
Faculty
Jonathan Cohen
Eighth Grade Science Teacher
Jonathan Cohen earned a B.A. in biopsychology from Oberlin College and an M.A in education from Stanford University with a California clear credential. He has been teaching for almost 30 years in independent and public schools. Jonathan completed the Exploratorium Teacher Institute Program and later mentored new teachers through the institute’s Teacher Leadership Program. He once won the Exploratorium’s Iron Science Teacher competition. At BPC, in addition to eighth grade science, he teaches workshop and electronics wheel classes. During the summer he teaches a microbiology course at the UC Berkeley Academic Talent Development Program. Jonathan joined the Black Pine Circle School faculty in 2015.
A Favorite Book
I love the book Song of the Dodo by David Quammen. The book is subtitled, Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions.” It is a detailed account of evolution and ecosystem decay. It reads like an adventure travelogue and it balances hope, history, a call to action with a nuanced discussion of speciation and evolution. Song of the Dodo is one of the most affecting science books I’ve ever read.
Quick Fact
Apprenticed with a luthier, adept with a paddle