Jennifer Marcus joined the Upper School History Department to teach the World and Europe II and United States History this year.

Prior to working at the Upper School, Marcus taught United States History, World History, Comparative Religion and Global Studies at Windward School in Los Angeles and Westridge School in Pasadena.

Marcus said she did not always intend to study history. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Geography and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Texas but later studied at the Teachers College of Columbia University, where she earned her master’s degree in teaching history.

“I don’t come from a history background,” Marcus said. “I thought I wanted to go into urban planning, and then my course shifted when I started working in that field and realized that I was just more interested in interconnectedness of all of the social disciplines and that history was my love.”

Marcus is looking forward to collaborating with her colleagues

Marcus said she decided to teach at the school because of the history department’s collaborative teaching environment.

“I am at a point in my career where I want a lot of input from colleagues so that I can be a better professional,” Marcus said. “History is something that is tricky because, as a teacher, there’s a school of thought that you shouldn’t be political in the classroom. But history, and I’d say most teaching, is political by nature. I really look forward to working with other people, so I can present a balanced understanding of history.”

Although Marcus said she is excited to connect with her colleagues this year, she enjoys solitary activities in her free time. Marcus practiced pottery and went Hipcamping with her family in Southern Utah over the summer, renting others’ backyards and pitching a campsite there. Her other hobbies include dancing, reading, hiking and doing yoga.