Bruce Avery

Avery is a good teacher when he lectures. However his graduate seminars have turned into three hour sessions where other students lead the discussion and we do not talk about anything. His knowledge of the subject matter is there, but he often chooses not to share it. Some semesters he is absent frequently and he tends to cancel or shorten office hours. Do not under any circumstances have him as a thesis reader if you want feed back, I can never get ahold of him and if I go to his office he never has anything to say. He is quite capable but has grown lazy. He also has acquired a following of women who basically kiss his ass and flirt with him which drives him away when you need to ask him a question. To his credit he does not seem flattered, but still it is a pain when the only time you can see him is after class and all these giggling women( most in their 30's) descend on him and ruin it for everyone else. Basically he is too busy to be a good professor right now unless you like professors who are completely hands off.

As an English major I have always been plagued by the fact that I have a difficult time focusing on my Shakespeare. Sure, I get what's going on but it's difficult to think critically and, more importantly, WRITE A PAPER for my Shak. classes. And then I took Prof. Avery's class over the summer. For the first time I found a teacher that 1) LOVES the Bard, and 2) Knows what he's talking about! As I'm sure most of you will agree, this is a very rare combination. ANother huge plus, he very approachable, and will never make you feel stupid for asking for help. I really hope I get the opportunity to take him for other subjects as well.

Loved, loved, loved this class. Dr. Avery is unusually smart and fair (and funny!) and that is perceptible in all aspects of his teaching. He expects good papers on time, but is flexible with dates. He wants good writing, but is always available to help. He makes the class watch movies, but discusses them thoroughly and chooses wisely (not just your usual time filler movie type thing). His analysis of Shakespeare is extensive, covering many levels--from the historical, theatrical, psychological viewpoints to the one-liner pop-culture meanings. Dr. Avery's class is so good you'll even enjoy writing the papers. Take it.

I really enjoyed taking his class. He has a fun personality which made the class enjoyable. He was very flexible about the topics we had to write about. Also, he was very generous about the amount of time we had to write our papers.

Don't get me wrong, Avery is cool, but this class is meant for real beginers. If you like shakespeare, and have read one or more of his plays with enthusiasm and comprehension, move on to another class. We wrote one paper all year, on Romeo and Juliet. The paper I did was a complete piece of trash compared to stuff I had to produce in English 114, but I got an A, just remember to use quotations and you'll be all right. The one big plus was our TA, Clifford who went over the sonnets. Instead of quizzes we got to compose sonnets, a form of structured poetry, every week. There was no real deadline, and these were kind of tricky, but not bad if you like writing. The class I was in wasn't very vocal during discusions, mainly because you could get away with not reading and face no repurcutions. I sure didn't. The final project's, performing a scene in front of class were fun, and EVERYONE got an A on them. Not the most stimulating class, but I would take another with good ol' Bruce A. any day.

Avery is brilliant, enthusiastic and most important in a shakespeare class: clear. He has a very knowledgable background and loves what he's teaching. We also watched video clips from productions, (ones that your less likely to have already seen)

professor avery makes shakespeare fun and unintimidating. he keeps the lectures/discussions lively and interesting. it's very helpful that he reads a part of the play out loud in class--being exposed to the text a second time makes it a lot easier to understand. if you're a bit afraid to take a shakespeare course, professor avery's class is the one for you. definitely one of my favorite english professors.

If you can handle the reading, Bruce Avery will help you love Shakespeare. He brings the plays alive in ways that apply directly to your own experience through a well-managed combination of lecture and discussion. I wish I had had the opportunity to take a Shakespeare course from him years ago. He has a very relaxed attitude which makes the course fun.

Prof Avery is a truly wonderful teacher. His class materials are well selected and very interesting, and his syllabus is concise and easy to follow. Avery is also an extremely likeable man. Easy-going, considerate and funny, Prof. Avery creates a classroom environment that affords ample space for student's ideas while at the same time sticking to the topics and themes of the course. He's pretty easy on the eyes, too.

Avery was one of the best instructors I had at SFSU. He illuminated a subject matter I was interested in but had struggled with as a non-English major. His lectures are fun and an open forum. I don't think he ever lectured to us for the entire classtime. He always engages the class in conversation with interesting questions. He is extraordinarily well versed in everything Shakespear and can help you explore any area you are interested in. This makes it possible to get everything out of the class that you put in and you don't have to be stuck with a boring topic because that's the only area of Shakespear a professor wants you to study. He encourages students to discover what parts of Shakespear's writting really teaches them something.

Bruce Avery is an intelligent and enthusiastic teacher who understands what it is to be a student in a Shakespeare class. He makes things fun and interesting, while occasionally venturing into standard lecture form when teaching the mechanics of the work being covered. He's really funny and laid back, but doesn't let you drift. He stays focused and makes his class have fun. Bruce Avery is the nicest guy, and really understanding about the kins of difficulties people have with Shakespeare. You'll never feel out of place asking a question or not understanding something. Just ask Avery and he'll be happy to help. Bruce Avery Rocks!

I do find Bruce Avery a very educated teacher however I was not satisfied with his course. He did not go into depth on subjects such as "narration". He expects too much out of a four hour a week class. He assigned three papers which were evaluted criticaly. Although I know this is what college is about criticisim but how can a teacher critique on a paper he did not teach about. He was absent frequently.

Bruce Avery's strongest points as a teacher include the ability to communicate complex and difficult information and ideas to students who have had little or no previous experience in this area in a manner that they can understand and yet challenges them to really think. Yes his classes are fun, and he is charismatic, but he is more than that. He helps you improve your understanding of literature, history, theory, psychology, your writing skills, and your critical thinking skills, and sometimes without even realizing it, for his classes are so enjoyable that you just might be surprised how much you have learned when they are through. He teaches you to really THINK, and I think students who apply themselves can learn more about literature, about the world at large, and about their own lives by taking one of his classes.

There isn't enough room here to get into how delightful it is to take a class from a qualified professional who treats students with respect and enthusiasm. Bruce Avery almost prompted me to change my major. He grades fairly, has a generous late paper policy, is almost never absent ; and, finally, proves that he reads the 3 required papers thoroughly with insightful, legible (and helpful) commentary

I would just like to state that Bruce Avery is an excellent teacher when it comes to exploring Shakespeare. I was very hesitant on taking any Shakespeare class due to negative reactions I had in the past. Knowing that one of the major courses for English Literature majors was English 583, I decided early on to prepare myself to endure the class. Bruce has a manner that makes his class both interesting and enjoyable. There never appears to be a lag in any of the discussions and he is constantly attempting to draw the students to participate and take over the class. There were two essays and two midterms, both being of fair length, and the students were prepared well in advance about the subject matter. Not only does he give you the option of rewriting your papers, but also is incredibly flexible when you have personal or non-personal problems that make it hard to submit your papers on time. Note: just be sure to show up to class and be prepared to discuss your ideas. Bruce's classroom is not only a friendly environment, but welcome to all different interpretations that one may possess. He also tries to incoporate the cinematic aspect, so we can visualize what we are dictated to read. I recommend that everyone take his class. He tries his best to be flexible, understanding, as well as being incredibly knowledgeable. After this class, I thoroughly enjoyed Shakespeare, something I never though would ever happen.