At that time, I thought his class was the normal level of Chinese department professors. For foreigners, it is worth listening to, but it is not particularly exciting. He doesn't have much energy to prepare lessons, and the foundation is not the best. If he lectures alone, there are many more popular teachers in the College of Liberal Arts than him. Calligraphy is ok, but it's not good enough to make me want to sign.
I think this is the true feeling of most students in Beijing Normal University. He didn't say he was an academic authority himself, so he didn't have to set too high a standard. Some lectures given by professors of Chinese Department are very interesting, but they are out of touch with the network society, or their personal image is sloppy, or they are too individual, and no one is perfect.