Columbia College Core · Columbia University
Great professor. Approachable, charming, knowledgeable to an unsettling level (I don't care the conditions you should not know every name in Herodotus; it's unnatural). My only reservation would be his tendency to add a final point to open-ended matters. I guess that's the role of the professor but with work that is so ambivalent I sometimes fail to see how his conclusion (which to be fair he does leave open to discussion in essays but that nevertheless leads the rest of the class discussion) is the most valid one. VERY small qualm. Seriously, with him you have one of the greats. And also, on a more superficial level; the man's pretty alright. Like a hot Clark Kent. 100% of the girls and 30% of the guys (eat your heart out Kinsey) in my section blatantly check him out. I mean he's married, has a kid, and is an authority figure so no schoolgirl crushes or anything but after going from lecture to lecture with a pre-geriatric crowd, it's nice to have something nice to look at as you learn.
Too many people conflate "nice person" with "good professor." MadAdam is a nice guy but really just an average prof. Sticks closely to the book (which is barebones), not particularly adept at explaining the grammar nuances, way too lenient. He's the way to go if you just want to slug through the language requirement but if you actually want to learn as much as you can then there are better options.
bon prof! my french improved a lot during his class. you don't have to speak if you don't feel comfortable, but make sure that you are attentive (class participation is a part of the grade). his teaching style is awesome for a french prof. and he is very open and wants to see the students do well. and if the work load is too much (which it rarely was) he will take a poll and alter it. great class overall, i'd recommend him to anyone :)
What a teacher, seriously this instructor was patient and had a unique ability to make his students feel comfortable with the french language. Simply speaking, his transition from french professor to tutor to a person understanding that people are doing the best they can with the language and will, eventually, get better...was flawless.
Alot of the alumni complain that with a larger undergraduate population it becomes more difficult to provide the best core experience to all of the college students. Experiences with Lit Hum were extremely varied with some dying of boredom, others dealing with absurd professors, and some just stressed out. Geoff on the other hand is bar none one of the BEST LIT HUM PROFESSORS OUT THERE. My class unanimously agreed that he needed to be nominated for and win the award for best litreature humanities professor. Geoff is a genuine person and a true intellectual. He doesn't want his students to make trite comments and obvious statements about the readings, he wants a well thought out intellectual discussion. In addition he has the amazing ability to teach his students a great deal about the litreature even if they didn't do the readings. When it comes to essays his care shows with the amount of detailed and relevant comments, when you get them back half your essay will have red marks. He also prepares students extremely well for the midterms and finals. He is extremely approachable, willing to meet outside of class and overall a great guy. Count yourself extremely lucky if you have him and if not try as hard as you can to switch in.
I am in love with this man. He's cute, he's funny in a totally geeky way, he's really nice, and he totally improves your french - the language, I mean (unfortunately).
By far the best French instructor I've ever had. His comments on the grammar are clarifying (probably more so than the strangely organized textbook), he's funny and kind, and unlike past instructors, emphasizes how to tackle the important and difficult points instead of belaboring the simplest stuff. He probably grades too generously. I never went to office hours or emailed him for help, but he made himself very accessible to students. Class discussions were more fun than I thought was allowed in French courses. There's something kind of wicked and elf-like about Geoffrey, but in the best way.
He is such a great instructor! He is organized, intelligent and completely engaging. He is methodical in his teaching which makes the material easy to absorb. Not only that, he's a lot of fun in class and offers a great deal of help in office hours. Completely approachable and genuinely kind.
Geoff puts his heart and soul into this class and in the end you learn a ton. He has a true passion for the subject, which makes it fun just to listen to him talk. He is a true intellectual and renaissance man! TAKE GEOFFERY'S CLASS!
If you have troubles, questions, or concerns about French then this is the professor for you. He is helpful and makes his students feel comfortable and relaxed. French is hard enough, and without the support of a solid teacher one can get lost in the language. If you have the chance this professor is engaging and quite gifted in his ability to see the potential in each and every student.