give you great feedback on what you are doing right. Follow the instructions and you will get a good grade. It definitely takes some discipline and time management to get through this.