Jun 27, 2021
Steve Amara is the reason I am a chemistry teacher. As part of his 40-year teaching career, where he inspired many students along the way, Mr. Amara was MY honors chemistry teacher back in 1992. In this enlightening and nostalgic conversation, we share not only our views on how to be a teacher and how struggle builds...
Jun 20, 2021
Josh Kam is one of the reasons ‘High School Matters’ exists. Josh was in my AP Chemistry class during his junior year of high school back in 2007. That year was the onset of a student-teacher relationship that was more of a friendship than anything else. Josh has asked me for guidance during various stages of his...
Jun 13, 2021
Jen Halper went through high school and the majority of her childhood in chaos. Jen was with me in Chemistry during her junior year back in 2005. To describe her chaos in a few sentences of text would minimize the significance of her experiences. The main takeaway is that Jen is living proof that “there is always...
May 30, 2021
Lauren Nassimi (Lauren Yaghoubi) is a member of the Mashadi community, perhaps the most conservative subculture among the handful of Persian communities in New York. Lauren was a student in my Biology class back in 2002 as a high school freshman. We talk very openly about how growing up as a female in this community...
May 23, 2021
Josh Kadden went through high school with a lot of privilege, but that doesn’t mean his experience came without challenges. Josh was in my chemistry class back in 2008 as a sophomore. While our conversation focuses on many of the issues Josh faced, most importantly it highlights how his attitude and coping...