Before Dr. Root was ever an English teacher at AIS, a professor at The University of Poconos, or even an undergrad at Rockhurst, he was just another high schooler. I was able to meet with Dr. Root and learn a little more about him before he came to Agnes Irwin and what he wants to do while he is teaching all of us.
When he was younger, he refers to himself as an “irresponsible child” who was not very good at English but did read a lot. It was not until he was in college that he ever even thought about being a teacher, let alone at a girls’ school.
Before he came to Agnes Irwin, Dr. Root worked at the University of Poconos in the English department. A large part of the reason why he chose to work at AIS is because of his daughter, who he says he “wants.. to feel empowered and to have a lot of options in the world.” He says he loves teaching and that his favorite part about it is going back and forth about a book, wrestling with a problem, and interacting with the students and watching them grow.
Despite being an English teacher, Dr. Root does not want to be a writer. He says he actually “doesn’t really write” anymore, because after he became a teacher, he knew it was definitely the right job for him.
Like the rest of us, the pandemic has played a big part in Dr. Root’s life. He says that it has made it harder for him to connect with his loved ones who he cannot see in person, and it has also impacted his teaching. If he had to choose between teaching on Zoom or in person he said he would teach “in person by a mile.”
So who is Dr. Root? He is a dedicated teacher who chose to use his talents to help other girls like his daughter feel empowered and know that they have options. He is a morning person, a cat lover, and one of my favorite english teachers of all time. All he wants to know from the AIS community is: where are all the good taco places?
