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The Ties That Bind
Celebrating Retirement
The Ties That Bind
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By Jackie Pisani
When KO’s social media channels shared photos of Upper School English teacher Ron Monroe coaching his last basketball game before his retirement, the comments were posted faster than Allen Iverson driving down the court. “I’ll bet his coaching technique was similar to his advising and teaching techniques. Nothing but net!” “He is one of the best there is! In the classroom and on the court. Ron Monroe is always patient and kind. We will miss him!” And more than one person wrote “Class act.”
Over his 35-year tenure at KO, Monroe has held a multitude of positions: Form 1, Form 2, Form 3, Form 4, and Form 6 English teacher, Middle School English coordinator, Upper School English Department Chair, Director of the Upper School, Martin Nicholson Scholar advisor, and football, basketball, and crosscountry coach. In each position, Monroe demonstrated his steady and calm demeanor and his deep love for his students. Recognizing his commitment and dedication, KO presented him with The Collins Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2001, The Lazear Chair in 2014, The Joseph and Jo-anne Alissi Coaching Award in 2018, and in 2021, The Archibald A. Smith III Award by The Founders League. While a student at Bates College, Monroe learned of an opportunity to work as a counselor at an outdoor education camp on Cape Cod for fifth and sixth graders. Although he loved the experience of working with young people, upon graduation he was presented with more lucrative job opportunities in business management training programs. “For the time, the management training programs were paying pretty well,” he said. “The country was in a bit of a recession, and jobs were hard to get. I was very fortunate to have these offers. But the job I wanted to take was the apprentice teaching job at The New Canaan Country School, which paid virtually nothing, a $2,500 stipend. I agonized over this decision for quite some time because my parents paid a lot of money for my education. I picked up the phone and called the school and I explained my situation. They said, ‘Do what you want to do.’ It was a small risk, but it was a risk. It was a one-year gig, so I thought I’d give it a try.” And, so the National Cash Register Company and The Dead River Oil Company lost a sterling young employee, but students in Connecticut gained a dedicated, brilliant educator for over three decades.
After his stint at New Canaan, Monroe headed to the King School in Stamford for eight
years, teaching English and reading, and coaching sixth and eighthgraders. Looking for a change of pace and a leafier New England setting, he said he found KO was a good fit. “I was coaching football and basketball,” he said. “We were in a trimester schedule at the time, and I was teaching ninth grade and electives for juniors and seniors.
“I was teaching two different classes each trimester and managed six different classes plus my ninth graders whom I kept through the year. Needless to say, I never worked harder than in my first year.” While teaching at the Upper School, Monroe had the good fortune to teach three Baird English Symposium classes: William Styron in 1992, Jane Smiley in 1999, and Jennifer Egan in 2014. Booking Styron came with its challenges because Monroe had to correspond
with Styron by letter with the author, whom Monroe describes as a “very courtly Southern gentleman.” “Eventually he gave me his phone number,” he said. “There was no agent, and I spoke directly to him. For his troubles, he got all of $5,000.” Initially, Monroe said that he was nervous to meet Styron, but he learned how gracious and humbled the writers were to be highlighted in the program. Smiley took advantage of the school’s location and did some sightseeing at the Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe Houses in Hartford. Egan connected warmly with the students, and helped one who was interested in attending her alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania. Although Monroe considers himself an omnivore when it comes to reading anything from memoirs to non-fiction and essay collections, one novel that he is “borne back ceaselessly” to is The Great Gatsby which he teaches to his sophomore class. “Those students are getting more attuned to the narrative, the structure of the narrative, and the layers of meaning in the narrative,” he said. “It’s a compelling story that everyone seems to be a bit familiar with. An archetype.” While Monroe gravitates to the traditional English canon, he is also is fond of teaching newer works like There There by Tommy Orange, a masterful and modern novel that wrestles with the experiences of 12 native Americans, and it is rich with meaning and culture.
“Teaching literature allows students to be more familiar with the world of the metaphor,” he said. “There’s an intellectual side, of course, but also an empathic side. Reading allows anyone to have the opportunity to put themselves in the shoes of another and look at life from that character's point of view. That level of empathy and understanding is encouraged through literature. I think that, beyond the fact that they may soon forget a piece of literature, I think what will stay with students is the skill of living in the world of the metaphor and the soft skill of being empathic and more understanding of others.”
When Monroe is not busy with his chock-a-block schedule of teaching, coaching, and advising, in his spare time, for over 20 years, Monroe has held the most vulnerable babies in his arms every Sunday as a volunteer at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Connecticut Childrens Medical Center in Hartford.
“This experience is connected to teaching in that I’m providing a service to the family,” he said. “This baby won’t have any memory of me, and that’s OK. But I know I’ve had some positive impact on a life, even if the child never remembers me.” Monroe looks at his role as an educator in much the same way, never quite knowing the imperceptible marks he has left on his students. He derives tremendous satisfaction from seeing how an alum who comes back to visit him has become a wonderful contributor to society. “To understand that I have been part of their development is so gratifying,” he says. “The changes you witness from their freshman to senior years are almost magical.” “If I were to pick a grade that I’ve really enjoyed teaching is sophomore year,” he said. “There’s that inner growth of students in their sophomore year. What I often see is that students who were at one level of reading in the fall are stepping up to another level in the spring. That sort of breakthrough doesn't just happen in their speaking but in their writing analysis as well. KO does a great job in teaching our students how to write in an academic format, but to have to express their ideas not just literally but figuratively as well is a challenge for some students. It shows tremendous growth. Once in a while, I teach seniors whom I have taught as sophomores, and to see that growth is so rewarding and gratifying.” No article about Monroe would be complete without a commentary on his discerning sartorial style— ever-elegant in a jacket and everpresent tie. Though the pandemic allowed many of us to shirk our more formal business attire while on Zoom meetings and classes, not so for Ron Monroe. He apologetically admits that he did teach one class in slouchy wear, but is quick to add that he wore a collared shirt. And, yes, he does own a pair of jeans. “When I first came to KO, male teachers and students had to wear a jacket and a tie,” he said. “It was comfortable for me to wear it; it’s not uncomfortable. I view teaching as a profession, and as such, I want to look professional. Throughout the pandemic, I felt it important that I maintain that. During COVID-19 and those Zoom classes, my thinking was that my students have seen me in a tie throughout this year and now we’re online in March. I want them to have a regular experience. So many things have changed, and I don’t want that to change. I want to be that predictable person, even in the way I look, and so that was a conscious decision on my part.” For Monroe, small details are meaningful and matter. Monroe contemplated retiring one year ago, but he wanted to end on a high note, making his customary personal connections with his students and not remembering his last year as one teaching online or
in a hybrid fashion. After witnessing too many dear ones passing, Monroe wants to make the most of his life and try something new. His slate of to-dos includes bike tours in Newfoundland, Scotland, and the West Coast and a move to the small, vibrant community in Middlebury, Vt. And, as a service-oriented teacher who is a lifelong learner first and foremost, Monroe plans on tackling some new challenges, perhaps even as a volunteer fireman. “I’m so fortunate to have this opportunity. Moving to a new place gives you a fresh start, and I’m very lucky to have this chance,” he said.
