Meet Humanities Teacher Ian Coupe
We welcome Mr. Coupe as our sixth grade Humanities teacher.
Q: Why did you choose to work at Pardes Jewish Day School?
A: Something that has stood out to me since my first conversations at Pardes is the strong community. The individuals that teach, study, and work at Pardes work hard to cultivate a thriving community that emphasizes the joys of childhood and learning.
Q: What motivated you to become a teacher or to work in education?
A: I come from a family of teachers! I grew up watching my dad love his work as an elementary school teacher. As I continued my journey, I discovered that working with kids energizes me and brings me the same joy that I observed in my dad!
Q: What do you enjoy most about teaching or working in education?
A: I love the unpredictability of every school day! Some of my favorite memories are discussions or debates that are born from a (seemingly) simple book character or history lesson.
Q: What is the most important life lesson you want your students to learn in your class(es)?
A: Know yourself! Knowing your strengths, struggles, likes, dislikes, and what you need in order to succeed is a tremendously valuable skill.
Q: How do you keep current with the subject areas you cover?
A: Read and read and then read some more! Whether it’s a new YA novel, the New York Times, or an expert teacher’s editorial, I have found that reading is very rarely a waste of time — and it usually makes it into whatever lesson or unit I’m thinking about.
Q: What was your favorite book as a child?
A: One of my favorite books as a kid was Travel Team by Mike Lupica. It tells the story of a middle schooler who loves basketball, but is cut from his team because of his height! It was painfully relatable and ended up being quite empowering!
Q: What is your favorite book as an adult?
A: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is a book that I love. It chronicles the life of Louis Zamperini – an Olympic runner who endured the struggle of a lifetime during his time fighting in World War II. I’d recommend the Young Reader’s version as well!
Q: What are some of your interests/hobbies?
A: I love to hike! I often take weekend trips to national parks and forests to enjoy days in nature. When I’m hiking, I’ll always have a book with me in case I find a quiet spot to sit and read!
Q: What are you most looking forward to this school year?
A: I’m looking forward to really getting to know the Pardes community! As a new faculty member and a new resident of Arizona, I’m so excited to get involved and get to know everyone in this great community!
