Michael Rawlins was hired as a Social Studies teacher, currently teaching freshman core, at Tam this year. Previously he taught at Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington.

“Tam I think is a fantastic school for me, a great fit because of the community involvement here and the freedom it gives its teachers to teach from the heart,” Rawlins said. “It’s very accepting and open to all different walks of life and personalities and I think that makes it a really strong fit for me.”

Rawlins hopes to bring some of his own experiences into his classes this year. “I hope to bring to Tam a lot of my engagement with environmental and social issues. I’m pretty active in restoration and trying to get kids outside more, following their passions and sort of bringing environmental awareness a little closer to the surface of our actual curriculum.”

Rawlins’ interest in environmental issues was influenced by his previous work experience. “Before I worked at Garfield I worked at an environmental education center, so I was teaching late elementary and middle school science from an environmental standpoint on Bainbridge island, so that was really cool.”

Rawlins, who is not only new to Tam but also to Marin, is also excited to get to know the area.