John Kennedy - Santa Monica College

Professor: John Kennedy

Department: TBD

College: Santa Monica College

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: MATH07
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This was the worst individual I ever met at SMC. Rude and egotistical. He actually thought he knew more than all of the students and faculty, but was seriously errant in this perception. After taking this class I had an inspirational class from a true genius - Dr. Hurley in the Computer Science department.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: MATH7
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

BEST. PROFESSOR. EVER. For all the students entering Calculus at SMC now, I sincerely hope that you may one day find as wonderful a professor as this man was. He has more than earned his retirement, but his leaving is truly the end of an era at SMC. He was a mentor to his students, and the quality he brought to the school will be missed. - 1215160

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: MATH7
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I got an A in his class, and i can easily say it was the WORST class i have ever taken in my life. he is by far, by FAR the HARDEST and WORST teacher ever. I pulled an A through crazy studying but he's just TERRIBLE. he teaches NOTHING you have to do it all yourself from the book. BAD BAD BAD BAD teacher! I even took AP Calc before.. So bad.. Wow.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: MATH13
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

took math 11, 13 with him I wanted to say one thing thank you prof kennedy and it is very saddening that you are retiring.. and i feel sorry for kids who will be taking higher math course in near future

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: MATH13
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

It looks like Kennedy is retiring after 35 years of teaching at SMC. That's a shame, there are literally no good teachers left for higher level math courses. I could not recommend any other teachers for math 11 or 13, as they are all completely useless. The way he made you think was unlike any other math course I've taken.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: MATH7
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

His lectures have nothing to do with the material you're learning in class. You have to rely on self-teaching. I'm a straight A student, and I can put up with a lot, but his teaching style is just unbearable. He's also really cocky and refuses to explain things in class. Take Emerson instead.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: MATH8
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Has a clear, engaging, and humorous teaching style. Checks homework and bases grades entirely on pop quizzes and tests. Keeping up with the pace is indispensable, and practice can really help make perfect.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MATH20
• 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:

He is a really good teacher and wants things done his way and not the books. he teaches you how to do things without the calculator. A lot of work with semi hard test. fun class but must be a hard workers. He has some good jokes and a lot of good stories about the things he has done

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: MATH8
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

The best math teacher I have ever had and probably ever will have. He is definitely not easy. He just does a really good job teaching and his tests are straightforward yet not easy but if u do the mandatory hw, you will be fine. He has hilarious anecdotes to tell and if u ask him a question, he is more than happy to help.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: MATH11
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

professor Kennedy is a "genius"! He took physics once! He learned 2 things, he'll tell you all about it. He is incredibly helpful. Every time I asked him a question after class, he was more than happy to help me. When you get the chance ask him to graph a paraboloid and ask him what it looks like. Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmass!!!

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: MATH7
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He's an ok teacher, but you HAVE to do the homework, or he won't grade your tests. Which is ok, because I can't imagine doing well on the tests if I hadn't finished all the homework anyway! Hard exams, but he knows they're hard, so he curves. I took over winter, so probably easier in a normal class. He prefers thinking to memorizing formulas.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: MATH7
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

he is one of the best teachers.his class is interesting and never boring! his tests are a little very hard but the final was very EZ!he teaches as clear as crystal so he expects u to know and learn what he teaches! if u wanna learn calc take him and do what he asks u to do!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: MATH7
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Hard exams and he knows it, so he curves each test 3 to 4 percent. Professor Kennedy is huge on making you think before you solve, so pay attention very closely to his lectures and take very good notes. Homework is mandatory. An A is not impossible but it will require hours upon hours off thinking your way through problems to prepare for the exams.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: MATH7
• 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:

He doesn't review for any test. The final is really hard.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: MATH13
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

1st, hard class!!, virtually no calculus, but more of logic and understanding the proofs. minor errors will cost you a letter grade, probably curves about 3-4 percent per test... comes around 87-88 percent is the A cut, new and interesting subject. I didnt do good on calculus but did great on this class. GL! gotta say great teacher

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: MATH07
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

What an angel! He welcomed me to come audit his class 1/2 way through the term when the another teacher (whose class I'd been taking) refused to let me stay and just learn the material for no credit after it became necessary for me to drop the class. I am so grateful to Professor Kennedy!

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: MATH13
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Interesting subject, you should be able to think abstractly and visualize things in 3D, calculus is used in about 3% of examples. His teaching was very good and prefers to teach you the theory over mechanics. Expect the tests to be 50% proofs. Tip: Don't be fooled by the easiness of matrices, once you get past that the class completely changes.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: MATH11
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Good Teacher, Accept No Substitutes. Be Sure To Be On Time For The First Week, then wing it, he doesn't care. First week: complete hard-ass, then the other weeks come in as late or wasted as you want; just do the hw and speak when he asks you to. This may sound like him typing this, but it's just a student who had fun even at 7:15am cuz of him.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: MATH11
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He's probably the most knowledgeable teacher in math I've had on campus and wants you to learn more about the ideas involved in solving problems rather than memorizing formulas (which wouldn't work in Math 11 anyway). His summer class required alot of dedication to homework. The tests weren't too hard but he does throw some conceptual questions.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: MATH11
• 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:

Who else can teach MATH11 with stories and countless baked potato and cheese block references? He makes the class fun even though it's incredibly challenging. You will work hard. Don't take MATH11 in the summer at all. It's TOUGH! If you HAVE to take it, then take Kennedy. You WILL learn the subject and be entertained as well.