Angela Macedo

Upper School Science Teacher Angela Macedo is the eighth recipient of the Blair Jenkins Faculty Chair for Math and Science, an honor that commemorates the retirement of Dana Hall’s ninth Head of School and honors teachers who have demonstrated extraordinary skills in the classroom and steadfast commitment to Dana students. The remarks Macedo shared at the Board of Trustees dinner in January are excerpted below.

At age 16, I swore I would never be a teacher. Both my parents worked in education. My mother was a lifelong elementary classroom teacher and my father worked as an assistant principal in a middle school for the majority of his career. I don’t know exactly why I was so certain that I would never teach. Perhaps it was part adolescent rebellion and part seeing the fatigue on my parents’ faces when they came home at night. I am now 50 years old and know that I will always be a teacher. And ironically, after all those years of thinking that I didn’t want to follow their footsteps, it is indeed my parents who are my biggest inspirations as a teacher.

One of the biggest influences on me was the fact that throughout my childhood and adolescence, there were other kids in our house. These kids were not my siblings, but rather they were some of my father’s students. I can recall eight of them that stayed with us or lived with us over the course of 20+ years. I may have been born an only child, but I wasn’t really raised as one because I so often shared the space with my father’s students. These students sometimes came every weekend and spent school vacation with us, there were some who lived with us temporarily, and there were two who became permanent residents at the house—one of whom would eventually become my adopted brother. My father understood how much one’s home life can affect one’s academic performance and he sought to provide a safe harbor for these boys. My parents helped with everything from homework to laundry to getting licenses and completing applications to independent schools and colleges. The support that my parents gave to these students taught me so many lessons that influence the teacher that I am today.

First and foremost, I learned the importance of seeing the whole student. Sometimes, I am asked why I have chosen to teach at an independent school or a boarding school. Honestly, I can’t imagine teaching at a school where I didn’t have the opportunity to work with students outside of the classroom. Truthfully, the cocurricular duties we have at Dana sometimes feel like a lot. But the other side of it is that I know the students I teach who also live in Wheeler Dorm better because I see them every Thursday night. I have a better sense of who students are because of the time I have spent with them volunteering at service venues. When things get challenging in the classroom, the connections we make outside of the classroom help navigate the difficulty. I am grateful for these opportunities to know my students more fully as it improves the connections in the classroom and frankly, it makes the job more rewarding!

From my mother, I learned to be patient. As all teachers know, learning doesn’t always follow our intended timetable. We may plan lessons and set the pace, but there are so many factors out of our control. My mother was an incredibly patient and flexible person. She held me to high standards, but she never showed impatience when I needed many tries to meet them. There are times when my patience is definitely tested in the classroom. We live in a world of time pressures and deadlines. Being patient pushes those boundaries. Being patient also requires some amount of faith: my 9th grade students will grow up and be seniors someday. They won’t always fall out of their chairs or giggle so much, but I need to be patient as they mature.

I also learned to laugh with my parents. We laughed a lot in my house growing up. We laughed quickly, and sometimes inappropriately, but we laughed together. Laughter taught me so much. I learned to not take myself too seriously, I learned that it was okay to make mistakes, I learned to roll with the punches. I love to laugh with my students and colleagues. We do a lot of laughing in the Science Department. It keeps our energy up and helps us see the lighter side of things when stress is high. Ultimately, laughter can connect us together and that makes for a strong community.

I am grateful to teach at a school like Dana Hall. I am grateful to work with students who are motivated to succeed. As frazzling as a Conference Period with 20 students is, I know that I am working with students who want to learn and are willing to put in the work to do so. Not every teacher has it so good. Most days when I walk into the classroom, I absorb my students’ positive energy. They typically come to class ready to work and learn and as a result I turn into a teacher ready to teach. I am grateful that I am fed by my students’ energy.

I am grateful to work with dedicated and bright colleagues. I love the time I spend in the Science Department Office with colleagues. Sometimes our discussions are about science and sometimes they drift towards the inane, but we lift up each other’s spirits. Whether it is covering for someone or helping out someone else’s student or showing the department a cool new demo, I know that I can count on my colleagues. I hope every department feels this way.

I am honored to join the ranks of those who have come before me, but I really think this award is about celebrating the work we all do. I celebrate my colleagues who meet with advisees over lunch, those who give extra help while on dorm duty, those who come in early or stay late to meet with students, those teachers who take advantage of professional development opportunities and bring new ideas and technologies back to the rest of us. I could go on and on—there are so many ways that we all go above and beyond to better serve our students and community. I am grateful to be a part of this amazing team. F

Marking the end of another stage of the Classroom Building Project, Dana Hall and construction management firm CM&B held a beam signing event on March 9. The community was invited to make their mark — literally — on the future of Dana Hall’s campus by signing one of three beams that were placed in the building’s peaked roof near Wing B. “Each one of these phases of construction is a significant milestone for us,” CM&B Project Executive BJ Whennan said. “A beam signing is a way to commemorate this, and to become a part of the project permanently.”

The project is scheduled to meet several milestones in the summer months, including closing walls, installing the cupolas, and advancing the interior work of all the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing trades. The project remains on schedule, and plans are underway for students and faculty to move into the building this winter.