As Geoffrey Nelson, who has been serving as the chair of the English department for five years now, sets off for new horizons, he will be handing off the coveted title of chair to Upper School English teacher Miriam Emery. Nelson was involved in the decision as a member of the English department, but ultimately the decision was made by Head of School Laura Danforth and Dean of Faculty Sam Savage. Nelson said he believes Emery exemplifies the qualities of a good chair.
“To be a chair, you have to be a wonderful teacher first,” he said. “Any of her students would tell you she’s incredibly committed, incredibly dedicated. I see her meeting with students almost every morning during X-band. She puts incredible care into the design of every lesson. She really is a meticulous educator.”
And it’s not just Nelson who feels that way. Stella Bilman, a junior in Emery’s AP English Language class, expressed a sentiment similar to Nelson’s.
She said, “The assignments are very purposeful in AP Lang; I never feel like I’m doing busywork assignments or anything.” She continued, “The way class is structured is always really conducive to deep conversations, and there’s a lot of time to digest and unpack complex ideas in the readings, as well as components of writing structure and preparation for the AP exam.”
Emery, who is currently in her tenth year at Masters, said that her favorite things about teaching here are the students and Harkness.
“I think teaching in that way is the best way to learn and to have an opportunity to hear what everyone’s thinking,” she said.
Emery shared some of her goals as chair. As a firm believer in advanced classes, she said she hopes to keep those in the English department even if the school chooses to get rid of APs.
She also said she would like to keep the sense of community in her department. “The English department is already amazing, so I basically want to support the teachers and make sure that they stay amazing, and to foster community in the department because, as students know, if you’re collaborating with a group of people who get along and work together, that’s ideal.”
