Historical instructor
Original student reviews · all captured dates
I'm so sad to see these bad reviews! I took this class almost 10 years ago and I have just looked up Tom because his class at MATC was amazing! I was so inspired (which is what a good teacher must be able to do-inspire students) that I have integrated his teachings into my life! I loved the material about mycology and I now grow gourmet mushrooms!Rate My Professors ↗
Not very helpful. Doesn't give practice reviews for tests.Rate My Professors ↗
Classic case of good intentions but can't seem to teach well at all. He's disorganized and somehow has managed to weave in opinionated facts into his very confusing multiple choice exams. The material isn't hard, but you're going to teach it to yourselfRate My Professors ↗
I wouldn't recommend this class for anyone who doesn't really like botany. Brandner isn't clear at all. He stands in front of the class and rambles for the entire lecture. His tests are impossible- he goes into insanely specific details. Most students don't score above a 50%, but he does curve his tests which helps. Avoid him if you can.Rate My Professors ↗
Not a good professor, stands in front of a class and rambles. Doesn't follow power-points or cover material in time. Speeds past important parts. Will test on details. Test prep materials: extensive and poorly written articles he posts online. Exams are multiple choice, with up to 10 options & none of them make sense. Good luck, you'll need it.Rate My Professors ↗
Dr. Brander is a nice guy, but he does nothing to actually make sure he succeeds. His test averages are very low (50%) and he does not post lecture slides. He barely uses his slides even in lecture and speaks just out of his head. I scores in the 90's on the first 2 tests in this class with different prof, and failed his test. You have no chance.Rate My Professors ↗
Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.
No teaching recorded in Fall 2026.
No courses match this selection. Try the full catalog or another term.
| Term | Course | Title |
|---|
Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.
{
"instructor_uid": "instructor_e4d9080ed72a12bef62edf59",
"source": "legacy",
"source_instructor_id": null,
"identity_basis": "name_only",
"identity_status": "unresolved",
"name": "THOMAS BRANDNER",
"email": null,
"first_observed_at": "2025-04-16 05:20:33.104844+00:00",
"last_observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
"ratings": {
"review_count": 7,
"quality": 2.43,
"difficulty": 4.14,
"quality_count": 7,
"difficulty_count": 7,
"profile_id": "rmp:1672994",
"source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1672994",
"match_basis": "exact_name",
"observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:02:13.543692+00:00",
"courses": {},
"bayesian_quality": 3.3408783581826635,
"prior_mean": 3.6596857835465957,
"prior_weight": 20
},
"current": false,
"courses": [],
"revision": "e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349",
"instructor_url": "/instructors/THOMAS_BRANDNER--instructor_e4d9080ed72a12bef62edf59"
}