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Photo courtesy of Dr. Braff
Passionate Eagles fan. UPenn graduate. Taught by Mr. Taranta. Dr. Braff was born and raised in Philadelphia, and after nearly two decades of teaching and a recent paternity leave, he is ready to fully join the Masterman community in his hometown.
Dr. Braff is a new 7th-grade World History and 10th-grade African-American History teacher. He also has a 7th-grade homeroom, 7-2. With 7-2 being my old class and my brother’s class this year (shoutout to Nigel!), I decided that he would be the perfect candidate for me to interview.
Dr. Braff grew up in Philly with two younger sisters. He describes himself as a passionate Eagles fan, but football isn't the only sport he loves. When asked about his hobbies, Dr. Braff detailed that he was an avid soccer player, playing competitively up until this fall. In elementary school, Dr. Braff had Mr. Taranta as his science teacher, and many of his good friends went to high school at Masterman. However, the main reason he applied to teach here was that “[he] wanted to teach at a school where [he] could challenge students and where students wanted to learn and grow every day.”
The path to teaching at Masterman has been an adventurous one for Dr. Braff. After high school, he completed his undergraduate studies at UPenn as a History and Communications major, where he also took up some new hobbies—joining an acapella group and doing stand-up comedy. The summer before his senior year, Dr. Braff was an assistant teacher at St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire, and it was there that he realized he wanted to become a teacher. St. Paul’s School is a high-end private institution, but during the summers they take the top 10% of New Hampshire public high school students headed into their senior years and offer them intense college-like classes to help prepare them for college. He recalls, “I was an assistant teacher in the Law and Government class and also a dorm counselor. I really enjoyed working with the students and seeing their growth. I loved getting students to consider new perspectives and defend arguments and this allowed me to tap into that. I’ve always had a passion for history, so getting to discuss something I’m passionate about every day is an added bonus.”
After college, Dr. Braff went to Pace University to get his MS in Teaching, and soon after, he obtained a Ph.D. in American History from Temple. He has been teaching since he graduated college in 2004, starting by teaching Social Studies in New York City for six years. During his path to a Ph.D., Dr. Braff taught at Temple, Thomas Jefferson, and Northeastern (where he just finished writing a textbook).
After moving back to Philly from Boston last year, Dr. Braff filled in for a sabbatical at GAMP before ultimately being hired at Masterman. He hasn't had the chance to fully integrate himself with the community yet, as he was on paternity leave for the past month due to the birth of his third child. “In my family, it’s traditional to name a child after a deceased member, by using the first letter of their first name,” he explained. “My oldest, Maya (four years old) is named after my grandfather Marvin, and my son Elias, or Eli (two years old) is named after his maternal grandmother.” Dr. Braff’s newborn, Sophie, is one month old and is named after his paternal grandparents, Sarah and Sam. With Sophie being his third child under five years old, Dr. Braff has a lot on his plate, but that isn’t going to deter him from his love of teaching.
Dr. Braff expressed that his favorite part of teaching is seeing the growth of students throughout the year. “Looking back at the end of the year from a first essay attempt to a final essay effort is always enjoyable,” he said. “[I like] to see the development and sophistication of the arguments that students make over time.” While he enjoys seeing the improvements of students throughout the year, for him it’s more about the kids. “What’s more important and fun than me seeing the growth is students recognizing it. That’s the best, when students know that what they have produced is far better than what they had done at the beginning of the year.” He appreciates his students' improvement, and they appreciate him for helping them. With the everlasting revolving door of teachers in recent years here, it seems like Dr. Braff is here to stay.
Welcome home, Dr. Braff. You’re going to fit right in.
Fun Facts about Dr. Braff!
Birthday: January 14, making him a Capricorn. He didn’t comment on horoscopes, however…
Favorite Color: Green #Eagles (yes, he said that too)
Favorite Song: In his words, “Motownphilly by Boys II Men, a big crowd pleaser.” (Someone in 7-2 better play Dreams and Nightmares!)
Favorite Book/Movie: A tie between Catch-22 and The Three Musketeers for books, but pinned “Rocky” as his favorite movie—another crowd pleaser, but a better choice.
And finally, the best place he’s visited: Rome, because around each corner is history and a great place to eat!
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