AI Rate Professor

Theatre & Dance

Michael Navarra Smith

TD110 · TD109 · TD120 · TD111 · TD113 · TD114 · TD119 · TD124 · TD110TD111 · TD120B4 · 71 lifetime ratings

AI rating
96/100
RMP rating
4.9/5
Take again
100%
Difficulty
2.5

The decision

Must-take theater professor if you will attend every class and want a safe, growth-focused acting space.

Best fit · Beginner FriendlyMost Caring ProfessorAttendance CriticalInspirational Acting MentorAmazing LecturesEasy If You Show Up
  • Near-universal praise as a patient, hilarious, life-changing acting mentor with 100% would-take-again sentiment.
  • Grades cluster at A or A+ if you attend every class, participate, and stay on time.
  • One outlier notes production conflict handling felt student-unfriendly, and online and homework.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

EasyA

86/100

Most students report A or A+ for showing up, participating, and putting in honest .

Online and in-person both call grades attainable, but .

Is the course easy?

Beginner

76/100

and exercises, though some advanced or directing classes feel more demanding.

In-person studio work dominates the easy tone; .

Is attendance flexible?

Mandatory

12/100

Attendance and being on time are repeatedly described as mandatory and .

; online still penalizes lateness hard.

Is this professor recommended?

MustTake

97/100

Students call him the of the program, and urge anyone curious about acting to enroll.

; one production-side critique is the main outlier.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Generous

90/100

things, and effort plus attendance usually earns A-level grades.

Format shift

Online late-work docking is the main strict note.

Workload

Light

72/100

In-class exercises and scenes keep load light for many, though some classes and online TD109 report more homework and reading.

Format shift

Online reading courses .

Teaching experience

Excellent

96/100

Overwhelming consensus on passion, clarity, patience, humor, and transformative mentoring across intro to advanced acting.

Format shift

In-person praise is especially intense; online still rates highly.

Assessment method

FocusOnAssignments

32/100

Assessment centers on participation, scenes, performances, and .

Format shift

Online TD109 adds quizzes, discussions, and a .

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

45 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Beginner Friendly

at Ohlone: fun games, deep craft notes, and a caring community if you show up and participate.

Main concern

Attendance and punctuality are non-negotiable, and one student felt unsupported during production conflicts.

What students said

“His classes are easy - ATTEND EVERY CLASS and just try! He's very understanding + patient, literally the .”
TD113
“Michael is legit the best... He teaches from the heart... Michael is the GOAT!”
TD110
“when conflicts came up during rehearsals for a play, he avoided addressing them. It felt like the production mattered more than the students' wellbeing.”
TD110

Remote format

Online

5 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

Online sections still feel welcoming and easy with effort, but , and strict lateness penalties.

Main concern

Technical submission issues and docking late work, plus lots of .

What students said

“Lots of hw! Good communication, cares about students, wonderful energy, and super helpful.”
TD109
“If you give your best effort, you will get an A every time. DON'T BE LATE CUZ THAT WILL LOWER UR GRADE!!!!!”
TD110
“ . . We had 2 discussion posts a week.”
TD109

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Most classes grade through in-class acting work and participation rather than strict closed-book exams.

Performance BasedParticipation HeavyScene WorkOnline Quizzes And DiscussionsNo Proctoring Mentions

Assessment risk

StudentFriendly

78/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

, and performances with little talk of formal closed-book testing.

In-Class ScenesParticipationPerformance FeedbackIcebreaker Games
“ and mostly consist of exercises/scenes in the class.”
TD110
“Class always starts with icebreaker games!!”
TD110

Online

, and a play-response essay rather than webcam proctoring.

Reading QuizzesDiscussion PostsPlay Essay FinalCanvas Homework
“ . . We had 2 discussion posts a week.”
TD109
“He requires you to attend an Ohlone play and write an as the final.”
TD109

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“I've completed like 90% of his courses... He's very understanding + patient, literally the . THANK YOU MICHAEL!”

Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews (5 online, 45 in , and . Credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

96/100

“Michael is no doubt the .”

❤️ Caring Mentorship

95/100

“ and advice. There's no one else like Michael”

📅

12/100

“you gotta show up. .”

👍 Recommendation Rate

97/100

“If you get the and do it!”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • His outlook on life and acting and his sense of humor made learning from him way more fun
  • He teaches from the heart and has a lifetime of experience
  • He never pressures anyone and he helps us manage stage fright

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • His classes are easy - ATTEND EVERY CLASS and just try
  • If you give your best effort, you will get an A every time
  • Although his course is quite easy, he gives great insight on the art of acting

Theme 3

⚠️ Rare Concerns

  • It felt like the production mattered more than the students' wellbeing
  • Lots of hw!
  • DON'T BE LATE CUZ THAT WILL LOWER UR GRADE!!!!!

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

50

Recent reviews read by the AI

71

Lifetime ratings

92/100

Evidence confidence

Fifty detailed reviews across many years and courses show extremely consistent praise, with only rare dissent and .

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 569
4 out of 51
3 out of 50
2 out of 51
1 out of 50

Course coverage

TD11023 reviews
TD1118 reviews
TD1133 reviews
TD1203 reviews
TD1243 reviews
Show 5 more courses
TD1092 reviews
TD110TD1112 reviews
TD1142 reviews
TD1192 reviews
TD120B42 reviews

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

47 reported outcomes

A range

45

A+ 19 · A 26

B range

1

B 1

C range

0

No reported values

D range

0

No reported values

F

0

No reported values

No letter grade reported

1

Audit/No Grade 1