Teacher Feature: get to know BHS’ new history teachers
Sagalchik and Whitfield, BHS’ new history teachers. Photo Courtesy: Whitfield (Left) and Sagalchik (Right).
September 16, 2021
What hobbies do you enjoy outside of school?
Sagalchik: “I’ve skied since I was young, but I’m not particularly good at it. But I still love to go out there. I also enjoy other outdoor things like hiking- and being in Vermont, I feel like I’m definitely in the right place for it.”
Whitfield: “I love spending time outside. I was a ski instructor up at Jay Peak in the Northeast Kingdom, so that’s something I really like to do in the wintertime.”
What was one of your favorite subjects in high school?
Sagalchik: “I like to talk a lot, and I think the class that offered me [that] the most was English. I really liked being able to read something and talk about it and hear what other people thought about something. [English] also gave me the most freedom to have ideas about the world.”
Whitfield: “Science was actually one of my favorite subjects, although I did like history as well.”
What’s something about yourself you think people would find surprising?
Sagalchik: “Both of [my parents’] jobs are related to chess, so I grew up playing chess. I’m not super amazing at it, but I was around it a lot.”
Whitfield: “Well I’ve been teaching for almost 20 years, and I’m 50, that’s something that surprises people- people always think that I’m younger.”
What’s your favorite season?
Sagalchik: “Winter, by far. I don’t handle the heat well and obviously, the winters with snow are the better ones. But I feel like things get very peaceful and a little slower in a good way.”
Whitfield: “Winter. Absolutely. Although, there’s something to be said for all the seasons. I like being outside in the summertime, and especially here, because it’s so beautiful. And it’s not so hot like it can be in the city where I’m from.”
![](https://bhsregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/IMG_5944-475x356.jpg)
How are you feeling going into this year?
Sagalchik: “I’m mostly just really excited to be back in-person with students. I feel like you can’t really measure the difference it makes to have people be back together in a classroom and having that energy of being together again. I’m very grateful for it.”
Whitfield: “I really think all the experiences I’ve had before have led me to be really happy here and feel lucky.”
What is one of your favorite books?
Sagalchik: “Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire. It talks about school in a way that’s not about the classroom: a way we could organize school as being part of life…And I find that really important in history, using history as a way to understand the world around us.
Whitfield: “The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison is a book that I’ve always liked, not the easiest of books, but definitely a book that I have read several times. I do like this book as well, Lies My Teacher Told Me, because it sort of uncovers some things about history that I haven’t always talked about in my classes.”
If you could have any superpower what would it be?
Sagalchik: “Maybe teleportation. If we all were able to teleport, we would have a much more efficient and environmentally friendly transportation system.”
Whitfield: “Probably teleportation because then I could very quickly go anywhere. I love to travel. It’s a big big passion of mine.”
What inspired you to become a teacher/ what’s your favorite thing about teaching?
Sagalchik: “I think of teaching as talking about interesting things with other people. I see teaching as a way to kind of facilitate that: trying to help people form communities.”
Whitfield: “I have always enjoyed working with young people. Even when I was a young person I was a camp counselor…and also just sharing my understandings and providing things that are really different- a different perspective. And also being an African American man, a Black man, it’s important to have other folks see me in this position.”