I felt as if this class with a little disorganized. The professor is extremely caring, but the lectures were a tad hard to follow. There was also a vast difference in the TAs who graded the papers. I believe if you get the actual professor to grade your papers this class would be better but with just okay TAs it'll be more difficult. Grade consisted of 3 papers 6-8 pages each.

the best ever

TEO IS GOD. This is my third time of enrolling in his course and I wish I could take his classes forever. He is super nice and he truly cares about his students. This year has global pandemic, and he provided us with a generous curve and the optional final. His lectures are great fun and I could learn so many things. Best professor in the history department.

Absolutely take this class. The lectures are a bit hard to pay attention to...and the essays are a little daunting because his prompts definitely cover everything he teaches in class but you get what you put in. Work hard on the essays, go to the History department to get your paper stamped because it adds 1/3 of a grade, be kind to your TA, and put in WORK. If he sees effort he will spare you. He is a very kind, lively man, there is a reason why he is so respected at UCLA. Take his class, and be prepared to write a killer essay :)

I highly recommend taking this class or any class Professor Ruiz is teaching. He is a great teacher, passionate about the material, and very funny. Beware that if you show up late or leave early, he will call you out in front of everyone. The class has a take home paper for the midterm and final. Besides that, there is one more paper and they take attendance sporadically. Instead of the paper you can do a performance. I highly recommend doing the performance as it's more fun than writing a paper. If you're a history major or just need upper division units, this class is a great choice.

Professor Ruiz is one of the most passionate professors I have ever met at UCLA. He redefines the statement "cares for his students" as he does simply that despite the fact that this class consists of 200+ students or something along that range. I went to every single class and enjoyed every minute of it- it was definitely difficult to follow him at first, as he does not have any sort of PowerPoint with his lectures; however, his books explain his lectures impeccably, and you eventually get used to his teaching style. He is humorous, intellectual, and a very humble professor. I would not hesitate to take a class with him again, despite the fact that I am not a history major.

Most passionate teacher I've had at UCLA. The type of teacher that makes you excited to come to his lectures.

I felt 129A specifically was a bit disorganized though. While the material was extremely interesting. It was scattered with various details throughout many of the early lectures, which made it somewhat hard to follow.

Teo is an absolutely wonderful professor. He is one of the few professors who genuinely means it when he says he cares about the well being of his students. The man is one of a kind, and is one of UCLA's great resources.

The class consisted of a midterm, a final, attendance score, and a paper. The midterm and the final were more than fair, he hands out the prompt (which is word for word what will be given on test day) about a week in advance and you answer 2 questions (one from each section). The paper was short, roughly 6 pages, and was also very fair and rewarding. You are simply asked to discuss a given literary work (from several choices) and its impact on Spanish culture etc. Grading was very solid, and his TA's were magnificent.

Teo is a very passionate lecturer, and definitely enjoys his subject. His enthusiasm is contagious, and our class was almost always full to overflowing. Regular attendance at lectures is not necessary to achieve an A, but you will probably go to all of them or at least often. There was also a video podcast, so it was easy to view a lecture over again if you felt you missed anything of key importance. There was a lot of reading, but it is not overwhelming and it provides you with a great understanding of the test material.

Any time I visited Teo during office hours, he was more than generous with his time. I was very sick for over a week, and he was incredibly concerned and understanding (even waiving away my offer to make a copy of my note from Ashe). He will spend as much time as needed to help you understand the material, and is more than willing to simply hang out and have a conversation (he is well traveled and is a great resource for anyone thinking about visiting Europe). I encourage any student to take a class with Teo while at UCLA. I have taken courses with several fantastic professors, and Teo easily ranks very near if not at the top.