Exciting and interesting, lets you out early sometimes. Semi difficult tests.

Very lively instructor. The class is very interesting and fun and the woman knows how to teach. Just be prepared for a transition from beginners language to intermediate because her tests can be difficult and she expects you to perform at a 201 level.

I LOVE THIS TEACHER!! She is SO awesome! Hilariously funny, great stories, wonderful examples, always willing to help, she's the best professor I've ever had. :)

Wow, Love her. she is so full of energy and her classes are fantastic: you'll learn and have lots of fun. And she is very helpfull, too. And not too hard. TAKE HER

The best teacher IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!!!!! Her class is SO much fun, and you don't just learn what's in the course, she brings a lot of other aspects of culture and just life in general to the course. She is AWESOME!

She is the BEST professor ever! She makes class very enjoyable and its exciting to go to her class.

good class. she's full of energy and is really funny. you don't learn too much in the class and the quizzes/tests aren't too hard. study on your own and you'll do fine. has an attendance policy but doesn't follow it, miss as much as you want.

Val ROCKS!I went to Chile with her for a month and a half and have taken three of her courses. If you take anyone else, you will be missing out on a great teacher and an awesome class!

Ms. Rider is a wonderful teacher, full of energy. Cares a lot about her students

the class is really fun and i enjoy it alot. its pretty hard though-and she loves to talk about herself and get attention.

if you enjoy spanish in general, take senora riders class and she will make you enjoy it even more. she's very entertaining and cares a lot about her students. she also brings the cultural aspect of spanish to class, which is refreshing.

AWESOME!!!! she's not hard but not easy, tests and quizes are straightforward and she has a great sense of humor!

absolue best teacher i've ever had... hilarious!!!

Enthusiastic! Loves to teach the language and the culture.

shes awesome i hate spanish but she makes me like spanish shes that good and has a good sense of humor i learned more in a month in her class more than i did in like 4 years in high school and i enjoyed it

AWESOME TEACHER!!!!!! so much fun, and she makes it easy to understnad spanish

even if this was the hardest class at uncw, you should take Valerie Rider's class...this woman is off the chart!!Everything about her is awesome, she loves spn and culture...quizes are not hard, tests are even easier...one of the best teachers at ANY school...PS- bring cadbury eggs and go to Chile!!! whoop whoop

Had soooo much fun in her class. She makes learning spn fun. She did cartwheels in class and sometimes "smokes her pens." Def. would take her again.

THE BEST TEACHER YOU CAN GET FOR SPANISH!!! She makes the language fun to learn and you will enjoy every minute of it. You will have to study though to do well

Valerie is one of the greatest teachers. She is fun and makes everything interesting. She has a great sense of humor and is willing to help anybody out. A great professor.

Senora Rider is one of the best teachers i have had so far. If you are taking spanish to have a good time and learn a lot she is definately the teacher your looking for. Her tests are challenging but definately nothing to worry about, you will want to go to her class but she has the 3 day absence rule.

you will learn so much about culture from her. i went to spain after taking her class and much of the info she taught me i put to use in spain. only thing is you may have to teach some of the grammer to yourself because she moves fast.

She's easily one of the best teachers I've ever had. I hated Spanish until I got here, but she's made it my favorite class and now I'm planning on majoring in it. The class is great and she has everything a good teacher has - sense of humor, wittiness, and she makes stuff really interesting

took her in 201 and 202 then traveled abroad to chile with her and took 203 and 305. by far one if the greatest teachers ive ever had. speaks extremely good spanish, very clear and knows so much cultural information. HIGHLY recommended to all.

Ms. Rider is a really nice person but she spends way too much time talking about her personal life and doesn't really teach the verbs. You pretty much have to teach yourself. The tests are pretty hard too.

I love her she is the greatest

Most caring professor I have EVER encountered! Without her I would not have survived this class! If you have the chance, take her class! Because she is so passionate about what she teaches, she makes you enjoy learning!

undoubtably THE best spanish professor at school. she's so much fun and cadbury eggs are the way to her heart! hw is not required, just "suggested" tests are really easy and on quizzes there's extra credit. Rider is full of energy and she has some of the craziest stories!!

Best teacher EVER! I hate Spanish, but I love her class. It's not all in Spanish and her class is easy to understand. After everything she says in Spanish, she asks if you understand, if you dont, she explains it in English.. her class is a lot of fun & I love it, I look forward to going everytime.

Amazing teacher!! I have a lot of trouble with spanish and am still doing well in her class! She has so much energy, hilarious stories and is very enthusiastic about what she's teaching.

LOVE LOVE LOVE HER!!!! SHE IS THE BEST TEACHER AT UNCW! she is SO funny and very very helpful! tests can be a little tricky, and quizes can be a little difficult. She does a lot of verbal exercises and it's on the quizzes/tests, but if you really pay attention, you will understand. I love her so much! and recommend her to anyone and everyone!

THE BEST TEACHER EVER. She really is great and a lot of fun. Classes are fun and a lot of group work. She will make you love spanish. Also teaches a lot of culture.

By far, the best spanish teacher that I have ever had. She is so entertaining and wild, I love it! She will keep you interested throughout the entire semester with her stories & just her overall love for life. If you can manage to get in her class, DO IT!

AWESOME LADY!

I freaking love her she is so sweet and helpful and though I have some trouble with spanish she explains things well and I feel like I am improving daily.

Awesomee!!! She's crazy and will make you understand spanish.

she is awesome

I also took SPN 203 &305 with her. She is an amazing teacher, really helps you learn the language and makes it interesting. If you want a good,fun, crazy awesome teacher. TAKE HER!!!!!!!! you won't regret it

Definitely the best Spanish professor I have ever taken! She's crazy and fun and extremely knowledgeable about the language and various cultures. I've taken 201 and 202 with her in the states and 203 and 305 with her in Chile. I would recommend her to anyone interested in Spanish! AWESOME!

Automatic A= do the homework, take advantage of all the extra credit opportunities and study for her quizzes/tests. About those, quizzes are easier if you go to class, in general they aren't impossible, but they aren't a breeze either. The tests on the other hand, are a little harder. Good luck on the listening part. She's the best in the dept.

Amazing professor! I really had no understanding of Spanish before I came into this class and now with some effort and attention, I'm making an A and actually enjoy it! She is so so sweet and full of energy making class fun to be in! Its REAL life Spanish!

OMG!!! you will love her. She is so open, honest, and blunt. Sweet and her is funny. Take her, Take her

Loved her! She's so sweet and fun and she seems to really care about her students. Quizzes and tests are definitely not easy but they're not too hard either. The online homework was pretty ridiculous though, took WAY too much time. She offers a lot of extra credit.

Valerie Rider is by far the best professor EVER to live. Period.

Prof. Rider is without a doubt the best teacher I've had in my entire life. She made me fall in love with the Spanish language. I have never met someone with so much enthusiasm after experiencing so much tragedy. You'll work hard but you'll love every minute of it! Take her class!

I love Valerie Rider! She is an amazing woman whose enthusiasm made me decide to major in spanish. She makes class interesting and lets you know what's going to be on exams so there are no surprises. I learned a ton from her

Favorite teacher at UNCW! She is sooooo passionate about teaching and it shows. She is such a cool lady and draws from her amazing life experiences in Spain and in other countries to teach and she is by far the best spanish teacher that i have ever had. If you have the opportunity to take her class, DO IT

She is a fantastic teacher. I was a history major and now I'm double majoring. She is a stickler for grammer but loves the language and is always willing to help students. GET THIS TEACHER IF YOU CAN YOU WONT REGRET IT AT ALL.She also give room for extra credit in class and outside of class. You want this teacher, she encourages learning.

She is great! Going to class was fun because she makes it interesting and she's pretty funny too. She makes you want to learn. Honestly, as long as you go to class and pay attention, you should get a good grade!

I have never met a language teacher who was more passionate about her job. Professor Rider is absolutely brilliant. The class is not easy by any means, but you definitely learn Spanish rather than just memorizing vocabulary and conjugations.

Best teacher I have had at UNCW! I wish she was my teacher for every Spanish class. Thanks to her, I plan on double majoring in Spanish. The only teacher who's class I was always excited for.

I love Professor Rider! She's honestly the best teacher at UNCW. She teaches very well and always goes over things if you don't understand it. Everything she does is to help you become a better Spanish speaker, even if you don't think it is. Not a lot of homework, 3 tests, and a few quizzes. Definitely take her class if you have the chance!

Professor Rider is possibly the best teacher I have had in my 4 years at UNCW. Definitely the most down to earth teacher I have had. Her tests are difficult no doubt, but otherwise everything else is simple. I ended up with a C in the class (slacked off) and I would still say definitely take her. So cool.

Spanish is a hard class, but she made it bearable. She has such a nice personality and is very enthusiastic about what she does. I would recommend for sure.

Rider is so funny! I actually enjoyed coming to her class. Study hard for her exams though, they can be difficult if you don't know the vocab or grammar points well.

Such a good Spanish professor! Really cares about her students and their grades. Loved her so much that I am taking her as my spanish professor again next semester. Class isn't mandatory but after a certain amount of absenses she will kick you out of the class and give you an incomplete. Class is enertaining and fun though!

I'm just going to start off by saying Professor Rider is probably the nicest teacher I have ever had at UNCW. She is so down to earth and extremely helpful. I am pretty bad at spanish but she makes the class interesting and doesnt ever single you out to speak. Great Great teacher, wish I could take her again.

Professor Rider is great! She's very helpful & as long as you read the textbook & pay attention, you should get an A.

Very good teacher. She is very passionate and loves teaching the language of Spanish. She is the only reason why I am able to wake up and go to her class in the morning. If you try, it is easy to make an A. Homework is not graded, but it really helps you learn the language if you do it. I strongly recommend Rider if you are taking Spanish 202.

Profe Rider is a WONDERFUL woman, yet when it actually comes to teaching, she is not as helpful. Tests are harder, as she speaks in spanish orally on some parts, otherwise homework is easy and you do get some extra credit. She is also extremely adament about chile which takes away from her teaching.

She is an absolutely amazing woman! She will help you with any problems. And she gives you lots of information about Spanish culture which I loved since no other class has done that before. There are only 2 tests, which are a little hard. But, if you study, they are fine. Homework is easy, too. Highly recommended!

Great teacher, will tell you about ANYthing that you want to know. Always looking for people talking Spanish and she goes on a trip every year to Chile with students, it's the best trip ever!

I am terrible at spanish but Professor Rider made this class very enjoyable and manageable! My class was at 8am but she still managed to keep my attention the whole time. She is very passionate about spanish and Chile. If you attend class, ask questions, and at least act interested the class will be very easy. Hardest part is the graded online hw.

I LOVE professora rider. She is full of interesting facts and experiences. I love going to class. The tests and quizzes aren't difficult if you study.

Val is amazing. She inspired me to study in Spain for a year. She pushed me to become fluent in another language. She is a huge reason that I majored in Spanish. Her class is challenging if you get placed into a higher class that you should be. But, she wants to help you. She's on your side. & she has amazing stories. She makes Spanish fascinating.

She's a very passionate teacher and loves to teach others all about the language of Spanish, including culture. She provided lots of extra credit opportunities, I would suggest going to a cultural event for every exam period to write your paragraph on for 5 bonus points. If you try your best in this class, you'll get the grade you deserve.

Professor Rider is a very passionate teacher. She comes into class everyday so excited to teach. Her tests are hard if you do not study for them. She explains what to study well and makes sure to prepare you. Professor Rider is also passionate about teaching cultural and will test you on that as well. I would recommend Professor Rider to anyone.

LOVE her! She makes class entertaining and has so many crazy stories to tell. Valerie is so understanding and takes interest in all of her students. The only annoying part of class is the online homework, but there is no in-class homework due so that helps. Only a few quizzes and exams, and you can go to cultural events for extra credit on exams!

Sra. Rider is an amazing teacher! She is so passionate about teaching and never hesitates to explain something if you don't understandneed more help. I was nervous about placing into 202 but it's been a breeze so far because she's so helpful and teaches the information clearlyefficiently. She's part of the reason I decided to minor in Spanish!

Valerie is absolutely SPECTACULAR! I would recommend her 100 times over again. She grades tough, but that's because most of us are going to actually use the language and she wants us to get it right! You HAVE to study, though! She is SO passionate! Love love her!

Profesora Rider is such a great teacher. Her Spanish is very easy to understand and the tests aren't too bad. She makes the classes a cultural experience in addition to learning the language. She also tells lots of stories and uses real world examples to keep classes interesting. I highly recommend her!

Obviously this class has necessary attendance and participation since it's a language. But Rider is a fun, quirky lady who def makes the class fun. While she does have a tendency to get wrapped up in her stories, she still makes the language easy to learn. I struggled only because I had other tough classes and didn't put in the enough effort.

Rider is an awesome professor. I have taken her for two classes now and I am sad to not be able to take anymore with her. She is so energized and excited about Spanish. She is super friendly and always incorporates culture into the lecture to make it relatable. It is not an easy class, but if you put in the time, then you should be fine.

This is a really fun and interesting class! Mainly because Valerie has the best stories. If you want to actually learn spanish, this is probably not the class for you. She gave so much extra credit on the quizzes and tests that it's impossible to do bad if you just put in some effort.

I struggled in this class but really enjoyed Valerie as a teacher. She was fantastic despite my ineptitude. 10 out of 10 wouldn't take again because I passed but I would recommend her to anyone.

Honors SPN201 with Profe Rider was AMAZING. She's honestly one of the best Spanish teachers I've ever had. The physical book is not necessary, just the access code. You can get the book online with the access code- don't spend $260 on it like I did. Homework is done online. Be careful about skipping, you'll be lost the next class if you do.

Rider is one of the best professors i've had at UNCW. She makes class fun and teaches in a unique way that will stick with you. Her passion for Spanish and travelling is inspirational. She cares a ton about her students, too. Lots of fun extra credit opportunities. 10/10 recommend taking her.

I missed a lot of class (not skipping, had other things happening!) but still haven't gotten lower than an 86 on anything. This class is ridiculously easy and very fun. Rider is such a great teacher and really makes Spanish interesting! I recommend her to all my friends!

Profe Rider is truly amazing. She is interactive and teaches enthusiastically. You will need to study for the tests but she provides exactly what to study. She is funny and her focus on culture is very important.

Professor Rider is incredibly knowledgable of Spanish/Latino culture. She is a teacher who loves sharing experiences and incorporates them into the class setting. She expects you to learn much of the material on your own after short lessons but she is willing to spend the them outside of class with you if needed.

Took her over the summer in 2016, and while it was rigorous due to the condensed time, she made the class entertaining and educational. She has MANY stories, some of which are funny, and she likes to tell them when she gets distracted (often), but you still learn a LOT at the end of the day. Quirky, but still a great Spanish professor. I recommend

Go to Chile with Profe if you can. It's like she says: 20 years from now, when you look back on your university experience, you won't regret spending an extra couple of thousand dollars to spend a month in one of the greatest places on Earth. I highly recommend the Spanish language and Ms. Rider as a professor of it. Que viva Chile!

I have had two classes with Profe Rider, and she was and most likely will be my favorite Spanish professor. She truly cares about each of her students, and the only way to not get an A or B in her class is not try at all. I am sad that I won't have her as a professor anymore with the higher level courses.

It's essentially watching movies/commercials every day. There's a midterm (match quotes to movies), final, and two presentations (one news related and one interesting thing). She's really nice and loves her students, just not the most organized person in the world. I would definitely take her again.

Profe Rider is one of the BEST professors i have ever had. She is a fair grader and an extreme'y understand person. She tells the best stories and she really makes Spanish a fun class, even if the language isn't your cup of tea. The only way to fail this class is to not try at all. 10/10 would take this class again!!

Profe Rider is the best professor I have had here. I hated Spanish in high school but she made me love it and now I am minoring!!! She cares so much about every single one of her students and makes the class so enjoyable. 10/10

Profe Rider really cares about the language and her students. She mostly talks in Spanish, but it is pretty easy to follow along with. She gives sooooo many opportunities for Extra Credit! And her study abroad trips look so incredible!

Profe Rider is one of the best professors I've ever had. She's hilarious and really cares about every one of her students. There's plenty of extra credit opportunities as well. At the end of the semester, she invited all of her classes to eat at El Cerro Grande as a celebration. She's an amazing professor as well as an amazing person!

great teacher

Profe Rider is AMAZING. She is so inspirational and knowledgeable about the world. She teaches you the grammar for the section in like 5 minutes and as long as u figure it out/memorize it at home you'll be fine because there's hardly any assignments and exams are take home. Only difficult things are a presentation, and the oral and final exam.

She amazing professor. I placed into this class after not taking spanish for 4 years and I had no problems getting A's on the exams. She provides practice exams to give you an idea of what the exam will be like, and they are pretty similar. If you struggle with spanish she may not be the professor for you because she goes over grammar in 5 minutes

After having Profe Rider for several classes, I can say she is the best Spanish professor at UNCW, hands down. She uses plenty of English in class (which is NOT the case with other profs!), so you'll never be sitting there lost in confusion. She is not a tough grader at all. She only takes attendance the first few weeks of class. Also, hilarious!

Loved Profe Rider! If you're like me and have to take Spanish to graduate, take her! She's hilarious and made the class super enjoyable. Quizzes and tests were more challenging than the 100 level material, but she made it very clear what would be on them and exactly what we should know. She also enjoys including cultural material. Great teacher!

Profe Rider is an excellent Spanish instructor! She spends a lot of time on culture which is very interesting but sometimes I wish she would have given more examples with grammar & also provided more listening examples considering that listening is always on tests & quizzes. Your grades come from quizzes, tests, & a speech. I definitely recommend.

Dr. Rider was very clear with how things would be graded and she would always go over things in depth if you had a question. Overall a very cool lady.

Professor Rider was the best Spanish teacher I have ever had. She cares a ton about her students and will put in effort to make sure you succeed. T

Professor Rider was fantastic. She really knew what she was doing and how to teach it. The class was difficult for me because I placed into it but if you are passionate about Spanish and know what your doing this class is for you. She is awesome and has so many stories to tell. I highly recommend taking her!

Prof Rider was one of the best Spanish teachers I've had! She's such a cool/ hilarious lady, & makes the class really fun and engaging. She is not a tough grader/ makes it so easy to learn Spanish. She also teaches about the culture. I was scared about not remembering Spanish, but she moves slow and helps you along the way! ONLY take her for SPN

Professor Rider has a great sense of humor, and is always telling stories to keep the class entertained. There is homework every couple weeks, tests, a few quizzes, and one speaking assessment. She is very clear about what tests will contain. Overall, she was amazing, I'd vouch for her even more but there is a character limit, I highly recommend!

She is so caring, one of the best Spanish professors I have had.

Professor Rider cares a lot about her students. She doesn't make the class too difficult and always gives out extra credit on exams and quizzes. She is very clear on what she is looking for grading wise too. She's such a fun professor and I would 100% take her again if I could. I don't have anything bad to say about her.

I took Profe Rider for SPN201 and she was amazing! Encourages you to use Spanish in and out of the classroom, and always brought some interesting topics to class discussions. Extra points are awarded to quizzes through in-class activities. Overall, easy A.

You won't regret taking Profe Rider. I'm doing a minor in Spanish so obviously I'm interested in the language, but even if Spanish isn't your thing, she makes it genuinely enjoyable to learn. Games and trivia are part of the daily routine. She's clear about grading criteria and only has one oral exam and presentation. Absolutely loved her class!

Profe Rider is phenomenal. Her class consists of two exams not including the final, a presentation (which is really easy), and VHL assignments. Attendance is mandatory but her class is so enjoyable you won't be dreading attending. She truly loves teaching Spanish and has really funny stories to share. Take her!!

Profe Rider is an amazing professor, who deeply cares about her students. She taught us spanish in a way that was tangible. Her class was also very easy to pass/learn in. She's amazing... TAKE HER!

There were a few quizzes throughout the semester, a midterm, and a final, but she really helps you prepare for them so there is no need to stress. Professor Rider is extremely caring, understanding, and just a fun person to be around. Overall, I HIGHLY recommend you take Spanish with Professor Rider. You will not be disappointed!

Profesora Rider is one of the funniest professors I've ever had! She is also very sweet and caring; she is always so willing to help out with whatever is needed. SPN 202 is very strongly focused on verb conjugations, and she managed to teach that in a very fun and productive way. It was the best class to start off my day!

Rider is amazing, i loved taking her class. i was in the honors section and she was so engaging. she made Spanish fun. we had one presentation and occasional quizzes. the only thing is she does not put grades in canvas so you wont know your final grade until it's in seanet.

Very good teacher and makes the class enjoyable. Homework is not too bad and she is very funny.

Professor Rider was a very caring professor. She really cared and wanted you to learn and succeed in Spanish. There are quizzes sometimes, a midterm, a final exam, a charla (a speech/talk), a homework every couple of weeks, and you must attend 2 study sessions. I highly recommend taking Professor Rider!

Spanish has never historically been my strong subject by any means; however, Professor Rider changed that! You can tell when someone is passionate about what they do, and boy is she passionate and caring for her students. Her attitude is always, "SI SE PUEDE!" and is willing to do whatever it takes to see her students succeed. THE G.O.A.T. at UNCW!

Mrs. Rider is easily the best professor I've had at UNCW thus far. She's incredibly funny and makes lectures informative and interesting. She gives extra credit every week through competitions. She gives practice quizzes before the real deal that are usually almost identical. She very obviously cares about her students. TAKE THIS PROFESSOR!!

What a brilliant and incredible professor! I would take her again 1000x times if I had to and enjoy learning Spanish each time. I have never looked forward to a Spanish class, until I took her. I knew that I was cared for and that my learning was actually valued by her. She truly goes the extra mile for her students and wants you to succeed!