Michael Chadwick ’26
What course did your career take before you arrived at EA? / What motivated you to become a teacher?
Mrs. Maier and I were both lawyers for 10 years, which was a great education, but after losing a friend in the 9/11 attacks (who had changed careers to follow his heart), we started thinking about finding a career that we felt more emotionally connected to. Mrs. Maier started substitute teaching on the side, and I started coaching rowing, and we both knew teaching (and coaching) was the career we were looking for. 17 years later we are still grateful for the opportunity Episcopal gave us to pursue teaching careers.
Why did you choose to teach history? Were there other subjects you considered before settling on history?
I love reading and the books I gravitate towards have always been non-fiction books. I was an art history major in college, and studying law in law school is also a form of history. When Episcopal asked what I wanted to teach, history and art history just seemed like a perfect fit.
What would you say made your lessons unique for your students?
I wouldn’t say my teaching is unique, but I have always been inspired by other teachers who find ways to involve their students in their own learning journey. Early on I realized just how food motivated my students were, so I try to involve food in as many classes as possible. Trying to find ways for students to see themselves and their own history in class is another way to involve students. Most of all I just try to show how excited I am to be in class with great students and great colleagues every day. Everything I know about teaching I have stolen from my own teachers and from my colleagues at Episcopal.
Did your involvement in Junto have any ties to your career as a lawyer? What was your goal with Junto?
I started advising the Junto debate club with Mrs. Maier when Mrs. Aldridge first became a Form Dean. Debate is a great listening exercise in addition to a speaking exercise. The debate format rewards precise and concise language but also requires careful contemplation of what others are saying. I encourage all my students to join the debate club, and I try to work debate and discussions into class as much as possible. No matter how interesting a student’s thoughts are, if they can’t express them in a way that others can understand easily, their interesting thoughts remain a secret. I don’t want my student’s awesomeness to be a secret.
Was there an overarching goal you wanted to pursue while you were teaching?
Teaching for me is less about sharing my own knowledge and more about joining with others in a lifetime of learning. And it’s about laughing, starting with laughing at myself. Teaching is serious business, but that doesn’t mean taking myself too seriously. Some of the topics we discuss are heavy or sacred, but hopefully most of our learning comes with a big slice of wonder and an even bigger slice of laughter. I get that from my colleagues, too, who are all passionate, self-deprecating and hilarious.
What was a way you were proud of impacting the EA community?
“This might sound cheesy, but I love Episcoal’s motto of challenging and nurturing mind, body and spirit. When you step onto campus at Episcopal, you involve yourself in a long tradition of challenging and nurturing ourselves, our colleagues, and our students. I am so proud and grateful to have been a part of this tradition. I live for the surprise ‘a-ha!’ moments when a student makes a sudden breakthrough after a lot of hard work on a random morning in the classroom, an afternoon rowing practice, or an evening Open Mic night. I remember those moments more than the big wins, and I’m so grateful to have had a small part in facilitating those moments.”
Photos Courtesy of Mr. Maier