If there was a teacher who had more than enough on his plate, it would be Dr. Andrew J. Calis. From his unexpectedly eager demeanor at 7:50 in the morning to his frequent exclamations of “Outstanding!” and “Phenomenal!” whenever a student makes a great comment in his AP Lit, he balances leading Spalding’s yearly yearbook, Crossroads, while still finding time for his poetry, his band Delaplaine, and recreational sports teams. Dr. Calis is one of a kind, and I took the day to interview him to know more about his thought process and his role as a Spalding Educator.
What made you decide to become a teacher at Archbishop Spalding?
What made me decide to become a teacher was a much bigger question. In 10th grade, I had a poetry teacher that I really loved, and I wanted to do the things that she was able to do — make poetry interesting and accessible and meaningful. But I wanted to become a teacher here because, while I was getting my PhD, after being a college professor for so long, I wanted to be a high school teacher to have more control over where I ended up (professors have to go where the jobs are, and that sometimes means moving across the country). I hadn’t heard of Spalding, but my wife knew people who went here, and she highly recommended it. When I interviewed, I spent some time praying in the chapel and completely fell in love with the place. It really did feel like home to me.
What’s your teaching style?
Very discussion-based. I try to make the content as relevant as I can for my students, and I ask what they think are meaningful questions so students will be able to think critically about the material that we’re covering. I love hearing students’ thoughts and ideas, and I’m always surprised by the depth of their insights!
How does being a poet influence the way you teach?
I think it makes me want to help students appreciate what they read instead of just analyze or “solve” it. Being a poet, when I write poetry, it’s not meant to be solved but instead meant to be an experience. I want students to understand that poetry isn’t inherently about getting an answer, but getting a feel for it, not knowing what the outcome of it is going to be, but being swept along the line.
What is the best part of teaching each of your fellow classes?
The relationship with your students. I’m shocked and overjoyed at the quality of conversations we can have, but also the personalities of the students. They’re funny, caring, sharp, and interesting. I’m almost distracted by the quality of their answers and their wonderful personalities in all of my classes.
How has teaching AP Lit changed your own perspective on literature?
I’m always impressed and surprised by my students’ insights. This year, students will say things that, even after analyzing the same piece of literature for years, I’ve never seen in that way, and they do it in such funny, clever, and interesting ways.
What’s the creative process for Archbishop Spalding’s Crossroads?
The staff comes up with a few possible book themes, and we debate the benefits and downsides of the themes. Once we find a theme we fit with, we go with it. Once we find a theme, we try to find a way to fit it in every page in the book, and students lead the creative process.
How do students lead it?
They design the pages themselves, decide the layout, decide how to integrate the themes onto the page, and I will push and critique them, their ideas, and fine-tune the way they will push it, but their process is their own.
How do your students influence your writing?
Creatively: A lot of my poems are about the experience of being a teacher, and they also help me, when I teach lit, notice something students gravitate towards when I’m writing. If they are drawn to some things or reject other things, I keep it in mind—not to write toward the audience but to understand what does and does not resonate with students. I always have my senior salute (my end-of-year senior poem) on my mind in some way.
Where do you usually find time to write?
I do it throughout the day, usually at the chapel at school, during the school day or after school. Sometimes I write in my classroom, but more often than not, I write in the chapel. In general, I tend to write in quiet, meditative spaces.
What do you like to do outside of school?
In terms of hobbies, I have a lot of them. I play on a roller hockey team with my two brothers. I’m in a band (Delaplaine), I enjoy playing and designing board games, and I play guitar, drums, and am learning new instruments.
What’s your favorite sport?
Tough question. For most of my life, football; recently, hockey. If I were to choose between watching the NFL and the NHL, I’d say the NFL, but for playing, it’s a tie right now.
How do you have the time to both work as a teacher and spend time doing the hobbies you love?
I don’t leave Spalding until I have all the work I need to do finished. Once I have all my work finished, once I’m at home, I can only pursue the things I love: parenting, being with my wife, and pursuing my hobbies. It means I stay at school until pretty late, but I don’t bring it home, and I can spend the time doing the things I love.
How did you get involved in your band?
We met while we were in college and bonded over the band Radiohead, and we wanted to try and write music that sounds like Radiohead but not derivative of it. We started messing around with music in my basement, and it just grew from there. It’s crazy to think that I’ve known them for almost 20 years now.
How has your background shaped who you are as a teacher?
As far as my past, my Catholic faith shaped me through always understanding morals and ethics [for example, Dr. Calis often cites St. Thomas Aquinas’ definition of love, to will the good of the other, in order for AP Lit students to understand the differences between love and use within a literary context], considering the morality of so many choices. As someone who loves literature, my teaching style: I really just want students to love literature first, appreciate it, and see why the writer makes all these literary techniques, these conscientious choices, and how they chose to craft a piece of literature.
What kind of impact do you want to leave on your students?
The impact: I want my students to leave my classroom feeling they were seen, heard, and understood, and confident in their own ability as thinkers and writers. I want students to leave my classroom as critical thinkers, evaluating the world around them, and being intentional in their own choices and decisions.
Dr. Calis embodies the spirit of Spalding in so many ways. From his dedication to his students and his incorporation of Catholic social teaching into his literary analysis to the time he spends outside the classroom, Dr. Andrew J. Calis is truly one of a kind.
