Our new Upper School English teacher Mr. Stockton isn’t just new to Carrollton, he’s new to Miami as well. Previously, he worked as a journalist covering hockey in Detroit. One thing he isn’t new to, though, is teaching. Mr. Stockton taught middle school and high school in Connecticut and Michigan and has always loved reading and writing. Now he uses his experiences and passion to enrich his classes.
The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
How did your passion for English begin?
English was just something that we cared about as a family. My grandmother actually passed away in the spring, but when we were little, she would call my mom asking what kind of stories or books we were interested in and then record them for us and give us those tapes. I took a class in 11th grade that was on the stream of consciousness novel, so we read “Ulysses” by James Joyce, “The Sound and the Fury,” by Faulkner and Virginia Wolfe’s “To the Lighthouse.” I just loved that class and that was really the turning point for me.
Did you always know you wanted to pursue a career related to English?
I always wanted to do something that was connected to reading and writing. That is an overlap between journalism and teaching. Teaching English was definitely something that was at the forefront of my mind for a while.
How big of a career change was it from being a reporter to becoming a teacher?
With hockey, the season is kind of similar. You have an off season and then you have the time that you’re [working]. I think there are also similarities in terms of some of the work. You want to be prepared and have done the things that you need to do to feel ready for the day, and yet also be willing to adapt based on what’s coming up. It’s definitely a change, but I think in some ways, the skill sets overlap.
Why did you choose to come to Miami?
I knew I wanted to get back to teaching after several years working in journalism, and I was looking at schools all over the country. I had lived in Detroit for a couple of years and really liked it, but didn’t have anything tying me there. Then I eventually saw the job opening at Carrollton, interviewed, really liked what I heard, and wound up coming down to visit. I liked it even more. Coming down to Miami was a very welcome change of pace, and it is such a gorgeous campus here. I would say by far the single biggest reason I came to Miami was because of how much I liked Carrollton.
What was your first impression of Carrollton?
I think just being blown away by the setting, coming through the Grove, and seeing a super green, almost overgrown vibe of everything. I know everyone tries to say that the peacocks are a nuisance. I won’t have that. I think the peacocks are awesome. Obviously, we don’t have those walking around in Detroit. The kind of natural setting blew me away.
How is Carrollton different from other schools you’ve taught at?
All girls is a big change for me, and I had not been at a Catholic school before either. I think the social dynamics of an all-girl school has been the biggest thing I’ve observed as different. You all are very close with one another, which is a lot of fun to get to see and to start to become a part of a little bit, too.
What’s your favorite topic to teach?
I’ve taught “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry at the schools that I was at previously, which I enjoyed a lot. I think doing the drama can be fun because it encourages you to really think about how you are setting this up in your head and how you see these things unfolding. I’ve also taught a course on Dark Romanticism, which was a Gothic literature course at the school where I was in Connecticut.
What are your teaching goals this year?
I feel good about the first step, which was to feel as though I know everybody well. As far as longer term goals, I’d like to get a clear picture of exactly how everything fits together across our course.
What is one thing you hope students will learn in your class?
I hope folks can walk away from the class with greater self confidence in their own writing and thinking, and I hope that with lots of practice and feedback from each other, we can start to feel even more confident in knowing that if they see it and can explain it and work out the logic of it, they can kind of self scout in a way that allows them to feel confident and know that they gave an answer that makes sense and were able to express it clearly.
What is the most valuable advice you’ve received about teaching?
No matter what happens, you have to meet your class where they are. John Wooden, the UCLA basketball coach from a long time ago, who won a million games, said, “You haven’t taught them until they’ve learned.” This means you need to meet your class where they are and make sure that you’re really resonating and connecting with them on that level. I think that has always been something that I’ve prioritized based on advice that I’ve gotten.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a successful writer?
Just read and write as much as you can. I think that nothing is better than practice. It’s very hard to write well if you don’t read, and if you read a lot, I think it’s very natural to write too. Think about those two processes in tandem with one another.
To wrap up, what is your motto for this year?
Stay flexible. I try not to have rigid expectations but instead roll with things as they come. And so I think trying to embrace that has been big.