Meet the Trans High School Teacher Embodying the Importance of Representation
Ahead of the 2024 school year, PS's The Educators is spotlighting 24 public school teachers around the country who are making a difference.
Sam Long is a science teacher at South High School in Denver specializing in biology, anatomy, and physiology. He's entering his 10th year of teaching. Growing up Chinese American and trans, Long felt his identities were rarely represented at school or in science classrooms. That's why he's now passionate about sharing his story with his school community. Keep reading to get to know him.
What inspired you to be a teacher?
I always loved science and wanted to talk about science all day. Then when I started teaching, I also fell in love with the interpersonal aspect of working with young people.
What's the most rewarding part of your job?
In the first few years of teaching, I felt like I was having no positive impact on anybody. Then I started to notice the differences in the students leaving my class in May and the new students entering in August. Over that year with me, students had grown significantly in their scientific thinking and the way they interacted with each other.
Who was your favorite teacher and why?
Mr. Albert, my middle school orchestra teacher, believed any student could learn to do anything, and he would prove it. Using egg cartons and folded sticky notes to teach violin, his methods seemed strange, but they helped me to learn a skill that I never thought I would be any good at.
What's your go-to teaching uniform?
I teach in T-shirts. I used to wear button-downs and sweater vests to try to look older because I hated being mistaken for a student. After a few years trying out the stiff persona, I went more casual and this allowed me to feel more relaxed and authentic in the way I interacted with my students.
What do you always make time for because it makes you feel good?
I play with my cat, Ellie, and brush her every day.
What's your morning routine on a school day?
Oatmeal and the "City Cast Denver" podcast.
How do you practice self-care?
Having a strong union helps. In the past five years, mine has negotiated two major salary schedule increases to help teachers afford to live and take care of themselves in Denver.
What are you watching?
I'm watching "The X Files" for the first time. I'm in season three. The truth is out there.
What are you reading?
I'm reading "Missed Her" by Ivan Coyote, a queer Canadian storyteller who I read a lot in my early 20s. Going back to Ivan's stories in my 30s is a way for me to reflect on my experiences and changes in how I relate to the stories of others.
What's your fitness routine?
I do a lot of cycling, as a commute and for fun. I recently started fencing, and it has improved my reaction time as measured by the test we do in anatomy class — my reactions are almost on par with my much younger students now.
How do you keep from getting sick during the school year?
The only way to not get sick during the school year is to get the same sickness the previous school year and develop immunity. I've had nine years to build my immunity, but the number of times I get sick still fluctuates from year to year.
What's your go-to feel-good music?
The "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" soundtrack. With this album on, I can feel my circumstances and feel OK with them no matter what is happening.
Yerin Kim is the features editor at PS, where she helps shape the vision for special features and packages across the network. A graduate of Syracuse University's Newhouse School, she has over five years of experience in the pop culture and women's lifestyle spaces. She's passionate about spreading cultural sensitivity through the lenses of lifestyle, entertainment, and style.