Sarah Thompson
Biology
9th-grade Level Advisory
I was raised and educated in the sunny and strange state of Florida. I attended the University of South Florida and earned a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences. I often share the stories of my “unique” experiences engaging with life in the swamps, springs, and beaches of the Gulf Coast with my classes. A year-long environmental volunteer experience with AmeriCorp Cape Cod provided even more classroom banter, from scallop genetics at the Marine Biological Labs in Woods Hole, to dressing up as a human-sized water drop named H2O Flo. When I am not working on some engaging new way to make Biology hands-on, I can be found during the week and weekend hiking the trails of Griffith Park or the Angeles National Forest.
I started teaching Biology and Environmental Science 16 years ago in Florida and couldn’t be happier that I’ve relocated, with my teaching credentials in tow, to a state with a coast to rival the one I grew up near. I have found the hardest working team of teachers in Los Angeles at New West, and love that any new out-of-the-box idea that engages students beyond the norm is embraced and celebrated. I have been revived by the passion of both my colleagues and, more importantly, my students who demonstrate their early desires to pursue advanced degrees associated with life science. Making science relevant to all is a constant and ongoing personal goal knowing that many in our diverse student body are not headed toward a science degree. I am passionate about making STEM fields seem enticing and exciting. The course work to get there, although challenging, is not unattainable when a student’s passion for science is sparked early and kept ignited. I hope to set them all on fire!