Brian Balman - Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS

Professor: Brian Balman

Department: Mathematics

College: Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: MATH171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Awesome professor. He's hilarious, and cares about his students. He is accessible outside of class, and he explains stuff really well. He does a great job preparing you for the final

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CALC241
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Brian is certainly a unique professor. I was in his summer Calc 1 course which is rigorous. He is funny and seemingly serious at the same time; due to this, the lecture will keep you focused. He is wise and caring. If you want an easy-A this is not a class for you. If you want to do well in the rest of your math career this IS a course for you.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: MATH171
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Nice guy who LOVES math. Plenty of dad jokes. Lots of homework, but nothing too bad unless you procrastinate. The quizzes ARE the test. The only I thing I wish he did was to stay a little more up to date with grades since I still didn't have a grade in the class during the middle of the semester, which is tedious for those who want to drop.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: MATH241
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Mr. Balman is a good lecturer and he really loves calculus. Expect a hard class with lots of homework. He told us to expect 5-6 hours of homework a night, & it was like 3+ hours at least per night. I recommend getting the solutions manual, as he does grade homework. His tests are not that bad and they prepare you for the final. Some EC is offered.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: MATH115
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Mr. B is a great math teacher, one of the best. All you need to do is show up for class, do the homework and you are sure to pass. I am terrible at math and testing, but at the end of the semester, I got a pretty good grade on my final & he brought up all my previous test to the final test score. He is very nice and wants you to succeed. TAKE HIM!

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: MATH171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is a really tough grader and make things difficult for you to understand

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: MATH171
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Mr. B is the single best instructor I have had for a course. Ever. He is homework heavy but this is necessary for the successful completion of any math course. I have learned more from his class than any other math course. Take 171.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MATH171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

He assigned a lot of homework, but, that helped me excel in the class. He does it for you, so you can succeed, and is always ready to help.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: MATH171
• Grade Received: D
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He does not explain the material thoroughly and expects to you to know things from grade school. He expects you to read his mind. When you asks questions, he does not explain and does the problem for you. It made me not want to ask any more questions. I attended every day and did all my homework and still barely passed.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: MATH171
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Mr. B was one of the best math professors I have ever had at JCCC. If you have the chance to take his 5 day college algebra class TAKE IT. He was so funny and made math enjoyable. Yes there is a lot of homework and tests are graded heavy, but he wants to make sure his students succeed. TAKE HIS CLASS!!!

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: MATH115006
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Professor Balman is probably the greatest professor I have ever had in my 2.5 years of college. He genuinely cares and makes sure you understand. Yes there is lots of homework, but its a math class that should be expected. If you have the chance to take his course do it. He makes math enjoyable and easy, all while making sure your prepared.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ALG1
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Amazing teacher, he makes math fun. I am horrible at math, and he helped me many times, understando concepts that I had a hard time grasping. I had to take this class, I am glad he was my teacher.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: MATH171
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

He was an excellent teacher. I took slower paced College Algebra and he was very thorough and his humor made the class more enjoyable. I would highly recommend! I hate math with a passion and he made it not too bad.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CALC241
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Mr. B is a wonderful teacher to have. If you have to take Math 241 at JCCC, take his class. His humor and willingness to help others made the experience more memorable. The homework and the class might've been rigorous, but he made it easier. This class isn't a breeze. As long as you take the time to do hw and participate, you will be golden.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CALC241
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Best math professor I've had. Genuinely cares about his students and is very accessible outside of class. He's also a pretty funny guy which goes a long way in making calculus more palatable. His classes can be rigorous, but he's very up front with what you should expect. If you're willing to put in the work you will thoroughly enjoy his class.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: MATH241
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Easily one of the best professors I've ever had. It makes a difference when they actually CARE about the students succeeding. He gives lots of inspirational advice if you pay attention. It's a very tough class, but if you put in the work I promise you'll do great.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: MATH171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

BE WARNED: Does not use D2L, you will not be able to see your grades, the syllabus, etc. online (I was able to see my grade for *the online work only* in the program he used for it)! This caused huge issues for me personally, though others may be fine with it.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: MATH171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Mr. Balman (a.k.a. Mr. B) is a great instructor to take for College Algebra. My Intermed. Alg. instructor told me that I had "Chose Well" for this class and was right. He was more than willing to assist students who needed help in this course. His witty sense of humor keeps you entertained throughout the entire course and will have you laughing.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: MATH171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Mr. B likes to teach. He likes it when his students show up for class and do well on tests. He seems impatient if you do ask for help in class and he really flies through the material, so if you have been out of school for a while definitely take a refresher course before this one. He assigns a lot of homework, so be ready. His humor is great!

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: CALC1
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

This guy will literally break math down in the most simple way and then build upon that understanding one layer at a time. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Has a really "dry" sense of humor but it fits his character he will have you laughing in no time. By far through my academic career he is in the top 3 best teacher's.