SIVASUBRAMANIAN

I love teaching science because being a scientist is a lot like being a detective—it’s all about asking questions, and connecting pieces of evidence to discover answers. I am so excited to get to know you all this year, and to be science detectives together.

My path to Watertown Middle School

I grew up in Wayland, Massachusetts (not too far from Watertown!) and spent most of my elementary and middle school days dreaming of being a writer when I grew up. In 10th grade, though, I had an amazing chemistry teacher, Mr. Chandler, who showed me that science was all about being curious—asking questions, making connections, and trying (and sometimes failing and then trying again!) to better understand the world in us and around us.

After discovering my love for science in high school, I went to Amherst College to study neuroscience. Neuroscience is the study of the brain. While I learned a lot about how our brains send messages throughout our body (your brain sends more messages than all the phones in the world combined!), I also realized that teaching was my real passion.

After college, I moved to Malaysia to teach English. I really loved living in Malaysia. I learned how to speak Malay, drank lots of tea with my friends, and rode my moped up and down the one main street in my small town. After Malaysia, I moved back to Massachusetts. I worked in Cambridge and Winchester, had a few crosscountry adventures, and found my way to Watertown Middle School. Now, I’m in my second year teaching science and Kingian Nonviolence at WMS :)

My family

My family is from India, and being Indian American is a really important part of my identity. I speak a South Indian language called Tamil with my family, eat dosa and chapati any chance I get, and sing Indian classical music. Sometimes, my sister and I perform small concerts in the area! My parents moved to the US when they were in their 20’s, but most of my grandparents and aunts and uncles still live in India. I visit India every few years, and will have many stories to tell you from my visits!

My other passions

I really love music—I like to sing and play guitar, and to find new artists to listen to. Making music and listening to music help me connect with myself and make sense of the world. I also like to go hiking with my friends. When we are able to travel, we like to go on hikes in the White Mountains in New Hampshire or in the Adirondacks in New York.

I also love working with young people to make positive change in our community. From teaching Kingian Nonviolence at WMS, I have seen that young people have really important ideas about how to stand up for what is right. I really look forward to hearing all of your ideas, and to helping you take action in our community.