Math teacher Ethan Somes discusses how their experiences as a trans person impacts their presence in the classroom

When asking new Upper School math teacher Ethan Somes who inspires them, they’ll tell you about Alok Vaid-Menon. Vaid-Menon is a gender non-conforming writer and artist well known for their advocacy and activism for LGBTQ+ rights. Somes explained that Vaid-Menon’s response to hate and harassment influences him to remain rooted in his own identity while recognizing that others’ criticism is only a reflection of their lack of comfort around people who are different from themselves—and is their own struggle.

“I really just think that outlook on life of ‘I am so solid in myself, that I can have compassion for you. And you’re not … you’re not as self-assured as I am.’ I really like that; I aspire to be that self-assured,” Somes said.

Somes is trans, and as a math teacher, he emphasized his efforts of combating sexism in the classroom. They explained that when they came out and transitioned partway through college, they experienced a drastic flip from being perceived as a woman pursuing a STEM major to being perceived as a man in the field.

“My first year of college, I was a woman in computer science. And I got treated like absolute crap by all my classmates. And then my senior year, when I was read as male, those same exact people who were so condescending and gross, and just wouldn’t take anything I said seriously, were in my senior thesis group, and they one, didn’t remember who I was, and two, treated me with lots of respect,” Somes said.

Somes pointed out that his unique understanding of sexism informs how he teaches. They’re constantly working to improve their handling of sexism between students, and are especially conscious of calling out explicit sexism and enforcing the notion that everyone—and their ideas—are valuable in class.
Somes’ love for math runs deep and they noted that they are inspired to work with SPA students who seem like they genuinely want to learn.

“I think math is just like … the blueprint of the universe. It explains everything in such a perfect, beautiful way,” they said.
When Somes isn’t in the classroom, you can find him crocheting, watching reality TV, or spending time with his fiance and dogs.