Steven Leikin

Leiken is an extrememly talented and experienced professor on the subject. He uses personal stories, quotes, and other techniques to magnify the meanining of the times. He cracks occasional jokes and is clear that he has a good personality. He is open for questions during his lecture, which he outlines before hand on the board. Attendance is optional, there's no homeowrk, only midterm, final, and 2 quizzes. The books he assigns are interesting. You won't regret taking Leiken, put in some time, and an A is attainable.

Leikin (is that how you spell that? 16 weeks with the guy and I still don't know how to spell his name)is a very good teacher with a firm grasp on his subject. His assigned reading in my opinion (His one non-fiction book and one fiction book; not the textbook, the textbook is just plain borring as all textbooks are) were very good and made you feel a sense of history, not just history as historical facts and figures and dates. His lectures are very good and quite entertaining. He gets very enthusiasitic and has a good sense of humor (bad jokes but a good sense of humor none the less). He'll explain things very clearly and will answer questions in a clear precise manner so to speak. Often times he might ramble off on a tangent but they're just as interesting as the regular schedualed lectures. He showed us some very good videos on some historical times and should show them again. His tests were nice, some short, others more challenging but not hard if you were at class everday and took notes and just skimmed through the chapters he wanted you to read. I very much recomend Leikin to anyone who has to take History 121 or any other history coarse they have to.

listen to all the people who wrote about how great professor leikin is. this was my first semester at SFSU and it was a great introduction to lecture style teacher. he's very passionate and easy to listen to. I recommend him to everyone.

If you want to learn a lot of the bad things (or bad side of things I should say) the U.S. has done in the past 150 yrs this is the class for you. Instructor is excellent at getting the points across. If you want an easy GE class DO NOT take this class. You earn your grade by straight memorization, and a lot of it.

Never have I had a history teacher so passionate about his subject! This man is amazing! I chose HIST 121 because it is the more recent stuff that I feel I can relate to...and believe me, with teacher, it's wonderful! His lectures are astounding...sometimes I find myself leaving the class with the silent word "Wow" on my lips. You're pulled into every lecture and taking notes is more like a privilege than a priority! There are only two big tests, a Midterm and a Final, in which you have to elaborate on a handfull of terms. However, his tests are very demanding and involve a lot of memorization; take advantage of study groups! You'll do the best in this class by going to every class and reading one chapter of the textbook each week. There are two other short novels we had to read (Souls of Black Folk and No-No Boy) that pertain to the era we are studying, and we have short multiple choice quizzes on how well we understood the book. This is not a hard class. Just stay committed to the reading and to the teacher. He is a wonderful lecturer and you will always be interested in what is going on!

Leikin provides a wealth of information and is eager for class participation / involvement. He listens and considers ideas without belittling the student. His tests are a bit nerve racking (gives 3 essay topics and chooses the one, on that day that he wants you to write on) but then again, this is college and it's a good tool to get you to study in a well rounded way. He doesn't bend much on attendance which I think he should. We're adults and if we need to miss a class, then it should be better understood. He does provide extra credit which can come in handy. Pretty good professor in my opinion, take his class.

I went to the first day of class in 3 different History 120 classes and was disapointed by everyone but Leiken. The class is supposed to cover history of the U.S. untill 1865, but all the other teachers ignored the indigenous history of this land. He at least spent a few days to acknowledge the thousands of years before the US began. I stayed in his class and ended up learning a little and getting a cool grade. His lectures were very high energy and he is a good storyteller.

Taking History classes at SFSU is a must for the GE requirements, and I was lucky enough to have Professor Leikin as my instructor. He is, to this day, the best teacher I have had here at SFSU, and perhaps ever.

Do not expect to just coast by in this class. If you want the easy way out, this is not the teacher for you. However, this does not mean he is incredibly hard - he just demands reasonable things of you, such as attendance and paying attention. If you work with him, and do what he asks - getting a good grade in this class is not difficult at all.

You get to read some wonderful books and view some great movies. Prof. Leikin really makes the subject of History, which can often be boring, interesting and enjoyable. He really puts a personal spin on things - makes you know what real people went through instead of just spitting out dates and random facts.

I enjoyed Prof. Leikin so much I took him again the next semester for an Upper Div course that fufilled another GE req. He is a gem at SFSU and really should be taken if you want a wonderful teacher and want to gain an good knowledge of history in the U.S.

Taking History classes at SFSU is a must for the GE requirements, and I was lucky enough to have Professor Leikin as my instructor. He is, to this day, the best teacher I have had here at SFSU, and perhaps ever.

Do not expect to just coast by in this class. If you want the easy way out, this is not the teacher for you. However, this does not mean he is incredibly hard - he just demands reasonable things of you, such as attendance and paying attention. If you work with him, and do what he asks - getting a good grade in this class is not difficult at all.

You get to read some wonderful books and view some great movies. Prof. Leikin really makes the subject of History, which can often be boring, interesting and enjoyable. He really puts a personal spin on things - makes you know what real people went through instead of just spitting out dates and random facts.

I enjoyed Prof. Leikin so much I took him again the next semester for an Upper Div course that fufilled another GE req. He is a gem at SFSU and really should be taken if you want a wonderful teacher and want to gain an good knowledge of history in the U.S.

It's a good class meaning that it's not incredibly hard. i didn't like the textbook - too confusing and too long but the lectures were much more clear and easy. He's very into history thus makes his lectures very interesting and fun to listen to . He's very understanding when it comes to attendance and personal issues - you couldn't be in class due to a personal reasons or sms , he's great with providing help outside the class- he's willing to meet with you or a study group if you form it. The best part is that he'll let you write extra credit . If you did good it's going to raise your grade one criteria up so if u have B and did good on your extracredit he'll give you an A for a class as a final grade if u didn't do good he will not give you any points at all . The worst part is that you have to read all the boring long books about whatever he wants you to read about that are endless and then you have to take a quiz . it's ok , i would take it again, not that hard and better than most history classes.

Ok, I have to admit, he's got terrible handwriting. HOWEVER, he's hilarious about it, he makes fun of his own handwriting, and tries his best to make it legible. If you can't read anything, he's more than happy to read it aloud.

He is also a great lecturer, he gets to into what he's talking about, it's mesmerizing. The general conversation outside the door before class is how cool he is and how we can take more classes with him. Also, he loves repeat students, who doesn't, really? We are just about to take our first test, which will consist of one essay, and he gave us a sheet of 3 essays, one of which he will choose for the test. Basically all we need to do is learn those 3 topics. His quizzes are easy also, if you read the book you'll most likely get fill credit. It is, however, astounding how many people refused to read the book....

Overall, he's a great guy and I definitely reccomend this class.

The best thing State ever did was to provide Prof. Leiken the opportunity to teach race/ethnic 464/465. Central to his historical narrative is the struggle of people of color and women. His classes reflect the changes which have occured in historical study and are invaluable whether taken by itself or in conjunction with other history courses of the period. This is the way history should be taught. There were 3 papers, a midterm and final. I loved this class

In general I enjoyed this class. He is a good lecturer, very knowledgable and I thought he kept things fairly interesting. I liked his choices for films. The thing that I didn't think was good about this class was the grading criteria. There were only three things to base our grades on: a midterm, a short research paper and a final. The midterm seemed more like an exercise in analysis than an exam. It was based on two films and we had to compare and contrast them. He wanted us to use outside sources, but that was very unclear from the assignment that he gave us. Many of us got marked down simply because we didn't use outside sources, yet we were not aware that was a requirement of the assignment. The research paper was fun, not too involved and only expected to be 5 pages. He never gave us anything in writing as far as criteria for the paper and that made me nervous, I did well, but I could see how others who didn't do well could be frustrated by a lack of clarity of his expectations. I was upset to find out that I had put so much effort into writing an interesting paper and that a grader graded all the papers, Steve just glanced through them. I'm sure he's busy, but it seems strangely distant for a teacher to use a grader, like they don't care enough to grade it themselves. It just bothered me. The final was really easy. I got a horrible flu the week of finals and had to take lots of medicine just to make it to the test. I barely studied at all as I hadn't left the couch in days and I still did okay. Most of the class didn't bother to show up to most lectures which is fine with me, if you're not interested don't bother distracting the rest of us. I didn't do most of the reading and got through just fine. It seemed like there was a lot of reading and I got behind fast. The class would be better if there was less reading that contained more interesting things. Overall the class was interesting, I really enjoyed the lectures, he's passionate about what he says and that always hold my interest though at times it was almost like he was preaching. Good class, good teacher, but hope that he improves his grading criteria.

Professor Leikin was easy to follow, because he didnt go too fast and sometimes he would say some non-important things so you could catch up with the important things in your notes. There was one take home midterm essay, a 5 page paper where you had to look at a primary source, and a 40-question M.C. final. The final wasnt very hard, and I know it coulda been a lot harder since we covered so much information and only had that one test. The midterm was a take home one where you had to critique a couple of movies we saw. It wasn't a very good idea even though he tried to justify it. The movies were 2 of the worst we saw all semester anyway. The good movies began later in the semester, and they were each very good and very well-chosen. He's a friendly fellow. I saw him during his office hours a couple times and he is very helpful and friendly. He also likes baseball, so if you are an A's fan...strike up a convo with him about the A's! Generally good teacher.

He emphasizes marginalized parties in American history, as well as political movements, be they liberal (such as union formation) or conservative (the abolitionist movement). One previous reviewer found him to be overly black and white in his racial analyses of history; he seemed to have improved his course when I took it, including significant lecture time as well as a movie on Native Americans. It's true that he didn't highlight Caesar Chavez, but he consistently recognizes throughout the course that America has been composed of a diverse racial population, including latino, european, african, and native, which some professors give a nod to without ever really examaning its implications. The implications of this diversity permeated Professor Leikin's lectures, and I think this is more important than whether or not he individually acknowledges specific leaders. Tests were in-class essay questions, which I far prefer to multiple choice/ short answer in that you really have to think and make connections. He gives you an option of subjects so if you are weak in one area you can still do well.

I agree with many of the other students that Leikin is very passionate about history...but mainly what he finds interesting (ie: Labor movemement from the 1860's!) Well this is all well and good he tends to leave out other important labor movements like Ceaser Chavez. Also he kind of candy coated the genocide of the native americans in the late 1800's! To be blunt if you are not black or white your history in this country will be discussed briefly and without passion. In his defense he does require two excellent novels: one about Jewish immigration and the other about the civil rights movement. Overall, he's just an average professor of history with a generally euro-centric way of teaching! Also, when I approached him about this he politely told me I should take an ethnic studies course!!!!(Apparently he didn't see the problem with that statement!)

Prof. Leikin is a plethora of information. Unfortunetly, sometimes it just zips by never to return again. He really likes to focus on labor movements and labor groups, in fact a little too much. He does require you to read two mediocre novels and then gives you quizzes on them. He gives two midterms and drops one of them (the lower score). For the final, he gives you a few prepared essay topics and he picks one on the final day. The biggest problem I had with this was that you either passed or failed the essay. There was no in-between. Therefore, it's a bit trivial when trying to determine your grade when all is said and done.

He's a good professor I guess; I wouldn't take him again though.

I sat through one of Leikin's lectures 2 semesters ago but had to drop it because of a schedule conflict. I waited a long time till I could get one of his classes again but it was definetly WORTH THE WAIT.

Leikin is an AMAZING STORYTELLER and fully encourages class participation. History is not my major but if every teacher was like him it would be. Sitting through this class was LIKE WATCHING THE HISTORY CHANNEL. He doesn't have notes -- he knows it all of the top of his head... and by involving the class it gets all of us into the excitement of the story he's telling.

The essay exam is not easy, but it's fair, and ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ATTEND LECTURES and participate to get an A/B grade. If you go to the one hour study session and you've taken notes you will get an "A"

I had to turn my paper in late because of personal issues but Leikin understood and worked with me, I got a slightly lower grade but that's expected of course. LEIKIN'S MAIN GOAL IS THAT WE LEARN AND ENJOY HISTORY, and that enthusiasm really shows in his lectures!

If you don't participate in class and don't go to lectures you won't excel. And that person that gave Leikin a bad review was probobly one of those 25% of the class that sits in the back and hates history just because they HAVE to be there. But don't believe it!!!!

DON'T MISS OUT ON ONE OF THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES YOU HAVE TO LEARN HISTORY!!!!!! I swear I would take this class even if it were not a requirement. If you are really going to SFSU to learn and not to just get a degree I encourage you to check this class out -- YOU WON'T REGRET IT!!!!

Prof Leikin is a good person with a lot of knowledge about history.

His lecture is like a speech which makes taking notes kind of hard. Just get the big idea of his lectures and he writes an outline so it helps to know where he is going.

He doesn't really have homework and he offers extra credit which helps my grade tremendously. I say the extra credit helped me to get a B instead of a C. So he is very generous with the extra credit and the extra credit is very easy.

2 midterms and 1 final. He drops the lowest midterm but you must take the final exam. All exams are essay questions which you can prepare before the test because he gives you the questions ahead of time. 1 question per test but you need to prepare essays for all 3 possible questions.

Easy class, just attend, take notes. You don't really need to read the book either, I didn't read the book and based mostly on my notes and help from 1 friend.

Overall, the class was informative and educational and fairly easy. You just need to attend all the class because that is your bread and butter.

Prof. Leikin did a well job in Hist 121. His lectures are VERY thorough and precise. There was no homework. The class consisted of two reading assignments,two midterms (study sheets provided) of which only one was to be counted, and a final (study sheet provided). The reading assignments and their tests, were too easy. Just be sure to pay attention to the lectures and movies and you'll be fine.

If you enjoy History or not, Steve Leikin will definitely grab your attention. He is very passionate about teaching and it rubs off on the students. The tests are not easy, but they can be if you pay attention in class and study for them. If you want to enjoy your History class, take Steven Leikin!! I guarantee you will be glad you took his class.

Steve Leikin is an amazing history teacher. Knowlegable, passionate, highly recommended. Materials are very interesting along with the lectures. Great film selection also. Grades fairly. Large opportunity for extra credit. If you do all the work and make an effort you'll get an A.

Prof. Leikin is a great teacher. He has a deep knowledge of the subject matter and is a fair grader. He provides extra credit assignments for those who need to improve their grade. You do need to show up for this class for participation points and to get all the information on tests.

Professor Leikin is a wonderful teacher. He is one of the best History lecturers I have ever had and he has a firm grasp on the subject matter. Professor Leikin also seems to truly care about his students and always has time to meet with them outside of class. His classes are challenging, however, so if you plan on taking one of his classes be prepared to attend class and to work hard. He is a fair grader, but it is not likely that you will receive a passing grade in his class if you do not show up. I highly recommend Professor Leikin.

Leikin seems like a difficult grader, but he isn't. He's a very TENSE guy. A person you can get along with. He gives 3 mid-terms. And the mid-terms are essay types, and knowing some definitions. here's how the mid-term goes: he choses 5 questions, and he'll pick one of the 5 questions for the mid-term. So you can gamble if you want to study only 4 essays, or hell, even 1, if you happen to be that damn lucky. As for the difinitions, he'll choose something like 12 definitions, and pick six of the 12 for the test, but you only have to answer two of them, so meaning your best bet would be studying 8 of the 12 B4 the test. Get it?

His lectures are sometimes boring especially in the beginning, where he talks about the Indians and stuff. The books he assigns are useless for the test, just pleasure reading if you ask me.