Sam Schotland

Bio & Expertise: Raised in a family of academics, Sam Schotland grew up in Philadelphia, PA. Developing dual passions for the humanities and the sciences, he pursued a BA in History from the University of Michigan, where he graduated with highest honors. Sam then earned an MA in History from Yale University, as well as an MS in Medical Science from Michigan.

Ultimately, Sam realized that his true vocation was teaching, which occurred while partnering with patients in a primary care clinic. After a brief stint as a health policy analyst at the Wharton School, he now teaches high school English and psychology at an independent school in Queens. As an educator, Sam is eager to teach both STEM and humanities subjects with aplomb, whether it’s a thorny chemistry problem or a Thomas Hardy novella. Sam's teaching philosophy is a joy-oriented, Socratic method, where student inquiry comes first and foremost. He always strives to bring the best out of his students, as they do with me. Or to quote the far pithier Rodgers and Hammerstein, “If you become a teacher, by your pupils you’ll be taught.”

Sam's approach in the classroom is deeply interdisciplinary and attuned to the ethical and emotional stakes of learning. He is interested not only in what students know, but how they think, wonder, and grow. Ultimately, Sam views teaching as a humanistic act—a kind of care work in its own right.

As a writer, Sam's scholarship and essays have appeared in The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, STAT News, The Drift, The New England Journal of Medicine, and The Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences. In his spare time, he enjoys shopping for used books, seeing Off-Broadway shows, and playing fetch with his Maine Coon cat, Misha.

Fun Fact: In high school, Sam was an ice dancer.

Location: NYC In-Person + Virtual

Website: www.schotlandeducation.com

Contact: samuel.schotland@gmail.com; 610-715-5221