Photo by Lainie Kaseff

Micah Solomon Margolies, middle and upper school English and math teacher, is debuting his teaching career at Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy. Margolies attended HBHA throughout lower, middle, and upper school. He can be classified as an HBHA-lifer, someone who attends HBHA from Kindergarten to senior year. Margolies took advantage of many opportunities at HBHA, including basketball, soccer, and theater. At HBHA, he excelled in math and science, which culminated in a scholarship to the Kansas University School of Engineering.

After experimenting with engineering for a semester, Margolies decided he wanted to pursue the humanities. “I told my mom I wanted to switch my major to English,” said Margolies. “My mom was an English major and she loved the idea.” Margolies then decided to attend the Kansas University School of Education and majored in secondary English education, a degree enabling him to teach both middle and upper school English courses. Margolies had to commit to a five-year program to obtain his degree. The first four years he enrolled in typical classes. The last year however, he gained firsthand experience as a student-teacher. The first semester he taught a freshman Honors English class at Olathe East High School. The following semester he taught seventh grade English at Overland Trail Middle School. Margolies thought, “both schools were awesome” and enjoyed teaching both middle and upper school.

After graduating from KU, Margolies applied for many public school teaching positions and a few private schools as well, when Headmaster Howard Haas and Upper School Principal Clauer contacted him about a teaching position at HBHA. They had a few meetings and Margolies was subsequently extended a job offer. He relishes teaching small classes because he is able to dive into the depth of the material and form a special connection with his students. Margolies is a great teacher, and HBHA is lucky to have him. He loves teaching at Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy and is excited for the year!