Campus Feature
Road to Retirement
Craig Schmidt
Craig Schmidt knows what it’s like to grow u p on a sc ho ol c a m pus. Th e son of t wo Chattanooga, Tenn., teachers – his mother at Girls Preparatory School and father at McCallie – it was fitting that Craig, too, would someday become an educator. “What I love about teaching is that every day is different,” he said. “My field, history, is constantly changing. We always view the past through our personal perspective and that perspective is constantly evolving. Students are also constantly growing. It’s not just different students every year; each student also grows and changes each day. And then, of course, over the years I have worked with many different colleagues. Teachers, students and history are never the same. You never get bored.” Schmidt joined Darlington’s history faculty in 1986 and was named department chairman the following year. His previous teaching experience included one year at Camp Lejeune High School on the Camp Lejeune Marine Base and 12 years at Memphis University School. “I was introduced to Darlington on the soccer field when I was a seventh-grade student at McCallie,” said Schmidt. “My coach was Jim McCallie, who later became Darlington’s president. My eighth-grade math teacher was Gordon Bondurant, who also later became Darlington’s president. That same year, my science teacher was a former Darlington teacher, Harry Milligan. I would have had Joe Campbell as my tenth-grade math teacher, but he had moved to Darlington by then. My second teaching position was at Memphis University School, and its headmaster was Ross Lynn. Ross had been an outstanding teacher, coach, administrator at Darlington before he headed MUS.
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“I came to Darlington because having grown up at McCallie, I was familiar with the independent boarding school world, and I wanted to work with educators like Joe Campbell and Jim McCallie,” Schmidt continued. “Since then, Darlington has had many great teachers. Men like Roger Stiflemire, Joe Campbell and David Rhodes showed a dedication to their students and the mission of the school. Teachers like Bruce Burch, Jack Summerbell, and Steve Killian taught history with knowledge, enthusiasm, and wit. Fortunately, we still have many current faculty that will continue this tradition.” During his tenure, Schmidt has taught AP European History, AP World History, AP U.S. History, Ancient World History Honors, U.S. History, Modern World History, Ancient World History, Military History, Government & Economics (summer school), and Algebra I Review (summer school). Additionally, he has served as adviser of the Chess Club, Scholar Bowl, Jabberwokk yearbook and National Honor Society. He has also coached varsity and junior varsity soccer. As a campus resident, he has served as a member of the Campus Duty Staff and the Academic Support Team, working primarily in Summerbell House. “The percentage of international students has grown tremendously [since I first came to Darlington],” said Schmidt, who holds a B.A. from New College and an M.A.T. from
Duke University. “It adds so much to the teaching of history when you have students from China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Spain, Mexico, etc. in your class. Their backgrounds are so different from American students, and this variety enriches us all.” Schmidt has received numerous honors and awards for his work with students, including being named STAR Teacher several times. “I have stayed at Darlington this long because I have been able to pursue scholarship in my field and work with talented students from around the world,” he said. “For me, teaching is about scholarship and students. To be a good teacher, I think you need to be equally dedicated to both. “The most satisfying moments are when you see students grow intellectually,” he continued. “All students are capable of this, but you must be willing to work with the students where they are. You must also challenge all students, and that requires that the teacher always keeps learning about his subject. Darlington has given me the opportunity to do both.” According to Schmidt, his plans for retirement can be summed up in three simple words – to keep learning.
Darlington Magazine