Swanagon, Russell  

So arrogant. The guy majored in storytelling so he obviously loves to hear himself talk. Okay teacher but such an annoying person.

Extremely nice but incredibly disorganized. Stay on top of the class schedule & know when your homework is due because you will most likely have to remind him. GO LS!

Dr. Swanagon is very passionate about what he does. Sometimes his lectures go on wild tangents, but he truly cares about the success of each of his students and is more than willing to help if you go to his office hours. Would definitely recommend him!

This guy is a goofball, not the greatest at teaching, but pretty knowledgeable, talks a lot, but I dont think I learned one thing. I skipped the class often and still got an A.

LS 101 is a required course for LS majors so but there is really nothing much to it. The course grade is based on attendance, exams, reports and activities and a final paper which is a "Letter to Myself". Each is worth 25% of your grade. The exams are all online quizzes you can take more than once and are based on the textbook and homework. The textbook is very basic and the homework is mostly copying straight from the textbook. The homework is every 2 weeks. In class, Swanagon just talks about himself and how important reflection is to being a teacher. Honestly, I would not have gone to this class if attendance was not 25% of the grade. However, guest speakers come in once a week in class and those are very worthwhile.

Okay, so this is a VERY easy class to get an A in. However, I personally cannot stand Swanagon. Don't get me wrong, he is a very nice guy who means well. But his "lectures" oftentimes do not relate to course material at all; I don't think I learned a thing from him, honestly. He likes to ramble about how important it is to reflect on oneself. It wouldn't surprise me if he was just winging it every class. There are guest speakers almost every week - some are helpful/relevant, some are not. I only went to class because he grades you on attendance. Otherwise, there is no need to go to class besides to turn something in (but even then, many of his assignments can be submitted online as well). There is homework almost every week, but all the answers are straight up right out of the textbook. Do not expect him to grade quickly. There are also usually weekly quizzes, but again, very easy to find answers in the textbook. There are also long term assignments, such as a letter to self (to be received after graduation), performance art experience paper (go to a performing arts event and write about it), and community service (do it and write about it). If you want to learn the course material (which is very basic), you need to read the textbook on your own. Overall, an easy class with a below average professor.

I'm going to be honest, Swanagon was the worst professor I had my first quarter at Cal Poly. At first, I was excited to take this class because it was for my major, but that all changed quickly. You would think a Liberal Studies professor and s former elementary school teacher would know how to teach a class, but I was wrong. Swanagon goes off on tangents and rants about nothing. I know more about him as a person and his family than I do about how to teach. Honestly this class was such a waste of my time. The only reasons why I went is because he took attendance and it counted for your grade. Honestly, I probably would've learned more just reading the book on my own. The assignments aren't hard, its just the classes that are uninteresting. The only times I learned in that class is when we had guest speakers. I honestly considered changing my major just so I can avoid sitting through another lecture by Swanagon. I know that I will eventually have to take another one of his classes if I stay in this major, and I'm not looking forward to it.

This was a very easy class to get an A! However, most of the classes felt pointless to go to because we weren't really learning anything. Russell loves to talk about himself, his family, and his reflecting process. The guest speakers were beneficial, but some of them didn't apply to us as first year students. I feel like they would have been more beneficial later on in our Poly years. The Letter to Myself was an easy way to get 50 points, so don't slack off on that. The quizzes were simple as long as you look over the assigned reading. Overall, it was a pretty easy class.

This teacher presents NO material during his lectures. He goes in circles about himself for an hour and is repetitive about things that have no relevance to the course. His online quizzes are unclear and do not reflect the material from the textbook.

I literally hate this class and him so much. Don't get me wrong, it's a terribly easy class. But, I did not learn one thing during this whole quarter. He ALWAYS talks about the most irrelevant things, only talks about reflection, and doesn't communicate about when things are due. Also, very annoying class because attendance counts for a grade, otherwise I would've never gone. He's the reason I don't want to be a teacher anymore, so be cautious friends

Swanagon is a nice guy, but he does not know how to lecture or run a class. There is basically no lesson plan or a structure for the class... it is just him talking about his experiences or his wife or whatever else. He does bring in guest speakers though, and that information is nice because you learn about the different departments for concentrations or even study abroad trips and stuff like that. As far as the grading, make sure you go to class because attendance is like half of your grade. There are reading quizzes and reflections but they aren't too bad. He makes you do bigger assignments that last the whole quarter, like doing community service or attending a play and stuff like that. Just make sure you don't wait until the last minute to do all of those because then he gets really mad. So just stay on top of those assignments and get everything in on time. Overall, the class is boring and pretty much a waste of time, but as long as you do all of the assignments, you will do fine.

Swanagon's class was sooo boring. All he does is tell stories that have no importance to teaching. Honestly this class is pointless. He gives out some homework not a lot and grades attendance and has a final online. You'll also have to do 4 hours of community work which was difficult since freshmen can't have cars on campus. Pretty useless class, but easy.

Yeah, he gets off track a lot, but it literally doesn't matter because this class is pretty easy anyways. He has a lot of stories about teaching, and I loved how he portrayed teaching, but this class was so easy. Do the easy homework assignments and show up to class and you will have an easy A. I will say he has beautiful hair.

This is a very easy class. Guaranteed A: read the book and answer the questions he gives you, take the personality quizzes, the long term assignments, and show up to class (ATTENDANCE IS GRADED). He is a very nice teacher, but goes off on a lot of random tangents. He's also the Storytelling teacher, so some of his stories are really good. It was a 2-hour class, once a week and it was a very boring 2-hours. While he talked, I colored. Definitely bring something to do, but not other homework or technology because he will call you out in front of the whole class (he actually will).

He was really arrogant and talked too much about things that were not relevant to what LS 201 is intended to be. This class was a giant waste of time and I didn't learn any useful information.

This class is super easy. Do the homework and you will get an A. Professor Swanagon is disorganized and usually does not even know what assignments are due, but as long as you turn everything in you'll be fine. This class was pretty much just listening to him talk for the whole period and he usually lets you out early, and honestly, he's very entertaining. Attendance is part of your grade along with reading homework, service hours (3 hours - a fun and rewarding experience), attending a performance art experience and a short write up along with it, and a long reflection letter to yourself. There are also guests who come talk to you which is pretty helpful for getting to know information and resources that can help you as you complete your degree. Have fun in this class and get to know other people in your major!

This was an amazing class and he very clearly has a passion for literature. His experience as a teacher comes in handy for this class. Lots of reading, but you will look forward to completely the reading. He has AMAZING hair (and knows it, which is fun). Take this class.

I am not an LS major, but children's lit sounded like a fun class. It turned out to be a lot more teacher oriented (like discussing how to use literature in a classroom setting), but I should not have been surprised considering this is a liberal studies class, not and English class. We read 5 chapter books, had weekly online quizzes, and did a couple projects, but none of it was too bad. I think this is good class to take as an elective if you're not an LS major cause the workload is not too bad and it's kind of fun if you don't mind sitting in a room with like 25 girls and five guys.

On day one Swanagon seems like a happy go lucky guy, who is super interesting and into what he teaches. It is obvious he is passionate about this subject material, however he is an awful lecturer. Swanagon does not know when to shut up. He is a rambler and just goes on and on. His power point presentations are boring as hell, and do not bother taking notes, they will be of no use to you. Despite his lack of presentation skills, take this class. While I took it as an elective, it should be an easy A or B. Sit in the back so you can work on other things. Your points will come from online quizzes (you get 2 tries and they are SO easy if you have the book!). Points also come from super easy "arts and crafts" projects and a presentation you give with/without group on children's books. There is also a little write up you do on this and some journaling over the quarter from books you read. We read Holes, Secret Garden, Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, etc. SO EASY! Do go to class because he takes attendance on random days.

Swanagon is an interesting fella. For starters he talks a lot!! His classes sometimes seem pointless. He makes great points, though, and is a nice guy. He gets frustrated when you are late to class. He is an easy grader. He does not connect with students very well. He will never remember your name. I say he is a fair professor. I've had better and I've had worse..

Russell Swanagon has been my favorite professor at Cal Poly so far. I had him for LS 101 LS 260 and LS 310 and all three classes I enjoyed. I can understand if you dont enjoy LS 101 because its a lecture hall and I think Russell does better teaching in smaller classrooms. But if you take him for LS260 or LS310 you will absolutely love the guy. I have never meet a professor so determined to help students succeed and learn from his class. These classes aren't like any other class you will take, they are enjoyable and you get to meet and interact with people in your class. He does go on tangents sometimes, but they are fun tangents to listen to and he has some really good things to say. He is a very understanding guy, if you miss class he will understand and help you catch up. His tests are all reviews of polylearn quizzes you have already taken. Russell will get you excited to be a LS major (if you are one) and if you show up to class and do all the work, you will get an A.

Mr. Swanagon is an incredible teacher and a wonderful human being. I have taken all three of his classes and they changed my life! He is kind and understanding and an all around effective teacher. Anyone would be lucky to take a class from him.

Professor Swanagon was a very fun and "real" professor. This was his first quarter ever teaching at Cal Poly. He is actually an elementary school teacher who agreed to help out our department and teach about storytelling. This is a subject that he knows a great deal about and is so happy to spread the good word of storytelling to us! To all those future teachers out there- can you think of all the times that you've thought "the people teaching our classes on teaching can't even teach..." Well, he is out in the field actually applying what he lectures on- I can respect that for sure. Anyway, this was a great class that changed some of my teaching philosophies and I'm sure the next time around he will be a bit more polished. Maybe not though, and that would be just as much fun :) Definitly take LS 310 with Swanagon, it will be painless and you'll have a lot of laughs.

This guy is awesome and you should all consider taking this class. This is the only evaluation I have given on this thing because I feel like he deserves credit. This class is so much fun to attend and he puts so much into his lessons that you feel like you came out of the class with a better understanding of how stories really are a part of our lives. TAKE THIS CLASS!

Great guy. Isn't at all worried about grading harshly. If its for storytelling, you'll have fun.

Russell is a good teacher. He likes to talk about how bad the public school system is (which is frustrating, since almost everyone in the class wants to be a public school teacher) he also says his time being a teacher was the best in his life--kind of makes me wonder why he isn't still a teacher? The class is fun, he is a VERY easy grader. The nightly reading is a bit repetitive, but it really cushions your grade if you happen to not be the best public speaker/storyteller. The class is fun, I never dreaded going. It's a fun, easy class and a good GPA booster if you know you have a particularly hard quarter.

I can't believe this is a required class! He is a very nice guy, but this class is a joke. Do all the homework and study and you should be fine. He really likes his job, and it shows, but it still didn't help me to find any interest in the subject.

Dr. Swanagon is SUCH a nice man and his class is relatively easy. You'll have to present two stories to the class, but everyone has to do it so its not that bad. You have to collect 50 stories from 7 different cultures and write a description about each culture's tradition. As long as you start early in the quarter, it's not that difficult. The only thing that's really annoying is that there really isn't THAT much material to cover, but he drags it out for the entire class time. He actually looks at the clock and thinks for a while before rambling on and on. It's not that big of a deal, but my notes just turned into a bunch of doodling! Take this class, its fun and easy :)

I understand the class is storytelling but that does not mean that every student wishes to listen to the ramblings of Russell Swanagon. First of all, do not buy the books. They are a waste of money and can only be sold back for about $2. Everything you need to know on his poorly written tests can be found on blackboard where you will find a confusing jumble of worksheets and broken links. I took decent notes in the beginning of the quarter and then realized that as the weeks went on, Swanagon started diverting more and more from any topic related to storytelling or its purpose. Each student presents two stories and these are easily done if you spend even one day memorizing a folktale. There is a journal that comprises of 50 stories from 7 different cultures that I recommend each student taking this class start on right away. It is not hard but boring and time consuming. All in all this was an easy class material wise but mind numbing to sit through.

Russel Swanagon is a teacher who is really passionate about the subject of storytelling and he likes teaching. The assignments are mostly readings, the fairytales and fables are most important, not the textbooks. He is very friendly and very willing to help you with your presentation or any other questions that you may have. Don\'t stress about the presentations too much, they were actually very fun. He does tend to ramble on a bit too much, but he\'s just trying to impart some wisdom on us before we go out to teach on our own. Have fun with the class, I don\'t know why other people are complaining about the class. Easy is good. It is also a pretty fun class.

So Swanagon is super nice. He really doesn't like to see his students struggle so her will be there for you! I had him for both children's literature and storytelling. Let me tell you, children's literature is so much more fun than storytelling. But of course I did not enjoy telling two stories in storytelling. The assignments? You have quizzes every week online, those questions and lecture notes, and what he says in class are what is on the midterm. During the quarter you choose two folklore stories to tell to the class. You have to make it your own through voice and body language. Some people are really good, and others are just trying to get through it. They are suppose to be 6-8 minutes long. Oh and he records you on his camera so he can look back and grade it. The big project is the folklore journal where you choose 50 folklore stories from 7 different cultures! for each culture you have to write about them. They 7 must include hispanic, african american, and native american. he likes it if you're are creative with it, like a scrapbook. Please don't hold off on this. You have all quarter but seriously just don't. I did and it was a nightmare. Haven't taken the final but not too worried. Anyway he said he was going to change up a few things for future quarters so who knows. Lectures are like pulling teeth because he rambles off and tries his hardest to use the two hours. Have fun.

Swanagon is a great guy with a really big heart who really wants to see his students do well. Lectures can be long, but he knows this and constantly apologizes for it. He went above and beyond to make the due dates for quizzes, presentations and the final essay fair. I felt a little bad for him at some points because he's really passionate about a class that a lot of people are taking just for an easy A. Overall, I would recommend taking this class if you can get over the stigma behind taking a storytelling class in college. It's not challenging but it's fun and you'll learn some cool things (if you're open to it).

Swanagon is an interesting fellow. He loves to talk since his major is storytelling, so be prepared knowing that he will ramble. As far as the class structure goes: You must tell two 6-8 minute folktale stories in front of the class. It is fairly since the class is supportive and generally small, stage freight is uncommon in his class. The tests are based entirely off of quiz questions, and information that is often brought up in class so passing is straight forward. Also, there is a folklore journal due at the end of the quarter - 50 folktales and summaries, DO NOT PROCRASTINATE THIS. It takes much longer than you'd expect. Finally, Swanagon is a nice guy, he tries to help his students succeed so really appreciate that positive side of him.

If you're an LS major this class is required so here's what you need to know. The class is 2 hours long, and you rarely get out early. You don't need to take notes on the lectures because they are pointless (unless he says "this is on the midterm" then write that down). He doesn't allow you to work on other work or go on your phone during class (he will call you out in class for this). There's a super easy assignment due every class period. The midterm and final is half you telling a story out loud and half 60ish multiple choice questions. The midterm and final questions are directly from the online quizzes you take word for word. There is a research paper that's 4-6 pages and due the last week of the quarter, I don't think he actually reads it, I think he just gives you a grade based on what you have in the class. Attendance is mandatory and that REALLY blows, because his lecture can be very boring at times. He does pick favorites so use this to your advantage. This class is an easy A, so just show up to class and you'll be fine.

I've had this professor twice and although he can be a polarizing character, with many people despising him and some loving him, you cannot deny his passion for the subject and care for the students. He has been able to help me both through the classes and personal matters in my life. He will repeat about 50 times how he has face blindness and may take a while to recognize you until many visits to office hours or conversations, but he still will give you his full attention and care about anything brought up.

Swanagon's class was one of the first classes I took after changing my major. Since then, I have taken 310, 260, and 101 with him. If you've read some of Swanagon's other reviews, you know that he is not the most organized professor on the planet. He likes to focus on the big picture and tends to jump around quite a bit. Because he is a storyteller, he tends to run his lectures like he is telling the class a story. This may be difficult for some students who are more used to a linear class organization. Because of his lecturing style, there is no need to take notes during class; just jot down the one or two things he explicitly says will show up on his tests. He is definitely a professor who cares about his students and makes an effort to get to know each one. He appreciates when you drop by his office and is more than willing to help or just chat. He is a really great person to get to know and he has many interesting life experiences to share. While he may not be everyone's favorite professor, he has helped me learn to adapt to a very nontraditional way of lecturing. The more classes you take with him, the easier it is to follow his thought process. Just make sure you are paying attention to the syllabus and reminding him about due dates throughout the quarter.

Okay so Professor Swanagon is really a nice guy, but he is not very good at teaching the subject of storytelling. In his lectures, he goes off on rants that have nothing to do with the topic. He lectures on some storytelling topics, but not a lot of it is on his tests. The midterm and the final are really hard. Do the reading even if it is boring, it will help you in the long run. You have to read 2 stories in front of the class and by read, I mean tell it in front of the class without looking at the words. This was honestly my favorite part. Try to keep a positive attitude because the lectures are very boring.

It's ironic that this class is entitled storytelling as Swanagon loves to tell stories. That is all this class is...listening to Swanagon talk. I just did other things the entire class because he presented no valuable information and it was a waste of time coming to class. Didn't learn a thing but appreciated the grade boost as he is an easy A