I took Watson for English 142B, Shakespeare's later plays. Here's a couple of things to take note of:
+
1. He's brilliant and interestting; he lectures as if it's a theatrical performance.
2. Reading was doable, about a play a week (sometimes 2 weeks) with some additional contextual readings.
3. He's approachable.

-
1. He bombards you with information and goes a little too fast.
2. Midterm was hard and we didn't have enough time. No options. 14 ID's, 6 short answers, and 1 essay in an hour and 20 minutes. Final had more essays but also didn't have enough time.
3. Not an easy grader.

Every positive thing on this bulletin is true. Professor Watson is interesting, organized, funny, entertaining and does have a unique talent in that he can make you feel like you're the only person he's talking to in a room of 80 plus students. If you need to take Shakespeare, take no one else--and I'm sure he's great at teaching other subjects as well.

I have never found myself smiling as naturally as I did during Professor Watson's lectures. There is something so contagious about a professor who is as excited about Shakespeare as Professor Watson. My absolute favorite part of his class was when, mid-lecture, he would break into character and recite verbatim whichever soliloquy or monologue he felt was most significant. I wish I had an excuse to take another one of his classes because his lectures are so entertaining, especially because they are sprinkled with personal anecdotes that help make the student-professor relationship seem more like small leap than a giant gorge.