Jordyn Balam, Editor-in-Chief As students prepared for the 2022-2023 school year, many were surprised to learn that there was a new Upper School Director: Mr. Jacob McCleese, previous head of the English department. Throughout the years, his reputation as a harsh grader often preceded him, but once you got to know Mr. McCleese, he became your teacher and friend. Now, he directs most of the Norfolk Christian administration. What has his experience been like? Overall, Mr. McCleese describes his experience so far as positive. He’s had to navigate through a couple of challenges, the biggest one being the quest for balance. He wants to improve teacher instruction, but at the same time care for students and ensure that their voices are heard. One of his favorite tasks to do as Upper School Director is classroom observation. Mr. McCleese now works with all of the department heads, rather than the English teachers alone. According to him, it’s fascinating to witness the differences in instruction between middle and high school. He also enjoys observing long-time NCS faculty, such as Mr. Shoaf and Mr. Baumgardner. Photo by Lily Strickland; Mr. McCleese encourages all students to stop by his office or talk to him in the halls. Although his nickname is the "Bear," Mr. McCleese has an inviting presence once you get to know him. He expresses a preference for informal classroom visits over scheduled ones because “anybody can be their best for one day.” In other words, he hopes to catch the teachers at random. Then, he provides feedback. Positive feedback is more difficult to hand out than criticism, but oftentimes the teachers don’t receive enough accolades for the amazing job they do. In turn, Mr. McCleese receives feedback from the teachers and faculty. The Gyorfi’s and Mrs. Sandwell are positive yet honest, which he says are “two sides of the same coin.” Above all, Mr. McCleese focuses on the importance of leading with humility because everyone keeps reminding him that he is “the boss” now. He can make decisions for people, but he’d much rather make them with people. Although he spends most of the school day coordinating with teams such as student support or finances, he also walks around the building as much as possible. In doing so, he hopes that students are more inclined to interact with him. The current seniors visit him all the time, but there are many students he hasn’t had the opportunity to teach. Mr. McCleese wants everyone to know that his “office door is always open” if they need advice or simply want to get to know him. Mr. McCleese may no longer be teaching, but his skills as an English teacher are still relevant to his new position. English teachers spend all of their time “gathering, analyzing, and presenting information,” which is essentially what he does all day. In this way, any good teacher can do well in an administration position. He also manages different perspectives and emotions from other people, both positive and negative. There are some days where his English ability has no use, which is discouraging, but overall, he feels well prepared for the job. Photo by Lily Strickland; As a former English teacher at Norfolk Christian, Mr. McCleese foregrounds the importance of reading! Two weeks ago, Mr. McCleese journeyed from the office, all the way to Camp Silver Beach for the senior trip. When asked how the senior trip affected the senior class and school as a whole, he responded: “The student body always functions better when the senior class is connected.” This is true for every school he’s worked at. He hopes that this year’s seniors will keep Christ at the center of their lives, which isn’t easy, but definitely worth it. If the seniors implement Norfolk Christian's mission statement into their lives, then the entire school can be transformed. “Transformation” is the overarching theme for this year, after all. However, Mr. McCleese understands that change doesn’t occur overnight. In fact, he wrote an essay about living in a “microwave generation,” where people believe that change can happen without any effort. If we truly want to be ambassadors for Christ, we must be willing to put in the work.
Norfolk Christian is fortunate to have a head of school who is dedicated to the entire NCS community. If you see Mr. McCleese in the hallway, make sure to thank him for the work he’s done thus far. At Ambassador Archives, we’re excited to see what Mr. McCleese and the school as a whole will accomplish this year.
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