Arthur Costigan - CUNY Queens College, Flushing, NY

Professor: Arthur Costigan

Department: Education

College: CUNY Queens College, Flushing, NY

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: SEYS560
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He is one of the only people who teaches the English Methods course at Queens so taking him may be unavoidable. Show up and try you'll most likely get a B or A. During your Inquiry and Ecology papers you will feel lost, don't worry, so has every person who every took his class. Just show up and format the papers properly. Good luck.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: SEYS560
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

If you want to be stressed for an entire semester due to lack of organization and trying to interpret what the professor wants from each assignment than this class is perfect for you. This man will be sarcastic with you in every class and will speak in riddles, so every assignment is truly a struggle. Truly dreadful to be part of this class

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: SEYS560
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This man has no sense of organization, a clear mess from the start. Makes demands for readings and papers, doesn't explain them clearly, and then changes his instructions. Cancels class and says that we will have to speed up for him cancelling class, as if its our faults. Constantly promoting his book, rude, no respect, a disservice to the program

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: SEY360
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

OFFICIALLY THE WORST PERSON- YES, PERSON NOT JUST PROFESSOR- IVE MEET @ QC NEVER LISTENED/HELPED, MADE ME FEEL INFERIOR FOR ASKING ?S. HES THE REAL REASON I CHANGED MY MAJOR DURING MY BA & NOW MY MA! MADE ME AVOID SEYS DEPT ALL TOGETHER, LIKE THE PLAGUE!! EVEN GIVEN HIS AWFUL RATINGS, QC HAS HIM AS AN ADVISER! WHAT A JOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: SEYS560
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I like Costigan, Won't hold your hand, Heavy coursework-It's Grad school suck it up. Syllabus is like 30 Pages, A it disorganized when we have to do assignments. He should focus on one assignment at one time. His Facial expressions are hilarious. No Exams!

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: SEYS360
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Ok, I get where everyone on this site is coming from but look at it from this perspective. This professor is one professor that will not hold your hand throughout the class. He expects you to do things according to how YOU think they should be done. He is not specific & very biased, he's hard to speak to sometimes but he's great. I learned alot

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: SEYS560
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

One of the worst professors I've ever encountered in CUNY. As other raters have said, he's condescending and arrogant which makes it near impossible to approach him with questions or differing opinions. The only thing I've learned in the class is how not to treat my future students.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: 380
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I find Dr. Costigan is extremely knowledgeable. I thought I would hate him but he is actually really funny and helpful.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: SEYS560
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I learned a lot in this class. You don't necessarily realize it right away because everything moves so quickly. But I found I was incorporating various approaches during my ICE work that were actually covered in his class. At times it can be confusing and overwhelming, but I spoke to him directly and he was happy to answer my questions.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: SEYS580
• 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:

Teacher's like Costigan are the reason for the failures in education. This guy is completely incompetent, condescending, unclear, and a nasty person to be around. If I could have switched sections to another teacher, I would have, but unfortunately he's the only one teaching the course and heads the department.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: SEYS380
• 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:

You're lucky if you can get a word in during class time or have him actually answer your questions. Loves to praise himself and toot his own horn. Assignments are completely irrelevant to the class. Stresses that you should read the books but, never goes over ANYTHING. Always promotes his book and forces you to buy the crap. Unfair grader. AVOID

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: SEYS740
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

His classroom skills are abysmal. He purposefully didn't show up to his last class where he assigned people to committees for a class party. People spent money for no reason, & this guy doesn't even have the courtesy to email the class to let us know. His instructions are never clear, and he complains about a class of 27 being too big. Just awful.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: SEYS740
• 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:

Absolutely horrble and arrogant. thinks he's the best thing the teaching profession has. purposely told the class to come during finals for a "metabration" with food and such and then doesn't show up! Can't and won't explain assinment. will never take him again!

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: SEYS740
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

really terrible. very disorganized. turns the class into a three-ring circus each week and nothing ever gets accomplished. he starts each of his statements with, "since i'm a good teacher..." and complains about the same stuff each week: the size of the class (only 27 students!), the bad acoustics in the room, snow days, and thursdays as mondays!

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: SEYS740
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He is condesending, confused and self-rightous. He does not know how to explain even the simplest task. Overcomplicates all assignments and then gets upset when one asks for clarity. Hides under the excuse of "teaching outside the box" when in all actuality he's just disorganized. Material is never covered b/c we are too busy doing the hokie pokie

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: SEYS560
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Constructivist teaching is a new theory for most students who take his class, so it is natural to be a bit confused initially. However, once you complete the class, if you have taken responsibility for your learning process, the whole will exceed the sum of its parts, and you will see his brilliance. Great professor; very caring and very amusing.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: EDU600
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Yes, Seys500 student, I did take Costigan's class. Have you read his books? I am currently teaching Language Arts and use his second book all the time. Sarcastic fop? Please.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: SEYS767
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Costigan rocks! Has simple expectations: show up on-time & regularly, do the readings for class (1 ch/night max!), and participate. He WILL get bent if you don't do those things, and rightly so-they're simple! Fun activities during class, group project, and reflection paper. Has a sarcastic sense of humor that many see as being rude, but he's not.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: SEYS500
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Did the EDU 600 student call him a good professor? I think you need to reassess this review. You obviously took another professor and not this ridculously rude and sarcastic fop. Costigan is rude and insensitive. He cares about one opinion his. likes you if you cow tow to him, but independent thinkers need not tak this class.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: EDU600
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I took Costigan twice, for a total of three semesters. Coming from a traditional Catholic School teaching background (like him), I challenged him on just about EVERYTHING. I found him engaging (People who challenge your beliefs often are engaging) and found myself reflecting on my practice. I'm reading his second book and I think it's great.