Faculty Profile: Meet Erica Banderob

Erica Banderob’s enthusiasm as a teacher, house head, and student advisor has not diminished one iota after 33 years at Milton.  Having taught a variety of math classes and levels during her tenure, Erica is excited by the day-to-day classroom moments.

“I’ve always loved the sense of connection with a class—when the students come together, work well together, and treat one another with respect. They come to class happy to be there. They don’t dread math; they look forward it. A nice relationship develops among everyone in that setting. When that happens, it’s my favorite part of teaching.”

Erica’s focus in recent years is the level of Algebra II and Calculus geared for students who find math challenging.

“I’m happy that Milton offers calculus for students who aren’t necessarily strong math students—we teach in a way that’s appropriate for them and helps them become successful. I enjoy teaching students who come in September convinced they cannot do math, and by the end of the year they’re saying, ‘Oh, I can do this—it’s a lot of fun!’”

Erica knows that Milton students have a lot on their plates—they take their studies seriously, and they work hard. This is why she strives to be “as reasonable as possible” when it comes to assignments and tests. “I try to give plenty of warning for major assignments, and in my class we vote on test dates. If that date doesn’t work for a student for a valid reason, than we discuss taking it at a different date.”

Erica initially thought she would teach elementary school. After graduating from Concord Academy, she studied psychology at Oberlin College. On a visit to Concord Academy during college, Erica jokingly suggested that she might be available to teach math in a few years. She was immediately offered a job teaching math during another teacher’s sabbatical. So, she took a semester off from college, began teaching high school freshmen and sophomores, and then completed her studies at Oberlin.

Erica and her husband, John, are in their sixth year as house heads of Robbins House; it’s their 20th year of dorm living.

“We love it. We chose to move into the dorm and be house heads because we enjoy it; it’s fun. It makes a difference to students and their parents to know that we do this because we want to. Living in the dorm has been a part of my life for so long—I don’t know how people live their lives not living in a dormitory!”

Faculty Erica C. Banderob (1978) Mathematics A.B., Oberlin College Ed.M, Harvard University John T. Banderob (1974) Mathematics B.S., Yale University Christopher A. Hales (1999) Mathematics B.A., Emory University Teresa J. HerrNeckar (1996) Mathematics B.A., Alfred University M.A., Wesleyan University Keith T. Hilles-Pilant (1986) Mathematics A.B., Princeton University M.Ed., Harvard University Jeanne Smith Jacobs (1996) Mathematics A.B., M.Ed., Harvard University M.A., Ed. Washington University-St. Louis M.Ed., Harvard Graduate School of Education Martha Hinds Jacobsen (1985) Mathematics B.A., Smith College M.A., New York University Peter Kahn (2002) Mathematics B.S., Johns Hopkins Michael Kassatly (2006) Mathematics B.A., Cornell University M.S., University of New Hampshire M.A., University of California-Los Angeles Anne Kaufman (2002) Mathematics A.B., Smith College M.A., University of Montana Ph.D., University of Maryland Rebecca McCormick (2010) Mathematics B.S., Lafayette College M.Ed., University of New Hampshire M.S., University of New Hampshire Harold I. Pratt Jr. (1990) Mathematics B.A., Connecticut College M.Ed. (Educational Technology), Lesley University Juan R. Ramos (1998) Mathematics B.S.I.E., Universidad de Puerto Rico M.E., University of Florida Gregg Reilly (2001) Mathematics B.S., University of Massachusetts M.S., University of New Hampshire Matthew Simonson (2010) Mathematics B.A., Williams College Heather Sugrue (2001) Mathematics B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology M.Ed., Boston College