Q&A with Spencer Smith

What inspired you to teach?

The prospect of actually becoming a teacher was nowhere in the cards for me until about halfway through college. By the time I met the teacher who helped me reframe my sense of the teaching profession, I was on a trajectory to become an orchestral musician and soloist. I had played professionally through high school, so this all made sense. Neither of my parents finished college, so, in their minds, I would be doing well as long as I completed a degree in something. During core classes for my degree plan, a philosophy class jumped up and bit me, in a good way. The rest is history.

How do you develop strong writers?

Directing the Writing Center (WC) has provided an opportunity to expand a sense of academic community among students and faculty across traditional boundaries. Saying what you mean can be tough work, especially with the intellectual challenge posed by the writing prompts in many Upper School classrooms. FWCD has a long history of graduating college-ready academic writers, so I’ve enjoyed taking up the laudable work of Jon Shipley and Teresa Crafton in helping create a space for students to refine their skills under the guidance of faculty and student tutors. Sarah Blan has been an indispensable part of keeping the WC going; in addition to serving as a faculty tutor, she made it possible for WC tutors to help dozens of students during the pandemic.

What is your favorite book, and why?

This is a dangerous question, so I will dodge it entirely and throw out a most important book: Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov dramatizes all the psychological and spiritual ills of the modern world, and it offers a remedy for them. It’s a bit daunting at first, but the book’s characters are tremendously bizarre yet strikingly probable. Family drama, justice, romantic love, identity, depravity, moral absolutes – it’s all there in the richest colors. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart, but it’s one that has the power to change the heart and the mind.

What makes the FWCD Upper School so special?

Young adults are already asking themselves some of the most important questions about their lives and the lives of others, and that tends to create some intellectual curiosity that makes teaching great texts and big ideas rewarding and dynamic. FWCD’s Upper School comprises some of the most conscientious faculty who know their disciplines and care enough about their students’ success to challenge their potential. The division provides an opportunity to build relationships with families and work together to help students become their best selves.

Spencer Smith, Upper School English Teacher