Barry Gaines - University of New Mexico

Professor: Barry Gaines

Department: TBD

College: University of New Mexico

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ENGL453
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Gains is a smart man in his field, but he formats the class more for theatre students than English ones. He is a Shakespeare teacher, & it shows. The class was 17th C. English, not Shakespeare, but I feel like I learned more about S. than anything else. I didn't understand his grading method, but it seems like if you try, you'll pass.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ENG553
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I had taken him as an undergrad, he was good but that has all ended. He's forgetful, he has no consistency in his grading, he is unclear and quibbles with small points but never explains why. I'm sure that the course was worth my time but he made it one useless semester. I'm glad he's retired though he'll still teach in the springs.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ENG353
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He's been teaching for 30 years and is a legitimate scholar, but I learned next to nothing in his class. It's an easy class, but if he doesn't like you, you'll know it. But, if you're in local theater, you'll immediately be one of his favorites. His grading is arbitrary and ridiculous. Thankfully, he is retiring after next semester.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENG352
• 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:

If I could spend all day in this class I would. He engages the students and is a very calm man who will dive deeply into anything you throw at him, Shakespeare or not. He knows his stuff too(Helped with the editing of Bevington's Shakespeare which is used in most colleges)

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENG352
• 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:

One of the worst professors to date. Mr. Gaines is very knowledgeable about Shakespeare -- or so he boasts -- but tries little to garner interest in the subject. This class isn't about Shakespeare -- it's about Mr. Gaines and how brilliant he is. Your grades will fluctuate depending on his mood.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ENGL352
• 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:

Prof. Gaines is really nice and very funny. He knows a lot about Shakespeare and the workload is light. I recommend taking his class, even for those who don't like Shakespeare.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENG352
• 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:

He's a sweet man, but I'm not learning much just from close reading

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENG352
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Tends to have pets that are theatre majors. Would have prefered learning about the plays as opposed to reading them in class. His quotes on tests are vague and hard to discern, since they can belong to different plays. Felt like we were set up to fail. I worked my tail off in his class and still ended with a B.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENG300
• 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:

I adore this man and you will, too.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ENGLISH353
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Barry is completely interested in the student. He wants you to learn something about Shakespeare that you didn't know before. More importantly he knows he is a fountain of information and he is more than happy to share it with you.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ENGL353
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

He truly cares about his students. He makes class time fun but doesn't try hard enough to challenge us: lectures were mostly spent re-reading the plays, which we'd already read on our own. I would have liked it better if he'd spent ALL the class time on things like critical readings of the plays, the mechanics of the poetry, relevant history, etc.

Rating # 12

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

If you want the class to be easier pretend to be a drama major if you are not, Gaines wishes he were talented enough to be an actor, he will be much easier on you and grade you easier. If you like large pompous men to read Shakespeare poorly take this class.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: SHAKESPEARE
• 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:

knows all there is to know, and is always willing to help a brother out

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: SHAKESPEARE
• 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:

I love this guy! He is so funny and so into what he does that it is hard not to learn something!

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: SHAKESPEARE
• 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:

No Comments

Rating # 16

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Dr. Gaines' teaching style is very dull. He teaches at a high school level, and his written comments are lazy. He does not read papers closely. His in-class effort is minimal (We can read the plays ourselves at home). If you hate Shakespeare, take Gaines. If you love Shakespeare, take someone else.

Rating # 17

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

You'll learn a lot. He generally teaches by lecture and reading through the plays, with tests. Frequent jokes are 90% funny and 10% offensive. His grading is fair. He can be a bit mean if you show up late to class. Take it spring/fall not summer because the 4 week summer course is about 5-6 hours a day of homework if you read the plays carefully.

Rating # 18

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

He was good, but I felt like he catered more to the Drama students rather than to the English majors in the class. He is an expert in his field, and his passion for the theater made class a real joy.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: 500
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Actually, Dr. Gaines was my professor years ago. He was brilliant, humane and inspiring. Had he chosen another profession, countless multitudes of UNM students would have been deprived of a life-changing experience. And he's cute.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENGL352
• 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:

funny, helpful, an excellent teacher