BOB BARON'S HOMEPAGE

|| Email & Classes || Bio & Publications || Ofc hours & Schedule || Links || Gallery || Books & Movies ||

I enjoy teaching a variety of classes here at Mesa Community College:

• ENG 101 - Freshman Composition

• ENG 102 - Freshman Composition

• ENH 110 - Introduction to Literature - click for more

• HUM 205 - Introduction to Cinema

• HUM 209 - Women and Films

• HUM 210 - Contemporary Cinema

My unusual office, a compendium of dear, discarded, and dislocated memorabilia, is located in the Liberal Arts Building, Room LO-14 - maps are available to help you find your way around the room. I can be reached at 480-461-7611 and messages left at that number.

My early years were spent in Buffalo, New York, where I later attended the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB), after pursuing an engineering degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. At UB, I received my BA, 2 Masters degrees, and a Ph.D. The teachers who had the greatest influence on me, and to whom I am still deeply indebted, were Steve Fleischer and Alan Spiegel.

Woodstock was a major event in my life.

Eventually I taught at UB, where I also served as Director of Housing and Student Activities at an arts-oriented college subdivision called College B (my handy metal detector helped me find my car in countless snowstorms). Later I worked at Maple Woods Community College in Kansas City ( a great city for jazz) where I taught 9 different courses while serving also as Director of the Re-Entry Program and Student Activities.

If there is one theme in my teaching approach it is probably to find relevance, to try to relate the abstract ideas we learn in class to real life concerns, so people can use what they learn to try to make sense of life.

Since I am very much aware that different students learn in different ways, I tend to use a variety of videos, DVD's, slides, movies, CD's,and commercials in my classes.

I occasionally show pictures of my cute kids - Taylor and Blake -  in my classes so if you hate cute kids, my classes might at times be detrimental to your pessimistic state of mind.

I especially welcome students who like to participate, who like to share their ideas with the rest of us. I won't agree with everything you say, but I will salute you for having the courage to air your views candidly. I also favor small group activities so students get to know each other and feel more comfortable in class. Although I have approximately 215 students in my classes each semester, I will learn each and every name eventually.

10:00 ENH 110

11:00 ENG 101

12:00 HUM 205