This fall, BSM welcomed a large variety of new teachers. Mr. Matt Dooley, one of these new faces, has taken on the role of teaching Advanced Composition, English 10, and Film Studies. 

Dooley has been a teacher for six years and has taught at a variety of schools, including The High Mountain Institute, which is a boarding school in Colorado, a charter school in Colorado, and Blake, where he attended as a student. He taught most of the same subjects that he currently teaches, but he also taught humanities, such as History and Social Studies. “I taught a World Religion class, which was really fun,” Dooley said.

Dooley keeps busy with more than just teaching. He is completing his Master’s degree in English at University of Saint Thomas and is a musician as well. He plays the guitar, banjo, and Mandolin. “I’m in a little folk band,” Dooley said. 

Prior to coming to BSM, Dooley worked at Blake as a long term sub. He believes in the power of small schools and allowing all children to receive the attention they need to succeed, so when the opportunity for him to teach at BSM presented itself, it was a perfect fit for him. “I really wanted to be in a school that had a good community and a good culture,” Dooley said.

Being new to BSM during such a confusing time has presented Dooley with many challenges. Dooley says the most difficult thing about coming to a new school during COVID is not being able to see students’ faces in person, making it much harder to remember all the names of his new students. Despite these challenges, he has had plenty of help from his peers. “I really like the teachers who I work with… even in the midst of this crazy air, teachers have been really helpful,” Dooley said. 

Another aspect of BSM that he enjoys is the small class sizes. “I like that every day is different. If a day goes well for me, I feel like I’ve learned new things about a book or a topic that I didn’t know before… even as a teacher I’m always learning in my job,” Dooley said.