Jerry Philogene

This class was incredibly interesting and I actively looked forward to the readings and discussions. The assessment and feedback side of the class was disappointing, as it seemed that the professor did not care about our papers and just gave vague and harsh gradings - only after weeks of asking her to grade our papers. I didn't feel very preoccupied with my grade and have had more experience writing about literature in settings like this, but for students who were not receiving good marks on the papers, it seemed impossible to get good feedback and figure out how she'd prefer the writing to look.

This class was incredibly interesting and I actively looked forward to the readings and discussions. The assessment and feedback side of the class was disappointing, as it seemed that the professor did not care about our papers and just gave vague and harsh gradings - only after weeks of asking her to grade our papers. I didn't feel …Read more

Professor Philogene is an amazing teacher who genuinely values what you have to say. She creates an environment where you're constantly learning—from yourself, from her, and from your peers. She pushes you to think critically about the material and challenges you to dig deeper into your interpretations without making it feel intimidating. The course revolves around discussion of 4 novels throughout the semester, and every class felt meaningful because of how she facilitates conversation. She's enthusiastic about the subject and makes space for everyone's voice, which made me look forward to coming to class. The workload is reasonable—4 papers and 4 books—though it's worth noting that she takes a while to grade, so I'd recommend going to office hours if you want feedback before your next paper. This is the kind of class where you grow as a thinker. If you're looking for a professor who will genuinely invest in your intellectual development, I can't recommend Professor Philogene enough.

Professor Philogene is an amazing teacher who genuinely values what you have to say. She creates an environment where you're constantly learning—from yourself, from her, and from your peers. She pushes you to think critically about the material and challenges you to dig deeper into your interpretations without making it feel intimida …Read more

Professor Philogene is a rare gem at Middlebury, a professor who truly values student contribution. This class mainly centred around discussing the readings, and she always opened up space for students to discuss their interpretations. Discussions were always enriching, and I felt like there wasn't significant pressure to contribute if you did not want to. This course has 4 papers to write and 4 books to read, which isn't very difficult to keep up with. One thing of note is that Professor Philogene does take a long time to grade your essays, so if you need feedback before doing another paper, it is better to speak to her during office hours or try and improve on your own. Overall, I would recommend her courses.

Professor Philogene is a rare gem at Middlebury, a professor who truly values student contribution. This class mainly centred around discussing the readings, and she always opened up space for students to discuss their interpretations. Discussions were always enriching, and I felt like there wasn't significant pressure to contribute …Read more