On May 16th, 2017, the former student council president Taseen Anwar’17 honored Ed Pond for the Teacher of the Year award. A 21-year faculty in the physics department, Mr. Pond revealed his passion for teaching and his love for the Island in a recent interview with the Log.
LS: Why did you choose to come to Loomis to teach?
EP: After finishing eight years of service in the US Navy, including teaching at the Naval Academy, I was really interested in teaching and coaching. Loomis was the only school I interviewed with, but they were looking for someone to teach AP Physics and Physics Advanced and to coach water polo and swimming. Dean’s Alice Baxter and Woody Hess really impressed me during my interviews and I was offered the position that day.
LS: What’s your favorite part of teaching?
EP: I really enjoy getting to know my students and nudging them to think about things from a different perspective that they haven’t necessarily considered before. Physics is really centered on building models about the world and using these tools to problem solve. It is really exciting to see students master using the use of these tools and become confident problem solvers.
LS: Were there any challenges/difficulties that you faced throughout your teaching career?
EP: The biggest challenge is always finding the time to fully engage all the things I enjoy doing here at Loomis. Teaching, coaching, working in the dorm and family can fill a day pretty quickly, but it wonderful to have then opportunity to be in a situation where I can “change hats” so many times — life on the Island is never boring!!
LS: What ways of teaching do you think best help students to understand the material?
EP: I like integrating demonstrations, hands on work, discussion and active problem solving. I really enjoy watching small groups of students sharing ideas and helping each other gain confidence and understanding.
LS: Thank you so much for your response, we hope you will inspire more Loomis students to challenge themselves in their physics career in the future.
