Before coming to Gilman, Matt Zealand served as the world languages department chair at the Drew School in San Francisco, where he was also the varsity cross country and girls soccer coach. While at Drew, he led student trips on the Salkantay trail to Machu Picchu in Peru and along the St. James trail in Spain in addition to numerous experiential learning trips within the United States.

Before working at Drew, Mr. Zealand taught Spanish at the College Preparatory School in Oakland and Ignacio Valley High School in Concord. His teaching career started in Madrid, Spain, where he taught English and wrote for In Madrid magazine.

Q&A

What was your favorite teaching moment?
One of my favorite teaching moments at Gilman was seeing my students put their Spanish to use in a mock speed dating exercise with visiting students from Seville, Spain.

What is your favorite spot on Gilman's campus?
My favorite spot on Gilman's campus is our beautiful baseball field. 

What inspired you to become a teacher?
I was inspired to become a teacher to share my passion for language and culture and to open boys' minds to other perspectives. My own language-learning journey was a transformative experience that continues to enrich my life on a daily basis.

What do you enjoy about teaching at Gilman?
The all-boys environment is ideal for teaching languages. The energy and enthusiasm the boys put into group and pairwork, role play activities, and high- and low-tech competitions is unmatched in an all boys atmosphere.

People might not know…
That my first passion was journalism and that my first job out of high school was a brief stint as a sports writer for the Cumberland Times-News.