At a large research institution like UCLA, it's very easy to feel like just another number. Thus was not the case in Prof. Gaffney's course. She went above and beyond in every definition of the word to ensure that we were appropriately engaged with the material. Her syllabus was accurate and the corresponding lectures were both topical and enjoyable. However, perhaps my favorite part of the course and arguably most impactful was the feedback she gave in response to our essays. Never has a professor shown so much care and attention towards the work I submitted by creating a video detailing critiques/general commentary. Prof. Gaffney is indicative of what teaching and education ought to be and if I weren't graduating, I'd enroll in her courses every quarter if I could. She is the blueprint and the new standard I will measure my professors against.

I've taken 3 of her courses so far, and all I can say is TAKE HER! She is the most understanding and caring professor I've ever had. All of her classes have the same format for the most part. It's usually 3 papers, two of them 4-5 pages and a larger one 7-8 pages as a lit analysis. Then, there is a weekly discussion post (300 words, (2) 100-word classmate responses. There is usually a good amount of readings, but they're always so interesting and you can choose which reading you want to do the discussion on. The prompts are broad enough that you can talk about what you want regarding the readings, and often, she'll make exceptions if you talk to her about something you really want to write related to the topics/readings. It's really a breeze and she wants to know your opinion on things/how it relates to the world today. She will also give you really detailed feedback on your essays. Sometimes she'll even make a personalized video for the feedback. Overall, her classes have been my favorite! Just take her!! Not a heavy courseload!!