Upper School mathematics teacher Anthony Silk will replace Bradley Stoll as the new chair of the Mathematics department at the beginning of next year.

Stoll has held the position as department chair for the past 14 years since joining the school in 2000.

Department chairs act as a conduit between the faculty of a department and the administration, and communicate with students, teachers, and administration alike.

The role involves consulting with teachers about the courses and curriculum in their respective departments, settling the concerns of students and teachers, evaluating students for placement in classes, observing and improving courses, and maintaining a budget for the department.

“I think the main thrust of the job is making sure we are working as a single department, and not as 10 separate teachers,” Silk said.

Other duties specific to the Math department chair include reviewing courses with the middle school Math department, directing the usage of programs like Mathematica and The Geometer’s Sketchpad, administering math exams such as the American Mathematics Competitions (AMC), and scheduling various challenge exams.

Silk is looking forward to several aspects of becoming the chair of the Math department, such as the new relationships he will forge with students and teachers.

“[I anticipate] working more closely with my fellow teachers and the administration. I love being able to collaborate and exchange ideas about how to make our school and our department the best that it can be. I am thrilled that I will have more time to do that,” he said.

Both Stoll and Silk recognize the importance of being cognizant of the “wants and needs” of both the administration and the students, to successfully manage the department.

“I always tried to remember that it’s not about me being right or wrong, it’s about the student,” Stoll said. “I liked that I was able to communicate a great deal with parents, especially in regard to student placement. The little moments of when a conservation with a parent went the way I [thought] was best, are something that I will cherish.”

Stoll believes that his position as department chair offered him more autonomy with teaching decisions, benefiting his unique, overall teaching style.

“I think what I liked the most was that I felt I had freedom to teach the way I want. I could do different things in the classroom and experiment, without being second-guessed.”

One of Stoll’s students, sophomore Victoria Ding, believes that Stoll’s teaching style is highly effective, as his videos give students extra help available from anywhere.

“He makes videos on his IPad and posts them on YouTube. In the videos he does problems and explains concepts. It’s helpful because we have access to them at any time, and can watch them at home,” she said.

This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on April 4, 2014