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Derek Iwamoto AAST262 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/02/2023	He's fine, I guess. He tends to be passive-aggressive though. And the class is full of his own research, which in and of itself isn't a problem, but it can be limiting. The midterms and quizzes are easy as long as you study for them, but there is the occasional infuriating question regarding material that was only briefly mentioned in class. (Stuff to prove you were there, not that you care about the content). Overall a disappointing course, but a very manageable workload and an easy A as long as you study for that midterm. The midterm itself is ridiculous though, for some reason being entirely multiple-choice and also worth 25% of your ENTIRE grade. The class is structured extremely poorly.
Derek Iwamoto AAST262 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/29/2023	Don't get me wrong this is an easy class and if you do the work and go to class you will get a good grade, but its absolutely painful to sit through. the content is interesting but the way he presents it is terrible; he stands and lectures for the full hour and when he asks questions he expects you to trauma dump. He's arrogant and assigns too many readings but he really cares about the topic and is willing to get to know his students and their personal experiences with it too. There's one big midterm that covers the first half of the class and you can do well on if you look at the powerpoints, and then there's a quiz and a presentation that are fairly easy. Not a lot of course work and what he assigns isn't difficult but god its the worst hour fifteen of my day.
Derek Iwamoto AAST262 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 01/26/2023	In terms of class content, the amount you learn really depends on your personal racial consciousness. Students may find this class fulfilling because it provides a safe space for discussion. But, some content may be outdated and restricted in regards to exploration. While I appreciate Dr. Iwamoto for being one of the very few Asian American faculties in the psyc department, his teaching style may come off as rigid and pretentious at times. I also find it concerning that he never offers or promotes any feedback forms, which isn't really standard practice. I acknowledge that he has been in the field for many years and has made substantial impact in the field, but the pride that comes with it can often impede his connection with the students and overlook other voices.
Derek Iwamoto AAST262 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 12/14/2022	Although Dr. Iwamoto shows a level of care for Asian American (AA) representation and wants to address systemic AA-experienced issues, he tends to limit his teachings only to work he's personally done. It comes off slightly ego driven which can be somewhat uncomfortable at times. Although he wants to promote a more inclusive and intimate classroom experience, which he does well with in-class discussions, it's limited to his very traditional teaching style using very rigid assessments and late feedback. Furthermore, he himself does not ask for feedback on classroom quality. He also has a lack of rubrics for written assignments but wants students to still share their personal experiences with him. With that being said, he does have a level of insight that can be a really good introduction to AA issues if that is what you're looking for, and I'm still thankful to have had him as a professor.