Keith Sanders Chemistry Teacher

AS A FIRST-YEAR CHEMISTRY AND EIGHTH-GRADE SCIENCE TEACHER, Keith Sanders became awestruck twice— once upon witnessing his first Terpsichord concert and again at the 1991 Cum Laude induction. Fast forward 32 years, and the memorable moments have become too numerous to tally.

What has become indelible in the mind of a guy whose mantra is “If your hair catches on fire in the laboratory, it will ruin your day,” are many memories of his students and colleagues. Sanders describes his decades-long teaching career as getting to do “something I love surrounded by phenomenal people.” His colleagues’ command of their disciplines, dedication to their craft, and creativity of their instruction continue to inspire him. “They bring who they are as people into the classroom.”

While he will miss his students, he is grateful that the learning environment at GPS allowed him to focus on what he was hired to do without the myriad distractions that sometimes afflict so many teachers. “I’m certain that every school wants to address the development of the entire student,” he says. “We are fortunate in the degree to which we have the learning environment and resources to undertake this.”

The girls will certainly miss Mr. Sanders’ famous ice cream lab (where they deliciously learned about chemical reactions). Regardless of the lesson, he says the goal has always been “to prepare students for whatever comes next for them, whether it is a science course here at GPS, a future college course, a career in science, or having an appreciation for the importance and impact of science. I hope I have accomplished this to some degree.”

In return, his students have helped keep him young. Sanders realized a number of years ago that, while the students in his class were always 15 or 16 years old, he, in fact, did get older each year. “It was easy to miss because the energy, enthusiasm, and optimism they bring to school every day is contagious.”

Sanders plans for retirement are still malleable, but he hopes to experiment with new languages and then volunteer in a country where he can put those newfound skills to the test. Wherever his travels take him, he will definitely find time to spend with his sons, Scott and Eric. And perhaps he’ll renew his passion for music, dust off his trombone, and play in the orchestra for one of our upcoming musicals? Wherever his new roads lead him, Mr. Sanders will surely remain a Bruiser for life.

“ Whenever I mention Keith’s name, it never fails that the girls will say, “We love Mr. Sanders!” Keith models being a lifelong learner. In his 32 years at GPS, he constantly researched better teaching methods and was willing to change how he teaches to do what is best for the girls. He is kind and thoughtful with just a hint of sarcasm—maybe a little more than a hint. He will be missed.”

—TRACIE MARLIN DURHAM ’81, SCIENCE DEPARTMENT CHAIR AND COMPUTER SCIENCE & ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT CHAIR