Third time’s a charm, or at least that’s what the newest science teacher, Mr. Sean Kangataran, and his 11th– and 12th-grade students are hoping.
As the third Biology and Physiology teacher this year, Mr. Kangataran joined the faculty Feb. 16 and received warm applause and even some cheers at the next day’s Town Hall.
Mr. Kangataran moved to Los Angeles a year ago to pursue a career in indie rock music. His album launched, titled Sean Kangataran, was launched in Ireland in 2010, after which he spent a couple of years playing shows all across Europe. Here in Los Angeles, he has performed in such notable places as the Viper Room and Bubley’s East, both lounges located in West Hollywood.
Students who heard his songs after finding out they could be downloaded were thrilled, and could be seen playing his music from their laptops during lunch and free periods all throughout school.
However, he also has a strong background in both science and teaching, all in his native Ireland. After studying anatomy and zoology at the National University of Ireland in Galway, Mr. Kangataran went on to teach anatomy, physiology, and neurology to medical students there for about four years.
Mr. Kangataran has a clear love for both endeavors.
“I’m incredibly passionate about music and work really, really hard, but I also like learning,” said Mr. Kangataran, 31, in a Thursday interview in one of the school’s conference rooms.
“Teaching is one of the greatest challenges because you have to understand the subject so well that you can explain it in several different styles because everybody receives information differently,” he continued. ”I’d get bored if I wasn’t studying and learning.”
It’s been a tough six weeks for Science Department chair Dr. Jay Smallwood, who is new himself this year. First Ms. Mari Rosales resigned unexpectedly on New Year’s Day to enroll in nursing school. Her replacement, Dr. Katya Gudis, arrived Jan. 30 and was gone by Feb. 13.
Dr. Smallwood is optimistic about the newest recruit.
“I think the main thing is that he is very open and engaging to the students,” said Dr. Smallwood. “It’s been a long month-and-a-half but it’s over now. I’m looking forward to welcoming Mr. Kangataran and seeing everyone grow.”
Mr. Kangataran doesn’t see performing music and teaching science as that different.
“They are actually quite similar,” Mr. Kangataran said. “You are standing up in front of people, delivering something. It’s not worlds of difference.
“This is actually why I think I’ll fit in well with in Shalhevet — I don’t think the kids here are encouraged to only be one thing or to only express one side of themselves”.
Though in the past he taught an older crowd – the medical students in Ireland ranged in age from 17 to 35 — he doesn’t expect transitioning to high schoolers to be much of a challenge.
“It’s not that weird — I don’t see the students here as being that much younger anyways,” Mr. Kangataran said. “The students here are very mature, very educated, and very ambitious.”
After his first day teaching at Shalhevet, Mr. Kangataran had only good things to say.
“The students here are funny — there’s a great energy, they’re very, very friendly, and very curious minds,” Mr. Kangataran said. “All of them appear very keen to just learn.”
The students seemed to reciprocate his enthusiasm. Many commented that he was organized and passionate.
“He seems very intelligent, and within the first few moments of class he started developing a course syllabus to help us all stay on top of the work,” said senior Phyiology student Yossi Halpert. “I can tell he loves what he’s doing. I have high hopes for the future of the class.”
Though he hasn’t lived in Los Angeles for long, Mr. Kangataran said the different environment had already affected his music.
“The record I made before was a big, sad, break-up record,” he said of his first album. “It was all very miserable and dark. Then I came here and had way too much fun. My music is now a lot more upbeat.”
On the other hand, Mr. Kangataran had a sad story to tell about how he first got into music.
“I’m self-taught, and I actually only started playing music when I was 23,” Mr. Kangataran began. “A friend of mine who was a great musician passed away in a very tragic accident. I just started learning his songs because they meant a lot to me, and he meant a lot to me. I didn’t actually know I could sing until I was 23, and I tried and I could.”
When asked which song off his record was his favorite, Mr. Kangataran took a moment until he ultimately chose “Burn it all,” which he said was about the strength needed to let go when things get bad.
With lyrics such as We’re tired of trying but we’re not ready to fail, and There’s no one here to blame, we both came into this, it almost sounds like he’s been a Shalhevet Biology student all along.
