90 Seconds with Mr. Dollhopf

How long have you been teaching at Deerfield?

This is my second year.

What drew you to Deerfield in the first place?

Family. We have a lot of our family, especially Mrs. Dollhopf’s father, but a lot of our family is outside of Boston. And so we wanted to get closer to them than we had been in Pennsylvania.

What school did you teach before you came to Deerfield?

We were at the Hill School, in Pennsylvania, for 25 years.

What is most satisfying moment you have in the classroom so far?

That’s really tough. I don’t know if I have one single most satisfying thing. I think it’s any time students are engaged and are curious and excited about what they’re learning, having fun, learning a lot of math at the same time. And I’ve had a lot of those moments, so it’s hard to pick just one.

What do many students misunderstand about math?

I think math is much more about why things work than just how to do things. I think a lot of people approach math kind of like a recipe book that they just learn methods rather than really understanding it. And I think the students that take the time to understand it, to ask the question why, understand the question why, more deeply.

What’s your favorite part of being in OBC?

To see the guys on Thursday nights and hearing what they’re up to and bringing them snacks sometimes.

What are they up to?

It depends. A lot of them are getting a lot of work done, working really hard and worried about whether they’re gonna get enough sleep that night, because of how much work they have to do.

What’s your least favorite part being in OBC?

The stomp, which has been something starting this year. It’s really disturbing to the people that live in the dorm, the little kids that live in the dorms.

Finally, if you weren’t a teacher, what would you think you’d be doing?

I don’t know, I’ve been a teacher my whole life, so it’s hard to think of something else. I’ve never thought of something different...I just really enjoy teaching!