By Lucy Peterson
As the school year turns to October, many members of the BHS community may have already had the opportunity to meet all the new teachers and staff at Branford High School, but starting this week The Branford Buzz will be featuring a new teacher. Over the coming weeks, the Buzz will be publishing Q & A interviews with all the new staff members.
Today’s feature is on Mr. Jonathan Corbett, who is a science teacher.
Why did you become a teacher?
Because trying to understand the universe is fascinating, and one of my favorite things to do is share that fascination with others. Especially young people, who are still curious. I also think that it’s important that the people who will grow up to be voters and decision makers should understand and appreciate what science is (and isn’t) and how we can use it as a practical tool and a source of deep emotional enrichment.
What is your background and how did you end up here at BHS?
Well, I was born at a young age. I am originally from California, but moved to Connecticut to finish a degree in Biology. I supervised the greenhouse as an undergraduate and did research in plant genetics and genetic engineering. I then attended graduate school at the University of New Haven and taught biology and math for a while at Norwich Free Academy in Norwich. I moved to Essex and taught biology and astronomy at Valley Regional High School for eight years. This summer, Branford High called to tell me they were looking for a physics teacher and I decided to make the switch from biology to physics because I wanted to teach more math!
What do you like about BHS?
People at BHS seem happy – both students and staff. There seems to be a good focus on enjoying ourselves here, with a healthy balance of getting our work done and having things like music trivia and Hive Live silliness.
Tell me about your family or your interests.
Outside of science, I enjoy the outdoors and am an avid hiker and snowboarder. I also enjoy cooking and baking, and I love fermenting my own yogurt and sourdough starters. I enjoy sewing and tailoring clothes, and I am (very slowly) pursuing my private pilot’s license. I read a lot of history books, and am fascinated with ancient cultures, lifestyles and myths. On clear, dark nights I like to take my telescope out and imagine the thousands of generations of people who had no idea what they were looking at and the wonderful stories they created to try to explain it.
What is a favorite book, song, movie, or TV show and why?
My answer would be Cosmos by Carl Sagan, which is both a book and a TV series. It is what got me hooked on science as a teenager and it has helped me feel a better sense of what and who I am as a person, a creature on this planet, and as a walking, talking, thinking, feeling collection of atoms in this very bizarre place we call the Universe.
