Spotlight on . . . Isaac Jacobs-Gomes, Fifth Grade Teacher
Posted December 15, 2011
Our BHDS Class of 1998 delivered an excellent educator - Mr. Isaac Jacobs-Gomes, one of our fifth grade general studies teachers. "I attended BHDS from grades 1 to 8, back before the school required a traffic light on Brotherhood Way (turning into school was a great way to get the blood pumping in the morning)," said Mr. Jacobs, who attended Drew High School then UC Santa Barbara, where he earned a B.A. in literature with an emphasis in creative writing followed by a certificate in Jewish service learning from San Francisco State and a certificate in Jewish day school education from Hebrew Union College.
In Isaac’s own words . . .
I have been teaching for five years: one year in Thailand at American Pacific International School and four years here at BHDS, where I started as a student teacher through the DeLeT teaching fellowship program. Subsequently, I worked in the middle school as an advisor and an assistant teacher in writing, math, and Judaic studies, and for the past two years as part of a wonderful fifth grade team.
Why do you do what you do? What are you passionate about at work?
I love what I do. Teaching for me is such an intoxicating combination of exciting and terrifying—profoundly rewarding and difficult all at once. I feel so lucky to get to work with kids every day; add to this the fact that I’m surrounded by brilliant, supportive colleagues and I feel as if I’ve won some sort of job lottery. I try my best to remain mindful of this good fortune and to approach every day of teaching with an attitude that honors it.
What do you like to do outside of work?
When I’m not at work I like to squeeze as much out of San Francisco as I can. I love to walk through the city’s different neighborhoods, eat at its great restaurants, and enjoy its eccentric people. I also like to read, play music, and indulge in my often co-dependent relationship with the Golden State Warriors. (Love certainly hurts when you’re a Warriors fan!)
