Alan Astro - Trinity University, San Antonio, TX

Professor: Alan Astro

Department: Modern Languages

College: Trinity University, San Antonio, TX

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: FREN1402
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Dr. Astro is one of the more non-standard foreign language profs that I have had, but I enjoyed his class, and I am taking another one of his courses next semester.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: FREN2301
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I would avoid taking his class unless necessary. He is energetic and outgoing, however he mostly rants about off topic matters instead of teaching. The class structure is incredibly poor and he does not do a lot of the teaching himself. I was passionate about French until I took his class. You will probably not learn much.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: FRENCH2302
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I love Dr. Astro! He's so funny and nice. He knows his stuff, too, and it's really funny when he talks about nasalized vowels. He's really easygoing and lets you turn assignments in late, and the short stories he assigns are readable and interesting. He's a really interesting and cool person, and I looked forward to his class ever day we had it.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: FREN1401
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Sometimes he never stops talking in french but other than that I really enjoyed the class and him as a teacher. No tests, one easy quiz per week, one final project. He's awesome!

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: FREN2302
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Easy-going guy. The work is easy and he's lenient about turning work in late.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: FREN230
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Dr. Astro is very intelligent. He's an extremely reasonable professor if you just approach him. Do the work and go to class and you'll be fine. I've been in a class with him twice now and I've enjoyed it. The class operates at a moderate pace which is good for langage acquisition.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: FREN1402
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He seems to know his french, but he can't seem to be able to teach it as well. He constantly babbles in french the entire class and is not very helpful when you ask him to explain something. However, if you get stuck with him like I did, don't let him be the reason you quit studying french.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: FREN2302
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Professor Astro is an adequate teacher, but his emotional problems spilled over into his conduct of the classroom. He is egosyntonic and has kind of a borderline-type personality. I felt bad seeing someone in so much pain every day...it makes for weak pedagogy.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: FREN1401
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

You'll have to put up with him jabbering in French for most of class but he's occasionally funny, an easy grader, and you'll come away with at least a little bit of french

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: FREN2302
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Pretty much worthless. Class consists of watching him fill out online french quizzes and then the homework is completely unrelated reading. Then he quizzes you on the stuff you watched him do. You won?t learn, you?ll just hate yourself for taking the class.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: FRENIS
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He was wonderful. I did an independent study with him in critical theory and it was amazing. You do have to listen to him talk, but if you listen you learn things that no one else can teach you. You have to be willing to go with the New York intellectual vibe he gives off though.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: FRENMANY
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

AVOID HIM AT ALL COSTS. you'll have no clue what is going on. ever. he spends most of the time speaking in english, which makes him no easier to understand. he's a lunatic. plain and simple.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: GNEDYIDD
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I was in his first year seminar, Yiddish Culture. It's really, super easy. He assignes some homework but it's for your own good, he never collects it. I never had a test...but we wrote three 3 page papers. He's completly off the wall crazy though, so it takes a whilte to get used to him. However, he is really nice and wants to help his students

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: FRE2306
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He's an interesting teacher to say the least. He's very quirky and off the wall, but overall the class is pretty easy if you have any past experience with French. There are barely any assignments and he doesn't assign a grade based on your grade on the quizzes. The class isn't very structured, but it is still interesing. He knows his stuff!

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: FREN1402
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

If you're seriously interested in learning French this isn't the professor you want. Granted the grade will cushion your gpa if you show up considering there's no midterm or final, but I wouldn't recommend taking his class if someone else offers it. "Tatou" is armadillo in French... that's about all you'll learn.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: FRENCH
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: FREN1401
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Once you get past his crazy personality, he's a cool guy and great teacher. Doesn't teach straight from the syllabus, which I think is just great

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: INTERMEDIATEFR
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

A (fairly) easy A, but don't take this if you actually want to learn french. No final, and gets lazy with homework--he stopped assigning it when we stopped going it!! A funny, intelligent, and idiosynchratic guy, but not a great teacher for a serious french student.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: YID101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Mr. Astro is the best--better than all the rest--He teaches declension--without all that tension--he can conjugate--and he shows no hate--he will teach you without a strike--all the meanings of Max Weinreich. --Nobody else can do it, but Mr. Astro will you to to it!

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: 2302
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I loved his class. Some of the quizzes are challenging, but there is NO final. I suggest taking this class.