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5 Questions With Faculty: John Kingery
Why teach at Chatham Hall?
I had a passion for Chatham Hall the first five minutes after stepping on campus. The atmosphere is steeped in tradition and a sense of belonging. Hearing the faculty and staff express their love for what this community offers made me realize Chatham Hall was a special place. But, what really convinced me that Chatham Hall was the place for me was its students. The scholars here are eager to learn, curious to share and explore their own interests, and thankful for what I have to share with them. You cannot ask for a better teaching experience than that.
I had a passion for Chatham Hall the first five minutes after stepping on campus. The atmosphere is steeped in tradition and a sense of belonging. Hearing the faculty and staff express their love for what this community offers made me realize Chatham Hall was a special place. But, what really convinced me that Chatham Hall was the place for me was its students. The scholars here are eager to learn, curious to share and explore their own interests, and thankful for what I have to share with them. You cannot ask for a better teaching experience than that.
What is the best part about teaching history?
In my classroom, we study history as a means to making the present a better place. Making connections to what is happening in the now, nationally and internationally, to the events of the past is a rewarding experience. Offering a history that is inclusive in its perspectives, while presenting it in a way that gets scholars thinking, not memorizing, gives each member of the class a stake in material. They have ownership. The best part about teaching history is knowing that those lessons will be taken with them into a larger world, and that they will apply them to their own passions and whatever challenges they may confront.
What is your favorite thing in your classroom, and why?
Besides my coffee maker, my favorite things in my classroom would have to be all the gifts scholars have presented with me over the years. From handmade art projects to coffee mugs, they serve as reminders of why I went into teaching in the first place and that I have made some difference in their lives.
What is your favorite Chatham Hall tradition, and why?
Our Senior Chapel Talks have to be one of my favorite traditions. The personalized messages they share, from the music to the readings, is a marker of their contributions to this community and a statement of their growth. While providing our soon-to-be graduates with a time to share their experiences, the service allows me to reflect on the contributions each individual scholar made while here and on my growth as a teacher and Advisor. I thank them for that.
Go Gold or Go Purple?
Purple to the core!
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In my classroom, we study history as a means to making the present a better place. Making connections to what is happening in the now, nationally and internationally, to the events of the past is a rewarding experience. Offering a history that is inclusive in its perspectives, while presenting it in a way that gets scholars thinking, not memorizing, gives each member of the class a stake in material. They have ownership. The best part about teaching history is knowing that those lessons will be taken with them into a larger world, and that they will apply them to their own passions and whatever challenges they may confront.
What is your favorite thing in your classroom, and why?
Besides my coffee maker, my favorite things in my classroom would have to be all the gifts scholars have presented with me over the years. From handmade art projects to coffee mugs, they serve as reminders of why I went into teaching in the first place and that I have made some difference in their lives.
What is your favorite Chatham Hall tradition, and why?
Our Senior Chapel Talks have to be one of my favorite traditions. The personalized messages they share, from the music to the readings, is a marker of their contributions to this community and a statement of their growth. While providing our soon-to-be graduates with a time to share their experiences, the service allows me to reflect on the contributions each individual scholar made while here and on my growth as a teacher and Advisor. I thank them for that.
Go Gold or Go Purple?
Purple to the core!
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800 Chatham Hall Circle • Chatham, VA 24531
+1 434.432.2941 • admissions@chathamhall.org
Day and boarding school for girls grades 9-12 in the Episcopal tradition.
+1 434.432.2941 • admissions@chathamhall.org
Day and boarding school for girls grades 9-12 in the Episcopal tradition.
