Sarah Brown is a biology and chemistry teacher. Originally from Alabama, Brown taught at the Community Charter School of Cambridge before coming to Brookline. She is currently embarking on a new Dungeons and Dragons campaign with friends in her spare time.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What are your thoughts on the start of the school year?
What I love is that the facilities are really nice. The science wing is super modern. I love how big my room is, how many windows there are. The students are super nice, like, really nice. They say ‘thank you’ at the end of most classes. Students take their education seriously, and so it’s a lot easier to do my job when students want to learn.
What are your feelings coming from a smaller school to a school as large as the high school?
I was nervous because it was so different, but once I got past the first day, I was totally fine, and everyone was really welcoming. I’ve had a lot of teachers come by and check on me and be like, ‘How are you? How’s it going?’ And I’ve had students check on me, which is really sweet. I didn’t expect that. So, it was overwhelming at first, but then it was immediately okay.
Where did you go to high school, and what was a highlight of your experience?
The best and most important part of my high school experience was being in the marching band. I played trumpet and got really into it and really good at it. I practiced every day for hours, and all of my closest friendships were formed through the marching band. Even if we didn’t have the same classes as each other, we were our own community, and band kids are just a special breed of weird, and I love it. And I think that band taught me that I’m not always going to be perfect. I am not always going to be the best at everything, and to keep trying. Just because you’re not perfect at something the first time you try, it doesn’t mean to give up.
Do you hope to impart any lessons to your students?
I’m a biology teacher, and so just valuing how beautiful and diverse life is and taking the time to go outside in nature. And while you’re out there, stop and look around at not just the big things you can see, but look at the tiny things. Look at the moss. See if there are any bugs on the moss. Look at the fallen tree and if its roots are exposed. Check it out. You’re going to find so many things there if you actually take the time to do it.
What is the significance of the plants in your classroom?
My dad would point out different species of trees, and he would quiz me on them, too, and that’s where I first started to love nature and love plants in particular. And I started growing plants, and I didn’t start growing plants until I had already graduated undergrad. So once I became a real-deal adult, I started growing plants, and I realized I was good at it. I’ve killed many plants, as all successful plant parents have done. It’s just really therapeutic and rewarding.
If you’re stranded on a desert island and could take three things, what would they be?
Honestly, if I’m stranded on a desert island, my persistence for survival is so low that I would probably just take a bunch of pickles and sour gummy worms and maybe a crossword puzzle book or something. And then I would just see how long I could chill. I’m not trying to survive. I’m trying to enjoy the day.
