Joshua Cabat

Every student needs to have a teacher like Professor Cabat. Despite being ready to retire before his time at Stony Brook, Professor Cabat became the Director of the English Teacher Education Program to positively impact others and inspire the next generation of inspirers. Full of personality and humor, Professor Cabat advises that for any student pursuing teaching, you must have two key traits: passion and commitment to making your corner of the world a better place.

What made you pursue your current profession? What’s the most fulfilling part of your career?

There is a Hindu belief that there are four phases in life. You learn, you do, you teach others what you’ve learned, and you reflect. I was all ready to retire; I taught hard for thirty-five years and, in that time, became an adjunct professor here. When Stony Brook University posted the job offer for Director of English Teacher Education, I thought, “Well, that’s going to get me from stage two to stage three.” What better way than going from teaching to teaching the teachers how to teach? The most fulfilling part I’d say is having three three-inch binders full of notes, cards, letters, drawings, etc., from people whose lives I’ve made a little better because they ran into me at the right time. To me, that’s evidence of trying to make a life worth living. 

Do you have any publications/research? Are you currently working on any?

My scholarship is mostly things I’ve done for the National Council of Teachers of English and their periodical for high school teachers, called English Journal. I’ve written a few pieces for them. I’ve had so many wonderful opportunities in my life. I was a Teaching Artist at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in their Young Film Critics Program for ten years. I’ve also started the NYC Shakespeare Festival along with the Northshore Student Shakespeare Festival. I love putting this stuff into play. I’m also working on an outline of a book. I’ve never published anything book-length before, but I have a plan! I’m working on it!

Through any of those experiences, do you have a memory that stands out?

Let’s see. The third NYC Shakespeare Festival, which was held at NYU, was based on the model established by the Folger of the Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. They have a festival. So every year, P.S. 123 from Bushwick would come in full costume and do twenty-minute adaptations of Shakespearean tragedies. One year, the kids brought a rolling table with them, and put a sheet over it with Hamlet’s father’s ghost standing on the table. During the performance, under the table and under the sheet, a kid was pushing the table on his knees so that it looked like the ghost was floating. I was like, “Oh my goodness!” It isn’t a competitive festival, but we did give little fun awards. So we gave the biggest award with the biggest applause to the kid under the table; that was amazing. 

What’s been your favorite class to teach at Stony Brook?

I would say the Methods Two class. The way I teach Methods Two is that I abandon theory, I abandon speculation about the larger philosophy of education, and I just model stuff that is not theoretical but stuff that’s worked for me over the years in many different classrooms. To me, the essence of any class is, “Can I use this stuff tomorrow?” It’s very practical, and so that’s probably my favorite class I’ve taught.

Who are you outside of Stony Brook? Do you have any hobbies or interests that you’d like to share?

I am a serial nerd; I am one of those people who has deep obsessions. For example, where am I spending Veterans Day weekend? I’m spending Veterans Day Weekend at the Star Trek convention! I’m also a music person. I’m a clarinetist and an alto sax player. I also run a virtual Film Society for people in my synagogue and people all around the Country, and we meet once a week to discuss films. I also have a Podcast called Vintage Sand with a couple of old friends I adore. We dont pose as film critics or actors, but we just love movies!