Michael Lou, History Department

Michael, who teaches Asian history, Ancient Civilizations and U.S History in the Modern World, arrived at Milton eight years ago as in intern in the modern languages department. He had relinquished a budding career as a fund manager at Fidelity, and then earned a master’s degree at Harvard, before arriving on Centre Street.

“I spoke Mandarin Chinese at home and during my undergraduate study took an intensive Chinese course, explains Michael, so teaching Chinese at Milton was a great opportunity for me.
“I can still remember my first day at Milton. Having never taught before I planned to spend the first day or so of class teaching along side Michael Murray, but on my first day, a scheduling conflict occurred. I walked into my first class, Chinese 2, by myself and found 13 pairs of eyes staring back at me. It was baptism by fire, but as I taught the students to speak Chinese, the students taught me how to be a teacher.”

In the years since that fateful first day, Michael has expanded his understanding of being a teacher. Students love Michael’s classes; they find him demanding, knowledgeable– only about the subject matter, but also about them -– and caring. “ A good teacher is effective beyond his subject matter. The students in my class are there not just to learn about history, they are there to learn about so much more.

“History is a passion for me. I also love animals—I have four dogs, a Macaw and two tanks of fish— and so I have also studied biology and zoology. Sometimes in talking with students outside of class we end up talking about animals or phylum—just about anything. For quite a while now I have kept a list of things I’ve always wondered about. I think students may wonder about some of these same things and so once in a while I’ll take out the list and together we attempt to uncover the answers.”

Michael says he learns new things from the students everyday. As a member of the Discipline Committee Michael works with both faculty and students in interpreting school rules and determining sanctions.

“ I value participating in the Disciplinary Committee hearings. The student members of the Discipline Committee are amazing. Those seniors have a huge responsibility and they handle each situation with a maturity and grace you would never have thought possible when you saw them in Class IV, throwing paper across the classroom. Talking with the students about things such as suspending a peer for breaking the rules, is a great learning experience for me. As adults we sometimes forget the little things, our many layers of experience often keep us from seeing the whole picture, the student members of the Committee teach me to look at each situation and decision with fresh eyes.”

As a student at Middlesex and later at Harvard, Michael was lucky to have had faculty advisors with whom he connected and who guided him carefully through life’s bumps and turns. For this reason, Michael finds joy in his role as an advisor in Forbes House and as the faculty sponsor to G.A.S.P! (Gay and Straight People). Michael lived in Forbes house for six years, and even though today he lives off-campus, he continues to advise boys in Forbes House. The best part of being an advisor is getting to know the students on a personal and professional level. I not only know about a student’s learning style or academic strengths and weaknesses, but I get to know his family and who he is as an individual.”

Michael says he remembers his own high school boarding experience and that helps him connect easily with the students: “I remember what I liked and disliked about Middlesex and used that as a guide in teaching, advising and talking with students.”

Next fall Michael will take a sabbatical, and although his plans aren’t set in stone, one can guess Michael’s list of questions will grow and he will return in the spring, refreshed and ready again to be both a teacher and a learner.