I wish this course was 6-months long, instead of 1.5-months
Prof. Neer is eloquent. He manages to capture the students’ attention throughout 3-hour lecture without losing us for a minute. I only wish that this course was 6-months long instead of 1.5-months, so we would have had more time to spend on reading his wonderful book list and improving the quality of our research papers.
Best teacher at Columbia
Professor Neer is extremely knowledgeable, kind, available, and enthusiastic. Without a doubt the best professor I have had at Columbia.
Encouraged open discussion and debate
Professor Neer did an excellent job of communicating to students both in and out of the classroom. While acknowledging the pace and course load were high; he remained flexible to the needs of students. Learning was the first objective and I felt comfortable, and motivated to absorb the course content. He also introduced controversial topics in such a way that did not discourage open discussion and debate. Rather, it was encouraged. He was timely in his responses, offered great feedback, was always available to students (I wish I had taken more advantage of this), and guided students throughout the course ensuring unity of effort and understanding of his expectations. Well done.
Content of his lectures was as intense as the readings
Pr. Neer embodied this great American myth of charisma between the professionalism and the friendliness, allowing both to be playful while fundamentally remaining serious. I think that the way he vocally assumed that we were all great and were putting so much effort was for me a way to put even more in it, and be able to find some weight in what I was doing. The content of his lecture was as intense as the readings and this is what I appreciated, more so than the class topic, mostly the challenge to be up to an intellectual standard that was higher but that I could reach more and reach each day. Pr Neer was always available for us. Also, what a great chance to benefit from all the speakers he brought into the class. In brief, the class in which I felt the more challenge, that so because Pr Neer thought that we were so obviously ready to be challenge. "Trust your students and they'll give it to you."