Dr. Cara Saraco, Middle & Upper School English

Hometown: Elkins Park, PA

College(s)/Degree(s): Ursinus College (BA), Villanova University (MA), West Chester University (Ed.D.)

Email Address: csaraco@episcopalacademy.org

 

What is your favorite thing about teaching at EA? 

I love working with our students. They are driven and curious as well as kind and respectful, always saying “thank you” after each class. These characteristics would be enough, but as a bonus they also have a great sense of humor. This combination makes for a class that is truly enjoyable to teach. Every day, we have an enjoyable and meaningful conversation about what we are reading and why it’s important. I am also grateful to work at EA with amazing colleagues who inspire me with their creativity and expertise in the classroom. 

 

What is your favorite lesson or unit to teach?

My favorite novel to teach is The Great Gatsby in Foundations of American Literature. It continues to be relevant to our current society, and students always take a lot of meaning from it while also enjoying the story. This year, I attended a workshop at Bard College that focused on the overlap between certain Taylor Swift songs and Gatsby, and it was really fun to bring those activities to my own classes. 

 

What do you hope your students take from your class?

I hope students leave my class with the literary analysis skills they need to be successful readers, writers, and critical thinkers in the future, but I also hope they remember the larger themes we’ve discussed with each book and how these themes relate to their lives and to our current society. 

 

What is your favorite Stripe?

I really like all of the Stripes, but my personal favorite Stripe is probably Gratitude. Even when things feel overwhelming or challenging, Gratitude can help ground us. Studies have shown that reflecting on what we are grateful for can lead to greater happiness and satisfaction with our lives. Of course, we all have different things to be grateful for individually, but we can also all start with the fact that we’re fortunate to be at a school like Episcopal. Gratitude for what we have also helps us share our gifts with the community, leading to other Stripes like Kindness and Generosity.