Tara Affolter

Wonderful class by a wonderful professor. The material is very interesting and important. Makes you engage with the flaws both in education and our world at large. Tara is kind, passionate, and incredibly helpful. You will not get a bad grade if you try hard and care.

Culturally Relevant Pedagogies was one of the more grounding and practically meaningful education courses I’ve taken. The class pushed me to think beyond abstract theories of teaching and instead focus on how culture, identity, power, and lived experience actively shape learning environments. Readings and discussions challenged the idea of “neutral” pedagogy and made clear how curriculum design, classroom norms, and assessment practices can either affirm or marginalize students. What stood out most was how discussion-based and reflective the course was. It asked students to interrogate their own positionality while also engaging with real classroom scenarios and case studies. The course felt especially relevant in a Middlebury context, where conversations about diversity, inclusion, and access can sometimes feel theoretical. Overall, it was a thoughtful, intellectually demanding course that connected educational theory to real-world teaching practice and left me more attentive to what it actually means to teach responsibly and inclusively.

Culturally Relevant Pedagogies was one of the more grounding and practically meaningful education courses I’ve taken. The class pushed me to think beyond abstract theories of teaching and instead focus on how culture, identity, power, and lived experience actively shape learning environments. Readings and discussions challenged the i …Read more

This course is so so interesting and Tara is a really great professor. She is clearly very interested in the content and is one of the best professors I have had in terms of connecting with students on a real human level and engaging them deeply. The contect is very relevant too especially at a place like Middlebury.