Hannings, David  

What a dick head

As you can see from the sea of bad comments below and soon to be- above this message, this is a terrible teacher. I not only have him for a class, but the class was just put together this year. It was the merging or crop science and fruit science, the class is HCS X120. It will be with Fox, Wong and the dredded Hannings. (Team teaching)The tests are hard solely because the material is not taught well. There is no chance of help and questions seem to be unwelcomed by them, esp Hannings. Wong is cool though.

Dr. Hannings might be one of the rudest, unprofessional, most pompous teachers I have ever had. I was SO shocked at how rude he was even to his fellow professors; butting in, adding his own opinion on their lectures, even saying they were flat-out wrong on some points, and you can totally tell that the other professors have no respect whatsoever for his inflated ego. He is completely unaproachable in terms of trying to get help or asking a question. I am not looking forward at all to the next 3 and a half years I have to spend with Dr. Hannings...I am hoping he will be fired before I have to take another class with him!!!

This man should not be able to teach. I have never had someone rip on his students so badly, so much of the time. He never agrees with the answers that you write on his tests, despite the fact that you wrote them word for word form his lecture. I really do think that he does not like to be challenged. This quarter, I was a little test rat in HCS X120(EXPERIMENTAL!) class that was team taught by Jennifer Ryder Fox, the department head and Jeff Wong. Right now, my girlfrind just asked me why he still works at Cal Poly if he gets such bad reviews? He does a lot for the school. Plain and simple. So, why don't we just hire someone new... that likes his job. It's that simple. This man is discouraging and should treat his students with dignity. I cannot even imagine how many people shy away form Horticulture because of this man...I know I did.

he is one of the worst teachers i have ever seen, if you have the opportunity, do not take his class! he hates the students, and is a totally unfair professor

He does not explain things very well at all. He mumbles alot and gets off track. On the tests he expects you to say exactly what he wants, but he always jumbles up his definitions so thier is no way to tell what he wants. He is not a good teacher at all!!!

Great guy, knowledgeable, understanding, fair, these other evaluators are nuts. What is a senior doing in a freshmen class?

Since I have been attending Cal Poly(Fall 1998)David Hannings has been the best teacher that I have had so far. I think that the pop quizzes he gives on a regular basis are very helpfull. They help me to learn the matterial at a more even pace and prepare me for the midterms and final. Since I have been here this is the only class that I have been able to walk into feeling 100% ready for a test. As for Mr. Hannings grading policy, I think that it is more than fair and those who say otherwise should look into their study habits!!!!!!!! I would suggest and already have suggested David Hannings as a great teacher!!!!!!

This is one of the worst teachers I had in my 14+ years schooling. His lecture is not well organized. You have to copy down everything he says in class, but you would still be surprised what he give you in the tests. There is reading involved, but only a small portion of the reading material will be used in tests (again, it will surprise you). He takes points off on very tiny details... the stuff you would NOT remember from the lecture! Final word, this guy's head is messed up. P.S. I haven't heard any good comments from my classmates... Unfortunately, this class is required for EHS major.

David Hannings is a terrible professor. He is disorganized, unprepared, and doesn't care for students. He obviously hates his job but he seems to love having his ego inflated. I'm willing to bet that he wrote the rebuttals and the great comments/ratings about himself. No student in their right mind should take a class from him. I will not ever take another class from him. He has access to this rating system and he will no doubt enter another rebuttal and glorify himself once again. I don't think I'll ever take antoher EHS class because of him.

I'm changing my major because of Dr. Hannings. He needs to retire or find another job. EHS has some quality faculty, but I won't continue in the major knowing that I might have to take another class from him. One thing I can suggest to my high school counselors is to have students apply in EHS because there is no way students will ever want to stay in the major. There will be plenty of room for admission.

This guy is nothing more than an IDIOT I would really like to know who hired this guy. I think that the man at the interview killed the real Mr. Hannings and then disguised himself to teach the class. He is the worste teacher I have ever had in my life. It's like his head is up his ass when hes teaching the class. I cannot believe that I did not drop the class the first week I took it. I thought he was an idiot then, but now I know he is. I should have went with my gut feeling. The homework in the class is doesn't teach you anything. The tests are very difficult and have nothing to do with the material covered in class at all. I warn all of you people, do not take his class. This man needs to retire and go back to the trailer he came from. Literally. Overall, Mr Hannings is an aweful teacher. And is it me, or does it seem that he is a homosexual? Maybe it's just me.

Dr. Hannings is an awful teacher. I am not simply saying this because I failed his class. I went to him for help and all he did was talk about how stupid people in my major are. He did nothing to help me pass his class. He is crazy about pop quizzes. On all of his quizzes and tests, even if you write down exactly what he said in lecture, don't plan on getting it right. I would not reccommend this class to anyone and definately not freshman!

I stumbled across this site and Dave Hannings evaluations. I graduated from Cal Poly's OH program in 1984, so it's been awhile since I was in one of his classes. It's interesting to read in 2002 about his teaching style, his pop quizes, attitude of superiority and his need to insult and intimidate his students. It's dissapoints me to see some things haven't changed in 18 years. Hannings should be at a point in his career where his inflated sense of his own intelligence and accomplishments would take a back seat to the education of his students. After all, why are we in school? I was under the impression it's to learn. Certainly not to second guess a bully.

Ladies BE WARNED: Hannings does not know that girls have monthly issues and will yell at you and cause a huge scene if you are attempting to remedy your already extremely compromising situation. I have never been treated with such disrespect and utter disregard. As you can see I did alright in the class but it was not because of him at all. He tests on the most trivial insignificant information that he might have breifly mentioned and he abhors partial credit. If they are so concerned about the budget they should fire Hannings.

hannings is definatly off the wall. his lectures are a little choppy and random but he gets out what he wants you to know. take good notes and make sure you get them close to ver baitum, thats what he wants on his test. pop quizes help you learn the material. he has a strange sense of humor. get on his good side and it will help your grade. people don't like him but he is very smart and a decent teacher

To run the risk of sounding like a broken record, Professor Hannings is the worse teacher I

Mr. Hannings is the most unprofessional teacher I have had at Cal Poly. He is rude to students, insults students to their face but mainly under his breath and don't bother questioning anything he states, he gets very insulted and then you are marked for his rude comments. His test are all essay but very biased since he only gives full credit if you write verbatim of what he said in lecture. Basically memorize everything he says and you will pass the test. The class could be interesting but when you dread having to be there because of the horrible teacher you are stuck with, it makes for a long quarter...

Honestly, people are too quick to complain about Dave Hannings. He tries to test you character, but if you don't let him get to you, you will be fine. If you can't take Hannings' flack, then you are going to have a hard time in the real world, and don't be afraid to give him flack back. He likes the people that can handle his crap and dish it back. When you take his class be sure to write down his definitions exactly how his says them because on his tests he wants your answers in his words, not yours. He is huge on definitions because he feels that you should know how to "talk horticulture" and sound like you know what you are talking about. Hannings may seem rough at first, but once you get to know him, he is actually a great asset to have. He knows just about everyone there is to know in the industry, so don't let him get to you and you will do fine. I have had him three times now and I can honestly say I like the guy.

Hannings is awesome. All these people dont know what they are talking about. Just take good notes and actually do some stuff in the lab. If Hannings gets to know you and you act a little interisted in Propagation you will do fine. My advise is to go to the MAP Center because all the notes are there typed and ready for you to copy. If you know those things you will get an easy A. If you have questions go in and talk to him but dont be stupid or intimidated or he will rip you apart. Hannings is the best teacher in the Hort Dept besides Newell and Lassanske I know that isnt saying much but it is what we have to work with.

I have to agree this teacher is kinda bi polar. But on a good note he is a funny guy who loves plants. i would recommend not buying the book at all and definitly do not read the chapters he gives. his test only have like one question from the book on it. Go to the MAP center for his old tests because he re used his test. he wants you to write down complete answers the way he tell the answer dont try to reword thing, tell them the way he said them or he wont give you credit. he is very picky........good luck!

Worst teacher I have had at Poly. Worst experience I have had at Poly.He seems okay at first but after a while you realize he is a terribly terrible, rude, arrogant person. Just read people's ratings before you decide take the class; they are a pretty good representation of what I think of him.

I took Hannings for Abiotic Plant Problems and was looking foward to some good lectures during the course. What I recieved was good handouts of information but the teaching was very poor. basically, what I got out the course was the handouts. Like some students who have taken his course in the past have said, if you do not give him answers that are word for word and use his exact definitions, you are graded wrong! Once a student asked, Mr. Hannings "for the test should I regurgitate word for word exactly what you said? His answer was "no, you can impress me by giving me your definition of what I said." Bottom line from my perspective is that Hannings and Rice have learned nothing from plants. I believe they would both benifit from taking a horticultural therapy course so maybe they could connect with the essence of what their teaching. I would think working so closly with plants over the years would help them become more appreciative of natural systems and respect for their students. One thing is certain that they both have which is horticulturally related, a huge apical meristem up their stomata opening!

By far the worst teacher that I have ever had. He "threw out" the book halfway through the quarter, stating that it was "useless" and decided to make his own powerpoints which only have four-five words per slide. He is sarcastic, rude, and arrogant, doesn't care what students have to say. I haven't missed a class all quarter, and studied twenty cumulative hours for his midterm and recieved an F. Out of a class of 24 students, 11 of us failed and no one recieved As. There were only two Bs on the midterm in the entire class. I could go on forever about his teaching...but it just plain sucks.

Knows the material well, horrible at teaching it.

He seemed to be lost a lot, not my favorite professor from the EHS department. His tests have questions that are basic knowledge, to things that there's no way you would have known the information.

He "likes" young male students. I flirted back at him and did OK. This should explain everything: silverdaddies dot com/view_profile.asp?profile=1503679&l=1

The first individual giving his or her evaluation is a complete idiot. I think of mr. Hannings completely different from most of those evaluating him. Mr hannings is dedicated to those students who show the effort to learn class material and show him respect. He is a little weird at times but none of us are perfect. Most of those who think negatively of Mr. Hannings are either so full of them self that they can't take any criticism or they are not willing to learn. Mr. Hannings is a great professor and i wish Cal poly had more teachers that are as dedicated to their work as him. I give Mr. Hannings an A+

Bi-polar.

I feel like he hasn't gotten a review in awhile so I thought that I would contribute. He come off as kind of a dick sometimes lol but thats just his sense of humor. He teases people and calls them out in front of other people but it's not in a spiteful way. As a freshman I really thought he was just a complete asshole at first because he kinda treats freshmen like they are idiots (because face it, we kind of are at that point), but after a few years of classes with him I've really grown to like him. Hes unbelievably well traveled and knowledgable and he LOVES his plants and knows everything about them. It's really incredible actually. He can be kind of a jerk grading sometimes, and it's pretty damn true that if he likes you he will probably let more slide when it comes to definitions and stuff like that on tests. He's taught the classes a thousand times so he knows his stuff and presents the material in a very clear way, usually off slideshows, and will make his expectations very clear from the beginning. MY personal biggest advice is go to the MAP center on campus and look through his old tests they're kind of exactly like most of those even if they aren't the same exact questions. That's what's helped me get A's on his tests in the past. Don't avoid classes with him because of his polyratings. I really do like the guy and he's been very reasonable to me at least about missing some class time if I just let him know. He just doesn't take bullshit and has a kind of mean sense of humor. haha. Go Hannings. Stop being butthurt, people.

He's funny, goofy, chatty, and makes the lectures interesting with sly sarcastic jokes tossed in here and there. He loves plants which is illustrated throughout his lectures. Dr. Hanning's has pop quizzes on a somewhat random basis and I think gets a mild kick out of stumping students on questions. However, all the material he tests on for the most part is out the reading or the lecture notes. If you are proactive and study the plant lists before the week starts (or midway through the week) then you should do fine on the quizzes. The questions are relatively straightforward (name which plants have pink flowers, have a scent, etc.), but if you haven't studied the plants you're up sh__ creek without a paddle. Having your lab early in the week might help with this class because it will force you to study the plants before Hanning's potential quizzes. The tests require a ton of studying - blatant memorizations of all the plant characteristics (with a similar format to the quizzes). If you haven't had him before, make sure you talk to someone or visit him in office hours to get an idea of his test format. If you don't, you more than likely will not do well on the first exam. You and the class will have disagreements on his test/quiz questions and he doesn't like to admit defeat. In the end, he curves the class; so try not to get too fired up about them. If you focus on the class and study on a somewhat regular basis, have a somewhat laid back attitude (not an argumentative personality), and make sure Dr. Hannings gets to know you a bit (say hello, visit in office hours when you have questions (beyond just bitching about an exam question)) etc., you'll be alright in the class.

EHS 232 is basically a class of memorization. During lecture he puts up a powerpoint and goes through the textbook. Not much teaching at all. It is up to the student to put hours of time into memorizing the plants to only get a mediocre grade. Good luck

Dave Hannings is a terrible teacher. He can't even answer questions from his own book. He prides himself on being a dick, unfair, and actually thinks that this makes him a good teacher. The man cuts down people in class which is totally inappropriate. The point of him being there is to teach, BUT HE CAN'T TEACH. He needs to go back to Cornell and actually learn something.

This man has no business in the classroom, or in the educational system as a whole. This man thrives on making students embarrassed on oral reports and making derogatory remarks, under his breathe, about other student AND faculty IN class. This is the second class that I have taken from him and it only seemed to get worse. His poor preparation, lack of professionalism, disgustingly crappy teaching style, poor professional dress and lack for students concerns should not only get him in to trouble with administration but also fired. I can't stress enough that this individual should not be involved, not only in teaching, but the entire educational system.

I have never written about a professor before, I never had a need to do this. I have never disliked a person so much in my whole life. Everyday I had to show up for his class was such a dread. He would make comments about the students in the class to cut them down, would never answer a question directly, and had to most ridiculous tests . I studied very hard to write the answers that he wanted for every quiz and every test (know them word for word). If I even mentioned anything above his intelligence that I had learned in another class I was marked wrong and he would still never unterstand the concepts when I had to go and talk to him to explain them. By the end of the quarter he would loudly dread my coming to his office to see him. I am very sorry to say but I looked forward to taking abiotic plant problems and learn something useful for my field, but I have learned absolutely nothing from that class but what the Sunset book would write. I have learned more from work than this person.I am very disappoined that the department and the college of Agriculture have let a terrible, unproffesional teacher such as Dave Hannings stay . He has scared away so many potential students and ruined other peoples experiences with in the EHS major. I don't understand, don't they read the ratings, doesn't anyone care? and why as students do we not seem to have a voice in keeping or fireing tenured teacher since we are paying tution and some of their salary? I think his career is over (20 years ago).

PROFESSOR Hannings (according to the faculty site he doesn\'t have a Ph.D. but oddly enough I\'ve never heard him correct a student when the call him Dr.) is incredibly full of himself and he doesn\'t seem to care all that much about the students. He loves picking on students and definitely finds students he likes and students he doesn\'t. The text book he wrote for this class is pretty crappy and mostly just repeats what the real textbook says. Despite all this I really liked him as a teacher. He holds students to a really high standard and calls them out if they loaf or get something incorrect. I think that\'s how teachers should be, although Dave usually does it in an smug mean way that it inappropriate. I think it\'s pretty funny what a mean guy he is. He\'s really into recycling test questions. It\'s a good idea to bring him your petty attempts at projects and presentations so he can mold them into a absolutely perfect Hannings form. He\'s a weird dude and I guess the main thing is to not take him too seriously.

During this entire quarter all I could think about was how this professor reminded me of that small little dog that runs through the back of scene 23 in The Incredibles by Pixar. Seriously, if you look it up you will only be able to see it...