By McKenzie Patterson

“I kind of accidentally fell into my math major,” is how new Upper School math teacher Sarah Clarke explained her journey to becoming a math teacher at Collegiate. Clarke grew up outside of Philadelphia with her mom, dad and younger brother. She was raised in a mix of different worlds, with her dad being a physics teacher and her mom being a veterinarian, and she described her family as being “very scienc-y.” Her parents sparked her early interest in learning and pushed her to pursue a career in teaching.

Bowdoin College. Photo credit: User Ccomen via Wikimedia Commons.

Clarke said that, “being a teacher appealed to me throughout my time at an independent high school [William Penn Charter School], which I then began to think about more seriously when starting college in 2019.” She had always loved math but “wasn’t sure I wanted to study math,” so she went to Bowdoin College in Maine to start studying liberal arts. In her first semester, she took a class on multivariable calculus. Her professor, Dr. Thomas Pietraho, and his wife Dr. Jennifer Taback, also a math professor, encouraged her to consider pursuing a career in mathematics and even introduced her to a community of other women studying that subject. That encouragement became a turning point for Clarke, because she was inspired to change the standards and make math feel like it’s for everyone.

As she continued taking mathematics courses, Clarke began to appreciate something about the subject that appealed to her. She found “its ability to provide a clear sense of resolution” to be fascinating, unlike writing pieces, where she sometimes struggled to understand feedback. There was often a right answer in math, and reaching it required persistence and problem solving.

Deering High School in Portland, Maine. Photo credit: User John Phelan via Wikimedia Commons.

After graduating from Bowdoin with a major in mathematics and a coordinate major in education, Clarke pursued teaching certification in Maine. Her early teaching experiences included working with 9th-12th graders at Deering High School in Portland. She later moved to St. Louis, Missouri, while earning a Master of Science in Education through the University of Pennsylvania. Clarke also taught at Waynflete School in Portland, Maine, for a semester, as well as the John Burroughs School in St. Louis while she was in graduate school. All these schools offered a wide range of ages and situations, which helped Clarke find who she was best fit to teach. 

Her teaching experience has covered an unusually wide range of ages and subjects, from 7th grade pre-algebra to 12th grade calculus. She has found particular joy in working with middle and high school students. Her goal remains consistent: creating a classroom where students feel comfortable struggling, making mistakes, and trying again.

Clarke at her graduation from Bowdoin College. Photo courtesy of Sarah Clarke.

Clarke has noticed over the years that many students, particularly young women, have sometimes already internalized the idea that they simply were not “math people.” Working with those students has changed her perspective on what teaching can accomplish. She has enjoyed helping students work through difficult concepts, build confidence, and realize that struggling with mathematics does not mean they are incapable of succeeding. “I think anyone can do math and should do math,” she explained. “It’s just about removing that fear.”

For Clarke, one of the most rewarding parts of teaching is witnessing a student realize they are capable of something they once thought was impossible. But success is not always about getting the correct answer. She also values watching students become more comfortable participating, making mistakes and taking intellectual risks. “Creating a classroom culture where students are willing to be wrong,” she said, is one of the things she continually strives toward. Much of that philosophy was influenced by Dr. Taback, who first encouraged Clarke to challenge herself in mathematics. Dr. Taback pushed her to participate in research opportunities and conferences that initially seemed far outside Clarke’s comfort zone, as well as helping Clarke secure her first teaching position.

For Clarke, as a young teacher, that mentorship demonstrated that teaching was not separate from being a talented mathematician. Dr. Taback was an accomplished researcher who nevertheless devoted significant time to teaching undergraduates. That example helped show Clarke that teaching could be both intellectually meaningful and deeply rewarding. Her journey to teaching has also involved difficult moments. Moving alone to St. Louis in her early twenties was challenging, particularly while adjusting to a new state, a new school, and the responsibilities of having her own classes. During that time, she also experienced the deaths of two grandparents.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Clarke.

The experience taught her to pay attention to small moments of happiness and to be intentional about maintaining relationships. Whether it is calling home, spending time with friends, exploring a new place, or simply finding something that brings joy to an otherwise difficult day, she learned that “meaningful connections require effort.”

That lesson mirrors the philosophy she brings into her classroom. Mathematics may be difficult, Clarke believes, but difficulty does not have to mean defeat. With patience, support, and a willingness to keep trying, struggle can become part of the joy of learning.