New Dean of STEM Faculty Mr. Craig will be supervising and collaborating with STEM teachers to come up with new ideas and strategies for both teaching and learning.
STEM at IACS includes the math, science, music and wellness subjects. “STEM doesn’t officially include music,” Craig said, “but we wanted to divide all the classes into groups and there were a few that didn’t quite fit into either humanities or STEM, so I took them under my supervision.”
Craig felt it important to also include wellness in this definition. “Whether it’s mental, emotional, or physical health, wellness is a big part of learning,” he said. “During the pandemic, I was really struck by the fact that if we aren’t in a healthy place, we can’t learn anything. I did a lot of research, study and supporting students and teachers during that time.” Craig carries this new knowledge to the current time, and would like to remind us that everyone has a different perspective. “Assuming that teachers and students alike already have their own baggage and things they have to deal with really provides more grace when interacting with them.”
Mr. Craig has taught math classes in the past and spent 12 years at the Landmark school as the head of the math department. There, he worked on several interdisciplinary and collaborative projects across different subjects. Craig hopes to bring this same concept to IACS, coaching teachers to help make more projects and activities that include multiple different parts of STEM.
Students have also been curious about Purple Thursdays, a weekly event Mr. Craig has set up for anyone to participate in. He was very excited to share the story, noting that the tradition of ‘bringing joy to the people’ has been around for about 20 years!
“Once upon a time,” he began, “I started working at Landmark, and I met one of the teachers named Mike. And he wore purple on Thursdays! I was curious to know what that was about, so I asked him, and he told me that he observed a teacher when he was student teaching who wore purple on Thursdays just because he liked it!”
As a final disclaimer, Mr. Craig would like students to know a certain aspect of his personality. “Just a heads up, I am on the quirky side. So, if you think, ‘Mr. Craig is kinda quirky,’ that is correct. And I take no offense to that.”
Catch Mr. Craig and his quirky bow tie in any of your STEM classes this year!
