PHOEBE KALLAHER/SAGAMORE STAFF
Sarah Cowett
A lifelong passion for languages and teaching led Sarah Cowett to teaching Latin at the high school. She grew up in Ohio, and this is her fourth year teaching in Massachusetts. Cowett lives with her husband and cat, Nix. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, knitting, playing board and card games and watching hockey and baseball. As a high school student, she was involved in Latin Club, Science Olympiad, theater and band.
What was something interesting you did this summer?
I went to Baltimore and Philadelphia to visit some friends. I also watched some Red Sox games, and when we had some time to relax, my husband and I drove to Harper’s Ferry in West Virginia and visited the historical sites there. I never considered history to be my favorite subject in school, but I’ve gotten a lot more interested in it as I’ve gotten older.
When did you realize that you wanted to become a teacher?
My parents would tell you that was at age four when I had my stuffed animals lined up and my little map. I would say by 8th or 9th grade, I was like, “I think I want to be a teacher,” in part because I was so set in the pattern of the year starting in September. I like teaching. I like explaining things to people and continuing to learn myself, so it seemed like being in school would be fun.
Why did you choose to become a Latin teacher?
I’ve always thought about this, and part of me thinks that I would’ve ended up becoming a language teacher for whatever language I had studied in middle school and high school. I just really love languages, and I love teaching them to people. I took Latin initially because of one of the Latin teachers in my middle school. I really enjoyed the way that they and the high school teachers kept us involved in Latin Club, as well as the opportunities that were open to me through Latin. I was like, “I want to do that more, keep doing that and help bring other people into it.”
Why do you like Latin?
It has just provided a kind of window for me to examine English as a language and make some really interesting comparisons and contrasts. As a course of study, Latin is interesting because it is so different from English. It helped me learn about how languages work in general, which I think is really cool. I’ve gotten more interested in history, and I’ve actually studied a lot more Roman history in college and while being a teacher than I ever did as a student.
Is there something in particular you’re excited for this year?
I am really excited to be here because this is a very new environment and is very different from the places I’ve worked at before. It’s fun to start something new and to be in a place this exciting. It seems like there are so many opportunities.
Is there anything else you want people to know about you?
I’m very into linguistics—my next best language is American Sign Language. If anyone wants to come talk about linguistics or practice sign language, I would love a buddy!
Parul Matani
OLIVER FOX/SAGAMORE STAFF
Parul Matani grew up in Michigan and was enthralled with science at a young age. She began a career in cell research but quickly realized her passion lies in teaching others about the science she already knew and loved. This newfound mission took her to Cambridge Rindge and Latin School where she taught biology before transitioning to the high school this year. She is excited to show her biology students a fun and interactive learning experience.
What made you want to become a biology teacher?
I loved science, and I was doing cell biology research. I loved learning about it, but as the years went on, the drive to repeat the same experiment many times and get a certain result wasn’t as interesting as talking about the science with other people. I started assistant teaching and tutoring, and I realized that drove me much more than doing the science itself.
What was your high school experience like and how did that affect your teaching style?
My high school experience was pretty standard, old-style teaching. There were lectures; in science there were labs. My favorite teachers were the ones that got really excited about the science, and that definitely has been part of what I try to do. Over the years I have learned that old-school lectures and tests are not the best way to teach. It is [important] because it adds rigor to the academics, but I think “doing” is definitely how most students learn.
If you could go back to high school, how would you have wanted to learn science?
It depends. My favorite class had tons of labs, and the teacher was wacky. He was very excited and super silly and even threw Mendel’s Peas at us one time to have us pick them up off the floor to see the wrinkled vs. round. I would love to be that uninhibited, but he was nuts. Another teacher marched through the book, and it was dry and boring. I also had one teacher who didn’t call on the girls in the class, so I definitely am for reaching every student and having every student be heard.
How is your work important to you?
It’s why I get up every day. Nothing else drives me as much as a bunch of students waiting for a lesson, an activity, a lab or just to chat.
What do you want your students to feel when they are in your class, and what do you want them to take away when they leave?
I’d like them to feel curious and have questions, but it depends on the student. One might fall in love with biology and go into a career in biology. Another might think about their own life and things that affect their life through a scientific lens and might be able to make decisions based on that, whether it’s decisions about caring for the environment, their own health or political opinions – it could be anything. I want every student to take away something that is significant to them.
Oliver Fox is currently a senior at Brookline High School and has been in the Sagamore’s staff since 2018. In his free time, he likes to play fantasy...