By Caroline Zandler

Podolny at work in the math department office in Pitt Hall.

For many teachers, the transition from public to private school presents new challenges and opportunities. One teacher who has experienced both sides is a veteran, both in the classroom and in the military, as he was a commander in the US Navy and a nuclear engineer for a submarine, the USS Norfolk, for three years. Upper School math teacher Derek Podolny, who previously taught at Douglass Freeman High School, came to Collegiate three years ago, and in a recent interview with The Match, he reflected on the differences between teaching math in public and private schools and his experience of having three sons attend the same school where he teaches.

When comparing the teaching experience at Freeman against Collegiate, one of the most striking differences is the flexibility in curriculum and pacing. “In private school, there’s a lot more freedom in what you teach,” he explained. “If your students are struggling with a concept, you have the ability to slow down and take a couple more days, whereas in public school, you have to keep pushing through the material to meet the state-mandated test guidelines,” he continued.

Another key difference is class size. Smaller class sizes at Collegiate can lead to stronger student collaboration, but there is also a delicate balance. “Sometimes, if a class is too small, like 12 students, and nobody talks, that’s not ideal either,” he pointed out.

Podolny’s teaching career has featured a diverse array of math courses. At Freeman, he taught everything from Algebra I to BC Calculus, and he describes his experience as covering “the highest of the highs and lowest of the lows.” He has taught Honors Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus, and geometry at Collegiate.

His connection to Collegiate goes beyond teaching. His three sons—Daniel (’31), Stephen (’33), and Christian (’33)—also attend the school. While having them at the same institution has been convenient for family logistics, it has also transformed his daily routine. “It is nice in terms of how our schedules align, but having three boys in the car in the morning and three boys in the car on the way home means I rarely get much time to myself,” he said with a laugh.

Reflecting on his past three years at Collegiate, he feels well integrated into the academic community and continues growing into the parental side of school life. His perspectives as both an educator and a parent offer valuable insight into the nuances of Collegiate’s academic and social environment.

Photos by Caroline Zandler.