AACT Member Spotlight: Sarah English



Every month AACT spotlights a passionate member who is dedicated to enhancing chemistry inside and outside the classroom. This month, we spotlight Sarah English. She is a chemistry and AP Chemistry teacher at Sweet Home High School in Amherst, NY.

Tell us about yourself.

I am is a 1995 graduate of the University of Rochester with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a 1998 graduate of Niagara University with a Master of Science in Education. I received my PhD in Science Education from the University at Buffalo in 2006. Over the past 24 years, I've taught Living Environment, Regents Chemistry and Advanced Placement Chemistry at Sweet Home High School. I've also been an adjunct professor at the University at Buffalo and Buffalo State College teaching the science methods course. I'm a member of the first cohort of the NYS Master Teacher program. I am the Chemistry Director at Large for the Science Teachers Association of New York State. I am passionate about collaborating with fellow chemistry teachers and I've presented and written for local and national organizations such as NSTA, ChemEd, AACT, NEACT and ChemEd X!

Why did you become a teacher? Did you always want to teach?

I never thought I was going to be a teacher. If you had asked my teenage self about the possibility of becoming a teacher, I probably would have burst out laughing!

Share a story from your past that led to your choosing your field of work.

In the fall of 1994, I came across a table in the student union at Rush Rhees Hall at the University of Rochester with a bunch of Peace Corps pamphlets. I saw one talking about being a teacher abroad and honestly thought to myself, "How hard can teaching be?" In 1994, the Peace Corps was very competitive, and I was lucky enough to have access to the Vice President for Administration Donald Hess who was a former director of the U.S. Peace Corps from 1972 to 1973. My interview with him was incredible, and he was a major motivating factor in encouraging me to join the Peace Corps leading my path forward in teaching. With his support, I joined the 1995 cohort in The Republic of the Gambia in West Africa.

Why did you become involved with AACT? What are the benefits of being involved?

I remember being very excited when AACT began! I was a charter member and thrilled about the possibility of shared resources just for chemistry educators. The benefit of being involved is the idea that materials are available but at the same time serve as inspiration to develop new content. From the video clips to the simulations to the lesson plans, AACT offers something for everyone.

What topic do you find hardest for students? How do you teach it?

I find that chemical bonding tends to be one of the most difficult concepts for students to learn. We have focused on using a lot of hands-on experiences while also making connections to student experiences.

What do you do to remain current and bring the latest science into the classroom?

Being involved in the Science Teacher Association of New York State (STANYS) has helped me remain current and innovative. I work with amazing chemistry educators across New York State who are subject area representatives in chemistry as they provide chemistry professional development in their section of the state. Together we work to provide the best professional development by chemistry teachers for chemistry teachers. This means a focus on three-dimensional learning through the development of chemistry storylines. We all push each other to be better! More recently, I have joined the ChemEdX team and am working to contribute to the ChemEdX website as well as help plan for ChemEd2025 in Colorado.

What are you most proud of in your work?

What I am most proud of is my collaboration with fellow chemistry teacher (and only sibling!) Rob Collard and our development of digital interactive chemistry notebooks. I have collaborated with Rob since we both started teaching chemistry. COVID spurred us to find a way to teach both remotely and in a hybrid setting while offering support to our students. To date, we have developed 17 notebooks, many of which are focused on three-dimensional learning. Our development of place-based storylines using the New York State Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS) is an ongoing process that both engages and excites our students.

What fuels your passion for science and teaching?

My students. I love knowing that I helped them along the way to being the incredible humans that they are today.

In three words, what would your students say they learned from you?

Focus, excellence and persistence.

If you could pass on one word of wisdom to other chemists what would it be?

Collaborate. No chemistry teacher should be an island. Find other chemistry teachers, work together and support one another!