The deep commitment of a learned and experienced group of teachers is Milton’s greatest treasure. One start-of-school tradition is honoring faculty who have served at Milton for 25 years or more. Juggling roles as teachers, advisors, coaches and dorm parents, the three faculty members honored this year are from the science department. Principal David Ball penned these tributes to Jim Kernohan, Tom Sando and Bob Tyler, who join a distinguished group of seasoned faculty.
Wit and intensity define Jim Kernohan’s teaching. With his characteristic humor, Jim explains complex abstractions in simple, concrete terms, daring his students to think. Jim also challenges himself, both as a teacher and as a scientist. Dedicated to his own professional development, Jim has embarked on a continual search for knowledge, knowledge that he shares with Class IV students, novices in the physical sciences, and with passionate Class I students, committed to the field. Astronomy’s finest ambassador, Jim also pushes science beyond the confines of the classroom, opening the Ayer Observatory to the School and the town countless nights each year. Innovative and loyal, Jim shares his ever-expanding knowledge and his ever-growing expertise selflessly.
A generation of Milton physics students will remember Tom Sando, goggles lowered and scarf on, riding down the hall on a child’s red wagon, propelled by a blasting fire extinguisher. Every one of Tom’s students, even those who can only imagine such a sight, recognize Tom as a teacher with powerful intellect and great creativity, a teacher whose high standards reflect his unbending faith in students’ potential. Tireless in the classroom and unflinching in his honesty, Tom relishes the clever turn of phrase, the glint in his eye reminding us that a mind in perpetual motion is hard at work. With his infectious energy, Tom propels students to heights that they could once only imagine.
Patient and perceptive, Bob Tyler has an unmistakable knack for discovering and then cultivating his students’ and colleagues’ strengths. Always supportive, he encourages gently but persistently, his warm rapport providing convenient cover for his relentless insistence that students, whether in the classroom or the pool, can meet ever-higher standards. Bob gives cheerfully of his time and great knowledge, leading humbly and with good humor. Always eager to broaden his perspective and bridge difference, Bob appreciates the distinctive experience of each individual just as he values the power of community. For all that he gives to them, Bob’s students and colleagues appreciate him.
