Math has always been a passion for Mr. Kevin Jiang, Dana Hall’s newest Upper School Math teacher, and that enthusiasm is contagious—shaping a classroom where students arrive each day eager to engage with new ideas, says one of his students, Ruby Dutch ‘28. “I’m super lucky to have had Mr Jiang as my teacher this year. He is so patient and understanding with all of the material.” Mr. Jiang brings years of knowledge and experience with him as he teaches three sections of Algebra II Accelerated and one section of Geometry.
Mr. Jiang’s teaching style stems from years of schooling and the pursuit of multiple degrees. Mr. Jiang earned his undergraduate degree in computer science from Yale University before continuing his education at Syracuse University, where he received an MFA in creative writing. Writing, he explains, was something he had always wanted to pursue, though for a long time he was unsure how to combine his love for math with his love for reading and writing. Growing up, reading and writing played a central role in how he made sense of the world, and that perspective continues to influence his work today. Teaching math with a creative writing background helps with the “why are you learning this,” a question many students have. He explained that patterns create predictability, and when a pattern is broken, students begin to think more deeply, reengaging them. As a teacher, he uses those pattern breaks to spark curiosity and push his students towards deepening understanding.
Five months into his time at Dana, Mr. Jiang says he has found the community to be welcoming and supportive, noting that he has learned an “incredible amount.” He adds that Dana’s environment is both academically rigorous and deeply committed to building community and kindness, qualities he says he highly values.
His love for teaching came from tutoring throughout high school, and after graduating from Yale he worked as a high school math teacher. After being a math teacher for a few years, Mr. Jinag worked in a Social Psychology Neuroscience lab at Boston College. Here, he was able to learn how science worked, which he said was a very formative experience because he was able to “see how messy doing science was, and how thoughtful everyone was doing it.” Working at the lab gave him faith in science, he said, that something is coming out of all the research happening. He admired the lab’s rigor, noting that despite its challenges, he regularly watched students succeed. “In many ways, the lab functioned like a classroom,” he said. After working at the lab, Mr. Jiang received his MFA from Syracuse University, continuing to teach post graduation.
“It’s been great how Mr. Jiang has jumped right into the math department,” says Upper School math faculty Ms. Allison Curran, “he has been such a team player since day one, and we’re so lucky to have him.” Beyond academics, Mr. Jiang enjoys reading, playing board games, and video games. As he continues to contribute within the math department and support student growth, he hopes to continue to grow and understand the world better.