Historical instructor

WILLIAM REESE

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.09/5 from 11 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

What students say

Original student reviews · all captured dates

EDPOL/HISTORY 412
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
I loved Dr. Reese! He is a very kind, smart, and funny guy, and his lectures were informative and covered a lot without being too broad or boring. He is easy to listen to, his lectures almost felt like storytelling. He used music, videos, and other props to make lectures more engaging. If you don't already enjoy history, Dr. Reese will get you to!
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EDPOL/HISTORY 412
Quality 4/5Difficulty 5/5
Professor Reese was very interesting in his lectures but you have to attend or you will not pass the class. The class required a lot of reading. The class is graded on two exams and a 12 page paper. Good class that required a lot of work.
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EDPOL/HISTORY 412
Quality 3/5Difficulty 4/5
Knows and loves history but talks so fast and gives so much information that it is sometimes hard to follow. Need to attend lectures to pass the class-- doesn't post slides online. LOTS of reading for homework, but relative to what is learned in lecture. Discussion sections help relate the two. Erin is an AWESOME TA so try to get her.
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EPS901 · course not matched
Quality 1/5Difficulty 5/5
Read 10 books in 10 weeks. He does most of the talking but participation is 70% of your grade. Unorganized. Not impressive.
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EDPOL/HISTORY 412
Quality 3/5Difficulty 1/5
Reese is a very casual, funny, and knowledgeable interactive lecturer. Very easy midterm and final in-class essays. Way too much reading for this class, but is somewhat necessary for the exams. Biggest complaint is that the course seemed more about general US history rather than education specifics.
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EDPOL/HISTORY 412
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
Professor Reese is not only extremely knowledgeable on the history of American education, but every student in his class can directly see his passion for it. He kept me very interested in material and his personal anecdotes were memorable and fitting. He is one of my favorite professors I've had at UW
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with WILLIAM REESE

No teaching recorded in Fall 2026.

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Recorded teaching history

Distinct courses recorded per term

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Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Spring 2026EDPOL/HISTORY 412History of American Education
Spring 2026EDPOL/HISTORY 906Proseminar on the History of Education
Spring 2026HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2025EDPOL 999Independent Reading
Fall 2025HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2025EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Spring 2025EDPOL/HISTORY 412History of American Education
Spring 2025HISTORY 940Seminar-american History 1900-1945
Spring 2025HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2024EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Fall 2024HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2024EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Spring 2024EDPOL/HISTORY 412History of American Education
Spring 2024EDPOL/HISTORY 906Proseminar on the History of Education
Spring 2024HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2023EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Fall 2023HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2023EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Spring 2023EDPOL/HISTORY 412History of American Education
Spring 2023EDPOL/HISTORY 906Proseminar on the History of Education
Spring 2023HISTORY 682Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2023HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2022EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Fall 2022HISTORY 681Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2022HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2022EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Spring 2022HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2021EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Fall 2021EDPOL 999Independent Reading
Fall 2021HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2021HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2020EDPOL 399Independent Reading
Fall 2020EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Fall 2020HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2020HISTORY 999Independent Work
Spring 2020EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Spring 2020EDPOL/HISTORY 478Comparative History of Childhood and Adolescence
Spring 2020EDPOL/HISTORY 906Proseminar on the History of Education
Spring 2020HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2019EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Fall 2019HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2019EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Spring 2019EDPOL 999Independent Reading
Spring 2019HISTORY 940Seminar-american History 1900-1945
Spring 2019HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2019HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2018EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Fall 2018HISTORY 999Independent Work
Spring 2018EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Spring 2018EDPOL 999Independent Reading
Spring 2018EDPOL/HISTORY 412History of American Education
Spring 2018EDPOL/HISTORY 906Proseminar on the History of Education
Fall 2017EDPOL 399Independent Reading
Fall 2017EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Fall 2017EDPOL 999Independent Reading
Spring 2017EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Spring 2017EDPOL 999Independent Reading
Spring 2017HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2016EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Fall 2016HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2016HISTORY 999Independent Work
Spring 2016EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Spring 2016EDPOL 999Independent Reading
Spring 2016HISTORY 940Seminar-american History 1900-1945
Spring 2016HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2016HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2015EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Fall 2015EDPOL/HISTORY 906Proseminar on the History of Education
Fall 2015HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2015EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Spring 2015EDPOL 999Independent Reading
Spring 2015EDPOL/HISTORY 412History of American Education
Spring 2015EDPOL/HISTORY 906Proseminar on the History of Education
Spring 2015HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2015HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2014EDPOL 999Independent Reading
Fall 2014EDPOL/HISTORY 906Proseminar on the History of Education
Fall 2014HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2014HISTORY 999Independent Work
Spring 2014HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2014HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2013EDPOL/HISTORY 412History of American Education
Fall 2013EDPOL/HISTORY 906Proseminar on the History of Education
Fall 2013HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2013HISTORY 999Independent Work
Spring 2013EDPOL 999Independent Reading
Spring 2013EDPOL/HISTORY 412History of American Education
Spring 2013HISTORY 500Reading Seminar in History
Spring 2013HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2013HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2012EDPOL/HISTORY 906Proseminar on the History of Education
Fall 2012HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2012HISTORY 999Independent Work
Spring 2012EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Spring 2012EDPOL/HISTORY 412History of American Education
Spring 2012HISTORY 682Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2012HISTORY 940Seminar-american History 1900-1945
Spring 2012HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2012HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2011EDPOL 990Research or Thesis

Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.

Instructor identity & provenance 
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