An Interview with Chairman Mal

The Record editors have made it a new monthly tradition to interview a faculty member that students find interesting. After last month’s interview with Mr. Kates, we wanted to raise the stakes, and so we landed on Mr. Malecek. Last week, I sat down for an in-person interview with the Assistant Head of School, and his answers are sure to captivate anyone who reads them. In fact, he answered so many questions with great detail that this interview features a rare three-page article, something that hasn’t been done for many years.

• Do you like your new role as Assistant Head of School for Intellectual Formation?

1. 1. 1. I love my new role. I’m still learning about it and trying to do the best job that I can. I am eager to try to help support my colleagues and make Priory the best possible place that it can be. What I do miss is interacting with students more regularly and being in the classroom, but I hope that some of the changes that are possible in this role will affect more students than if I were to just teach a class. It’s exciting for me, but, at the same time, I approach it with a lot of humility knowing that there’s still a lot for me to learn.

• A new rumor, confirmed by multiple teachers, is circulating the Priory halls… a new schedule for next school year. What would be the advantages and disadvantages to this schedule?

1. 1. 1. There has been work looking at a new schedule. I don’t know that we’re ready to commit to a timeline on it, when it may or may not roll out or what its final form might look like. What we’re trying to seek is a good balance between the Priory academic program, which is very rigorous and intense, while maintaining a recognition that, with that intensity, comes stress and anxiety. So how do we balance the need to prepare you guys for college and life beyond Priory, while, at the same time, recognizing you have other commitments – whether it’s Priory sports, the musical, club sports, family obligations, work – and in what ways could the schedule either help or hinder a Priory student in terms of managing all of that? One of the reasons we’re looking at fewer classes but more time per class is to try and manage the homework workload, such that a student doesn’t have seven classes per day and the next day seven more classes. I think it’s particularly acute in the junior year, where students are very stressed out, and we’re trying to figure out ways to maintain who we are, while making changes that will help soothe some of the concerns we are seeing.

• Was there anything in particular that motivated this potential change in the schedule?

1. 1. 1. This has been bubbling along for a while. With a change in the schedule, it sounds easy, but there’s a lot that goes into it. For example, how many classes do you meet per week? If math is five days a week now, is it still five days a week, or four or three, and how does that affect all of the other classes? It also affects staffing – what does a full load look like for a teacher? It also affects the curriculum –  how do we make sure what needs to be taught is covered? Furthermore, quite frankly, there’s been a growing mental health crisis in America, so how do we respond to that? So, we thought it was time to at least take a look at a new schedule, and it’s definitely something we are considering.

• You gave up teaching Calculus and Physics as you took on this new role. What do you miss most?

1. 1. 1. I really enjoyed teaching AP Physics. I started teaching Calculus when I first came to Priory and also loved that course. Those two courses offered me an ability to stretch my own mind in ways that “Algebra I” might not have challenged me. More so than the curriculum, however, the thing I miss the most is the daily interaction with students, the conversations you have before class, the funny inside jokes that develop with the class, the conversations about what lunch was – and now I don’t have as much contact time with students. I miss that a lot.

• Could anything convince you to resume teaching full time?

1. 1. 1. This year I am teaching Physical Science for 8th graders, which I also enjoy. The administrators teach at Priory because we believe it’s important to stay in tune with the student body, and being present as a teacher is really impactful in terms of reading the temperature of the school. I would love to teach Physics and Calculus if you could double the hours of the day. It’s a matter of time, unfortunately.

• How does your role as an administrator compare to Dr. Plaxco’s role of Director of Curriculum and Pedagogy?

1. 1. 1. There’s definitely a lot of overlap. Dr. Plaxco is conducting a curriculum review. We’ve been meeting together with all the departments and he’s been spearheading that process to gather information about where we think different departments are in the curriculum and where they ought to be. I help oversee the process, but the key difference is his role is more specific to that area of study. I also do things like [manage] the schedule, look at compensation, and deal with parent inquiries and faculty hirings. My role is a little broader, but that is certainly one component of my role [that overlaps with Dr. Plaxco’s role].

• As students, we know your professionalism at school, but what are your favorite hobbies outside of school?

1. 1. 1. Well, I don’t have time for hobbies. I have two kids with one on the way, which might be news to all of you. I spend a lot of time with my family – my kids are currently six and three – so they need a lot of support. I play a lot of Uno and chess with my six-year-old. I run, not because I enjoy it, but because I feel that I must. And I play Ultimate, especially in the summer. I also watch sports.

• If you could change one thing about Priory, what would it be?

1. 1. 1. I have two things. First, I think that Priory students are too tough on themselves. Sometimes they live in a bubble and are not aware of what they have. On one hand, students can frustrate themselves when they get a B or a C or when they don’t get the grade they want, but they don’t always realize that they are still achieving at a really, really high level. When we live in a bubble, we often compare ourselves only to those who are around us, and students forget that they are amazing because they are only compared to one another. Secondly, all of us, myself included, could use a little more gratitude. Once again, when we live in a bubble, it’s easy to get used to it and we start to take for granted the things we have. It’s important to escape from our bubble – whether it’s a community service project directly with the poor or just taking a step back and appreciating the things we have – because we all can start to take them for granted.

• If you could teach any elective of your choice, what would it be?

1. 1. 1. I taught an elective at my old school called “Introduction to Robotics,” where we did some basic coding as a senior elective. The other class that I’ve always wanted to teach is an “Energy and Climate” class. I believe it’s a challenge facing your generation and I think scientific knowledge is lacking and it’s becoming increasingly important to have a scientific background to be an informed citizen in today’s society.

• What are your opinions of the nickname Chairman Mal, and should you be feared by the student body?

1. 1. 1. I think it’s rather humorous because it was organic, and that’s the best kind of joke. It dates back to my Calculus class. They were asking who would be the chair of the department, and called it a chairman instead of a chair. So someone shouted, “Chairman Malecek!” And then someone shortened it to “Chairman Mal.” For the name, I don’t really care one way or another, but if it brings people joy, I’ll support it. I know that I can have very high expectations of our students, and that can get me a reputation of being overly tough. But it comes from a place of love and making students aware that they are capable of more than they realize. What I hope people don’t perceive me as is a taskmaster who is cruel or cold-hearted – that is not the case by any means. But, if you are doing what you shouldn’t be, I will certainly tell you about it.

• Senior Ethan Foss wrote an article for The Record at the beginning of the year with a rather bold take on your rise to power. What are your thoughts on his opinion?

1. 1. 1. Like all good satire, there is always a bit of truth, and I appreciate that he did it very well. I found it quite funny myself.

• How do you feel about losing to Dr. Griesbauer during Teacher Fight Night?

1. 1. 1. No comment.

• Is a hotdog a sandwich?

1. 1. 1. No.

• Does pineapple go on pizza?

1. 1. 1. Yes, sometimes. When you want it to.

• Is cereal a soup?

1. 1. No.

It was a great experience to sit down one-on-one with Mr. Malecek. As you can see, despite all of the buzz he generates around campus, he shares the vision of every faculty member, in that he wants all students to succeed in school and leave Priory with all of the necessary tools to lead a successful life. Clearly, Mr. Malecek has his hands full everyday both in and out of work.