Karim Azeb
Karim Azeb has been teaching since 2013. In 2019, he arrived at the high school and has recently taken on the role of Interim Associate Dean for the Class of 2024. He enjoys watching soccer and follows the sport both in his hometown and on a global scale.
What do you like most about teaching at the high school?
This is the first truly diverse school I’ve taught at. It has everything and everyone as opposed to the traditional, political meaning of diversity in the U.S, which is very just black and white. The high school has a wide range of students. I found that to be the most interesting because I’m learning new things about different cultures that I never had the pleasure of interacting with, because of where I grew up and live.
What are you hoping to accomplish as an interim Associate Dean?
We have a lot of plans to address and be more actionable on the equity front. I know the whole administration has been really specific and direct about trying those things. Also, I’m excited just to get to know more kids. I’ve been teaching only juniors my first few years here, so now I actually have to really know more students. I’m most excited just to get to know more people and work on addressing the equity issues in Brookline across the board.
How has your experience teaching history influenced your goals in the education field?
I’m more of a relationship builder than a content deliverer. I know my content very well, but in my classroom, my main concern was always can any student walk in and feel like I care about them. When I was in school, history was all about dates and names and events. You had to know when it happened, who was there and what was the thing that happened. But our learning today has shifted to focus more on themes and ideas. I think that’s more relatable and achievable when you have good relationships with your students.
What do you enjoy most outside of teaching?
I’m a soccer fanatic. I was born in Egypt, so my favorite team is my local team in Alexandria, but, worldwide, it would be Barcelona. They came to Egypt in 1998. It was the first professional game I ever saw live because they played my neighborhood team. I’ve been a fan ever since.
Marissa Drossos
Special Education teacher Marissa Drossos is a devoted mother and passionate about activism and social justice. Drossos loves to garden and connect with her students in the classroom. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, baking and spending time with her son.
Could you tell me a little bit about being a special education teacher?
I am in the special education department. I teach at a learning center, and I’m co-teaching in the English department and in chemistry classes, so I’m in a few different places, but all in 10th grade.
Did you always know that you wanted to be a teacher?
No, not at all. I did an internship working in a school and realized I really enjoyed working in the field of education. From there, I worked mostly in non-profits early in my career and ended up deciding that I wanted to be in a more traditional classroom setting.
Do you see some of your previous interests in your hobbies today?
I definitely see this in terms of my personal life; I try to be politically involved when I have time and take on activism activities when I can. Being a teacher helping young people is important work in the world to me. I also love gardening; I have a community garden plot in my neighborhood, and I love being outdoors. I have a 20-month-old son, so I spend a lot of time at parks and playgrounds.
Is there a specific area of activism that you’re really interested in?
Right now racial justice work is something I’m very interested in. I know that Brookline is taking a focus on equity with reading Just Mercy and discussions around that. Women’s and LGTBQ+ rights are also important to me. Last year, I tried to do work around the presidential election such as call banks and letter writing.
Is there anything at the high school that you love that your old school didn’t have?
I came from a very small charter school and we did great work but were limited by our space and resources, especially in special education. I love that Brookline has so many different programs and opportunities for students: the ACE program, School Within a School, and the amount of different clubs.
Is there anything that you would want people to know about you?
I’m excited to get to know students and teachers here. It’s a huge school in comparison to where I was, so I’m excited to be able to meet more people and get more involved over the course of the year.
Ella Kennedy (she/her) is in her senior year and has been on staff for two years. Ella enjoys spending time with friends, making pinterest boards, and...