After 10 years of teaching, Sophie Gorlin strides into her classroom, eager to ignite curiosity and challenge her students. She settles at her desk, a place where history and possibility converge, bridging the past and present.
An alumnus of the high school, Gorlin now teaches the very junior English class that once shaped her understanding of literature. Through high expectations and personal connections, she challenges students to think critically while offering unwavering support.
Gorlin’s journey to the classroom began far from Brookline. Born in the former Soviet Union, she immigrated to the United States as a child. She grew up attending what is now the Florida Ruffin Ridley School and Brookline High School, and she returned to teach at the high school a decade ago.
“I always wanted to be a teacher and a writer, ever since I was a small child, but I did not have the vision that I would someday be teaching this class,” Gorlin said.
Her connection to the high school began as a student in the same junior English class she now teaches: American Literature. That class, which focused on the choices of authors and the way language shapes themes, shaped her academic path and continues to inspire her teaching today.
“I think it was the class that really taught me how to read and write in a literary way,” Gorlin said. “I had to pay attention to authors’ choices, understand what they were doing, how they were developing themes, how much attention they gave to language, and be able to do the same in my own work and be so deliberate. I think it was eye-opening.”
Senior Bridget Morrissey said Gorlin’s class pushed her in ways she hadn’t experienced before.
“My favorite part of Ms. Gorlin’s class last year was how much it challenged me. Throughout my high school years, I never felt like English class was super challenging, and I think Ms. Gorlin pushed all of us to think beyond not just what we’re doing, but why we’re doing it as well,” Morrissey said.
Morrissey also praised Gorlin’s ability to connect personally with her students.
“She bonded with every person in the class individually. At the start of class, she would have these small moments, where she would share common interests,” Morrissey said. “I think it just made it more than school. It made it more personal.”
Senior Anna Krivtsov does not describe herself as being strong in humanities, but she said she found Gorlin’s detailed feedback especially helpful.
“When we’re meeting with her about a thesis or what evidence [we] should have, I think she’s great. She gives really specific feedback, like ‘Oh, this is good, this is bad,’ really specific and detailed. That was really helpful for me,” Krivtsov said.
According to Morrissey, although Gorlin sets high standards, these expectations come with support. She recalled a moment when she struggled with an essay after difficult personal issues.
“I talked to her on the side, and I told her about a family situation that messed me up and what was causing my struggles,” Morrissey said. “She was very vulnerable and she shared a similar situation that she was experiencing. It made me feel like I had more support.”
Building on the lessons she learned as a student, Gorlin strives to create a classroom environment that encourages her students to approach literature and life with a deeper curiosity and a desire for critical thinking.
“My greatest hope is that [students] come away with more curiosity about the world and an enriched understanding of their culture,” Gorlin said. “I also hope things they once could pass by as boring and dismissive are now something they could take an interest in.”
