Dr. John Hyland came to the school this fall as an Instructor in English after teaching at schools around the world, most recently at Berkshire School. Throughout his decades-long career, Dr. Hyland has taught a range of English subjects, from creative writing to graduate courses; this year, he will teach Prep and Upper Mid English. Dr. Hyland is an assistant coach for Girls Varsity Soccer in the fall and the head coach of Girls Varsity Hockey in the winter. He lives on Memorial 3 with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.
What has been the highlight of your week?
The highlight of my week has been getting to know the Hotchkiss students better in the classroom, in the dorm, and on Girls Varsity Soccer.
It’s just been good getting a better sense of this place and the students who really bring it to life.
I’ve also been enjoying running the rolling country roads around Hotchkiss.
Can you tell us a bit about your background as a teacher?
My first real full-time teaching gig was actually not in English but in studio art and general art education to grades 3 through 10 at an international school in Indonesia.
I’ve taught English in a lot of places; this is now my 22nd year of teaching. I’ve taught at colleges, universities, international schools, independent high schools, and private high schools. I have taught everything from creative writing to graduate courses, from American Literature to 9th Grade, and kind of everything in between.
What led you to the school?
It’s been a really circuitous path. I actually grew up in Millbrook and went to Millbrook School, and so I knew Hotchkiss from soccer fields and hockey rinks, and I drove past Hotchkiss thousands of times at the four-way stop light, but I had never really stepped foot on campus until I interviewed in March. My wife teaches at Indian Mountain School, and my daughter is in school there.
I never would have dreamed, thirty years ago, that this is where I would be; but here I am, and I’m very happy to be here.
What are some of your first impressions of the school?
I really like navy blue, so I’m happy about that, and everybody seems excited to be here, they seem serious about being here, they seem dedicated and passionate about the place, and they believe strongly in the mission of the place, students, faculty, staff and everybody else, so that’s always good to see.
What is your teaching style? What are your classes working on right now?
One of the things that really drew me to the school is the English Department. It’s filled with very passionate and dedicated teachers who clearly care deeply about the role of literature in our lives.
I don’t like a lot of silence, but I’m fine with silence at the same time. In general, I like to feel like there’s a lot happening with or without me. I don’t like to be a person who is just bestowing knowledge upon people.
I’m often amazed by how students can teach me things, too. So for me, it’s really figuring out ways to put students in a place where they feel like they can own what they know, which is much easier said than done.
It’s not easy being a student. You’ve got all kinds of things that you’re negotiating and trying to make sense of any given day, and so I don’t want to be the teacher that makes that more difficult; I want to be the teacher that helps students see the value of something beyond a grade.
