Science teacher Mrs. Kulin joined Coginchaug’s science department halfway through the 2023-2024 school year. The Devil’s Advocate was excited to learn more about her experience at Coginchaug and her life outside of school.
Devil’s Advocate (DA): Where were you teaching before Coginchaug?
Nicole Kulin (NK): I was in Norwalk, Connecticut. I taught seventh and eighth grade for two years.
DA: How was the transition to Coginchaug, especially starting partially through the year?
NK: The science dept and Mrs. Anderson and all of the other science teachers are amazing so it was really easy. They were so helpful and everyone here is so kind, so it was really easy, even though it was the middle of the year.
DA: What made you want to teach science?
NK: My mom was a history teacher and my dad was a microbiologist so we always joked that I combined their jobs into one. My mom’s always been a part of education and my dad’s always been in science. By eighth grade I knew I wanted to be in science but I just didn’t know how. In college I worked with students with autism and I loved being in the classroom. I would work with students with non-verbal autism who were medically fragile in their own classroom. That was part time during college and during the summer. My first job outside of college was working as a paraprofessional for kids with autism, but I missed science so I went to grad school three years later to become a science teacher.
DA: What’s the class you’re most excited about teaching?
NK: I’ve never been able to teach about space until now, so I really love that I get to teach Geophysical [Science]. I really love space and the deep ocean, even though I don’t want to go there.
DA: What do you enjoy doing outside of school?
NK: My husband and I really enjoy going hiking, so we go up to Massachusetts and upstate New York to go hiking, spending time with family, playing music – my brother’s a musician and my dad and I will sometimes play with his band, and I like to run.
DA: What advice would you give to your high school self?
NK: My first thought was it won’t matter next year, just go to bed. I promise you, this is not going to matter in a year, just go to bed.
DA: Any book recommendations?
NK: Anything by Oliver Sachs, he writes about the brain a lot.
DA: What are you most looking forward to about this year?
NK: I was told that the Powderpuff football game is really fun. I also really enjoy seeing pictures from Homecoming and Prom when students come and show me how dressed up they are, it’s very sweet. Also being able to share starting a family with my students.
