Science teacher Tracy Soffa enters her first year at Staples High School but not her first year of teaching. After 24 years of teaching at West Hartford, Easton and in Virginia, Soffa now teaches Physics A and honors at Staples. Soffa was a planning and zoning attorney before becoming a teacher, which is why she is partly responsible for the McDonalds in Westport.
Q: What made you want to become a teacher?
A: I’m a science nerd at heart, and I used to actually be a lawyer in Stanford. I knew a lot of science at the time because I almost went to graduate school, so I ended up being an environmental attorney. I would meet with all of the engineers and architects and environmental scientists, and I just loved hanging out with them. I went back to UCONN for two years, got the equivalent of a degree in geophysics and then decided to teach. My parents are both professors as well so it’s just in my blood. I feel like physics is given a bad rap, that it’s hard and it’s super nerdy. And I really want students and kids to see that it’s actually very cool.
Q: What do you like to do in your free time?
A: My brother and sister in law have a really nice boat, and we go out on the sound a lot.
Q: How were you partly responsible for the McDonalds here in Westport?
A: When I was a planning and zoning attorney in Stamford, during the mid-90s, my law firm was hired to represent McDonalds in their efforts to get a restaurant approved for in Westport. My firm’s senior partner and I spent weeks convincing Westport Planning and Zoning that McDonalds was legally permitted to take the place of the old Arby’s that was there. The town clearly did not want McDonalds in there, but after adjusting the appearance of the McDonald’s restaurant (had to fit in with Westport architecture and style so no golden arches) and removing a drive-thru that was planned, we finally got it approved.
Q: Since coming to Staples, what is your favorite part about teaching here?
A: I know it’s gonna sound corny, but it really is the attitude of the students. You get students come in, they want to learn, they’re ready to go. They’re not complaining about one way to do this. They’re just really positive. Maybe complaining in their head, but they don’t show it. And they’re very interactive. That’s my favorite part of teaching students here. Staples has a really positive atmosphere; the students really come in wanting to learn. There’s just, you know, just a really good positive energy here.
Having an informational article about Soffa is never complete without Inklinations:
“I really like how Ms. Soffa teaches because she creates an environment where asking questions and involving yourself in the class is not scary,” Katharine Frank ’24 said.
“My favorite part about Ms. Soffa is how animated she is throughout the class,” Nathaniel Phillips ’25 said. “She does a really good job of keeping everyone entertained and engaged with the material through stories.”
