Faculty Feature | Susannah Brower

Name: Dr. Susannah Brower
Current role & department: Upper School Latin Teacher, World Language Department Chair; Latin Honor Society and Certamen Club Advisor; Grade 9 Advisor
Year you started at Albany Academy: 2015
Alma mater(s) and degrees: BA: Bryn Mawr College (Latin and French); MA and PhD: University of Toronto (Medieval Studies)

What inspired you to become a teacher?

"I’ve wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. When I was very young, my mother taught ENL classes at Syracuse University, and sometimes I went with her when she didn’t have childcare. I used to try to take over her classes even though I couldn’t even read yet, so the interest has always been there!

I’ve also had a lot of wonderful teachers and professors myself: Gale McCall, Grace Armstrong, Sharon James, Julia Gaisser, and David Townsend, to name a few. What really stood out to me, apart from their kindness and brilliance, was how infectious their passion for their disciplines was. So it would be hard to pinpoint one particular moment, but it really boils down to being inspired by my own teachers and wanting to emulate them. I love everything about Latin, and I feel so lucky that I get to share my knowledge with students every day."
 

What strategies do you use to spark student engagement and creativity in your classroom? 

"In my lower-level classes, I like to do an open-ended project each year that allows students to be creative, and I find that they really rise to the challenge. One of my favorite examples is a student who was really interested in makeup, so she did a research project on ancient Roman cosmetics. As part of her presentation, she made some makeup using Roman recipes, with substitutions for safety, and gave one of her classmates a Roman makeover.

I also try to adjust what I teach from year to year depending on student interest. Even though we have a set curriculum, there is a lot of room for variation in the history and culture portion of it. My students quickly learn that the right question can lead to a class-long digression, and they take full advantage of that fact. But I love those days, because even if their questions are motivated by a desire to postpone learning the latest verb tense, they are all engaged, and the things we discuss are often the things they remember best."
 

Is there a particular lesson or project that you especially love to teach? What makes it meaningful for you and your students?

"Every year in Latin III, we do an election project. Students are divided into four teams: Caesar vs. Pompey and Antony vs. Octavian. In real life, those conflicts were settled by civil wars, but for the sake of the project, students are tasked with building a viable political campaign for their assigned figure.

Students make pamphlets and posters, come up with slogans, and film attack ads. They present these along with a detailed biography of their figure, and the project culminates in a debate and vote. The only real rule is that they cannot lie, but they can twist the facts to suit their narrative.

We learn about the differences between modern and ancient historiography, and students are required to use at least one primary source. I love this project because students really throw themselves into it; their videos are always hilarious and the debates are heated. I’m always impressed by their creativity."
 

What is a fun or unexpected fact about you?

"Students are always surprised to learn that I lived in France for a year after college, teaching English, and that I have Canadian citizenship. I also play the viola, often in the pit orchestra for Academy’s winter musical, and I love cats (I have three!)."

If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be doing?

"In an alternate life, I could see myself living in Rome as a tour guide and volunteering at the Torre Argentina cat sanctuary. Rome is my favorite place in the world, and that cat sanctuary is my favorite spot in Rome; it’s cats and Roman ruins all in one!"

Favorite book or movie?

Book: Jane Eyre
Movie: Jurassic Park or the original Star Wars trilogy, probably. It depends on the day! 

What’s something you’re especially proud of in your career?

"I was honored to receive the Upper School Teaching Award in 2020. I also have a publication in the journal Classica et Mediaevalia. I don’t produce scholarship anymore, but I’m proud of the work I did in the past, and I love to talk about it when I get the chance!

I’m also proud of the two international trips I have led during my time at Academy. As a student myself, I remember being so elated when I finally got to see Rome and Pompeii with my own eyes, with professors there to teach me about what I was seeing. It is so rewarding to travel with students and watch them have that same experience of joy and excitement when they see places they’ve spent years learning about. The one piece of advice I always give students is to make sure they study abroad in college, because there is no experience like it. Having students tell me that my trips convinced them to do so makes me so happy."

Anything else you would like to share?

"This is truly a special community. Just as an example: a former Academy teacher introduced me to my husband, my advisory group threw me a bridal shower at school, and two current Academy teachers were bridesmaids. Several of my students and advisees attended the ceremony, one student livestreamed it for us, and an Academy family sponsored us so that we could hold our reception at the Fort Orange Club. Makeup and photography were also done by Academy parents. I don’t know anyone else who can say all that about where they work, but I’m glad that I can!"