Michael Melinger

Bradley Durnell, a new history teacher at CHS, talks to the Globe.

Bradley Durnell

Q: How long have you been teaching?

A: This will be my 18th year in the classroom. I was at Lindbergh the past 11 years and I spent a few years teaching in the Boston area and a couple years teaching in the Denver area as well.

 

Q: What is your impression of Clayton?

A: Clayton seems to be a district that puts students first. Not only do they say that, they practice it as well. It is also a very supportive environment, not only for students, but for staff, and that’s from the top down.

 

Q: What differences have you seen between Clayton’s history department and other history departments?

A: At Clayton there is no leveling of students freshman and sophomore year, so everyone is in the same class. That’s something I really like. I think that’s a benefit to students on both sides of the spectrum, so that’s pretty cool. I am also excited about the idea of combining US and World history together, I just think that’s a better way of looking at the world.

 

Q: What were you like as a student?

A: I pretty much played the game and got through high school. When I got to college I realized I didn’t have the skills I needed to be successful. From there I scrambled a little bit, spent a little more time just enjoying life, and finally realized, “man, I’m paying all this money, might as well learn something”. Since then I’ve gained a hunger for learning and a passion for refining my trade and improving.

 

Q: Now that you have the perspective of an educator, how do you deal with students struggling like you did?

A: I think the reason why I was like that is the reason why a lot of students are like that: students learn in different ways. A lot of teachers, though I haven’t seen much of this at Clayton, teach however works best for them, and that’s great for students who “win the lottery” and learn that way best. If you’re not that student, you might get lost. Some students might do really well at absorbing information in lectures and testing on it later, others might excel verbally, like in a debate or conversation, but they never have the opportunity to make that positive contribution, and thus never build their confidence and realize they have skills that are valued. Traditional education tells you to sit down, shut up and ask permission to speak, and that doesn’t really jive with everyone’s learning style and is not representative of what people will find outside of [high school]. I wasn’t someone who was stimulated by this “drill and kill”. As a teacher, I try to mix up things as much as I can.

 

Q: Favorite TV shows?

A: I don’t get around to watching a lot of television. When I do I end up watching my kids’ shows, so I like paw patrol. We do have a family movie night on Friday nights, and right now we’re rolling through the ‘80s classics with the boys, so that’s cool.

 

Q: Why is your email profile picture Bob Ross?

A: I haven’t watched a lot of Bob Ross, but there’s just something about white dudes and afros. He’s got to be the most relaxing guy in the world. You can’t watch that and not be relaxed, it’s amazing. So no, I don’t sit around and watch Bob Ross, but I think he’s iconic and strange.

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