When John Terry arrived at Paideia, he saw the community as a “laid-back atmosphere with high standards, a rarity in education,” and felt right at home. Terry comes to Paideia as a new member of the history department, teaching three ninth grade world history classes and a seminar on Medieval Africa and the World. Entering his 15th year of teaching, Terry was delighted to experience the unique Paideia culture, saying that, “As an outsider looking in, I could clearly see that this is a community that knows exactly who it is, and that’s refreshing these days.”
One thing Terry loves about Paideia is the teacher’s ability to adopt a unique curriculum based on their passions and expertise. He believes students enjoy this style, saying, “students strike me as super up for whatever we’re tackling that day and are very comfortable talking to new students and adults.”
Before coming to Paideia, Terry taught at Westminster for eight years. While both excellent schools, Paideia and Westminster have a very different approach to education. When asked whether he would adapt his teaching style to the new environment, Terry says: “I’m still working out the answer! At Paideia we get more contact time throughout the week with classes than where I was before, so I’m using that as an opportunity to experiment more-and to give students more time to experiment and struggle in class instead of at home, which can build confidence a lot more quickly.” While his Paideia journey has only begun, Terry fits right in and looks forward to enriching the Paideia community.
